2018 February - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings Plan To Interview John DeFilippo

February 5th, 2018 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

While nothing formal’s transpired yet on the John DeFilippo-to-Minnesota front, the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach looks like a candidate to become the next Vikings OC.

The Vikings plan to meet with DeFilippo, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (on Twitter).

This subject has not produced much clarity. A report indicated the Vikings were hopeful about a DeFilippo summit emerged last week, but Goessling added shortly after that the two-year Eagles QBs coach was more likely to stay in Philadelphia for a third season.

Regardless, the Vikings want to have their OC spot filled by midweek. The team has already interviewed four candidates to fill the position Pat Shurmur vacated, and this position still being unfilled points to the franchise eyeing a member of one of the Super Bowl entrants’ staffs.

DeFilippo was a hot commodity on the coaching circuit after Carson Wentz‘s MVP-caliber showing pre-injury, and Nick Foles‘ virtuoso display in Super Bowl LII surely did nothing to diminish DeFilippo’s stock.

East Rumors: Patriots, Cousins, Giants, Foles

February 5th, 2018 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Will Rob Gronkowski retire this offseason? The tight end hinted at the possibility following the Patriots‘ Super Bowl loss, but head coach Bill Belichick isn’t panicking.

“At the end of every season, every person goes through somewhat of a process at the end of the season and then the following season,” Belichick said (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com). “I think everyone that is involved in a NFL season, you get pretty drained especially after a season like this. [You] go through the end of the year process. The following year is the following year. It’s the same for everybody. I certainly can’t speak for anybody else.

You’d have to ask any individual for every situation, but I would say five minutes after the game, or the day after the game is not really the time to make those decisions.”

Gronkowski maxed out his incentive-laden 2017 contract by returning to first-team All-Pro status, the fourth time he’s done so in his eight-year career. Only Tony Gonzalez (six) earned more first-team All-Pro distinctions. Gronk will turn 29 in May and still has two seasons remaining on his extension signed back in 2012. He’s set to earn $8MM in base salary in 2018 and take up $10.91MM of the Patriots’ cap.

Here’s more from the AFC champions and the latest from the NFC East.

Take this with a grain of salt, but Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels told reporters that he will not address whether he’s going to join the Colts as their new head coach or stay in New England as their offensive coordinator (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of NESN). A report emerged during Super Bowl LII that McDaniels was considering backing out of his unofficial Indianapolis agreement.
Redskins president Bruce Allen has been speaking to rival executives about possibly tagging Kirk Cousins, but they don’t see the logic in doing that, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. The feeling around the league, La Canfora says, is that consideration of the tag feels overly personal. As PFR’s Rory Parks explained over the weekend, tagging and trading Cousins could wind up backfiring hard on the team.
The Giants are planning to hire two more assistants for Pat Shurmur‘s first staff. Deshea Townsend and Ben Wilkerson will be joining the staff as assistant defensive backs coach and assistant offensive line coach, respectively, Alex Marvez of the Sporting News reports. A 13-year NFL veteran corner, Townsend served as the Titans’ DBs coach during Mike Mularkey‘s two-year run. Wilkerson spent the past three seasons on John Fox‘s Bears staff.
Carson Wentz‘s severe knee injuries would make the Eagles “fools” to trade Nick Foles now, especially considering what Jimmy Garoppolo fetched in a trade in October, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. Signed to just a two-year, $11MM deal, Foles could serve as an elite insurance policy while Wentz recovers. While the Super Bowl champions’ franchise quarterback is hopeful to return in time for the start of the 2018 season, the December setback could leave him on the shelf going into training camp.
Conversely, the Eagles’ lack of a second- or third-round pick in next year’s draft could make acquiring a second-rounder more important than keeping Foles while Wentz recovers, Les Bowen of Philly.com writes. Foles’ previous shortcomings as a starter should give teams pause, but his 72 percent playoff completion rate this year was third in NFL history — behind only Joe Montana (1989) and Troy Aikman (1993) — for a player with at least 75 throws. And his stock will probably never be higher. The 29-year-old passer would be an interesting name on an already complex QB market.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

Lions Hire Matt Patricia As Head Coach

February 5th, 2018 at 2:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

As expected, the Lions made it official on Monday in announcing Matt Patricia will be their next head coach. Now that the 2017 season is over, the two teams who waited for the Patriots’ season to end are free to announce agreements.

This hire has been expected for more than three weeks, and the longtime New England DC can begin to fully assemble his first Detroit staff.

“When we launched the search for our next head coach, I wanted to find a leader that could take us to the next level and I am confident we have found that in Matt Patricia,” Lions GM Bob Quinn said. “He has been preparing for this opportunity his entire career, and he’s ready for the responsibility and its challenges.

“Matt is driven to succeed, has extreme passion for the game and excels in preparation. He embodies the same hard-working, blue-collar attributes that represent our organization and the great City of Detroit.”

Patricia served as Patriots DC for six seasons but spent 14 years with the franchise, going straight from being a Syracuse graduate assistant to working on Bill Belichick‘s staff. The 43-year-old Patricia is coming off his first Super Bowl defeat as Pats DC, but he served on staff for six of the eight Super Bowls in the Belichick era.

The Lions are expected to retain OC Jim Bob Cooter and are not certain to hire a defensive coordinator, with Patricia expected to run that unit. They will have an entirely new defensive staff regardless.

Brad Childress To Join Bears’ Staff

February 5th, 2018 at 1:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last month, Brad Childress left the Chiefs and was said to be headed toward retirement from the coaching ranks. That retirement did not last long.

The Bears are set to hire the former Vikings head coach as an offensive consultant, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

The obvious connection here is Matt Nagy, whom Childress worked with the Chiefs for five years, and Caplan notes the two are close. They shared offensive coordinator responsibilities in 2016 once Doug Pederson left for Philadelphia. Now, Nagy and Childress look to be pairing up again to work with Mitch Trubisky and Co. in the Windy City.

Childress, 61, is an Aurora, Ill., native and an Eastern Illinois alum. This will be his first time coaching in his home state since he served on the University of Illinois’ staff from 1978-84.

Colts Brass High On Darrell Bevell

February 5th, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

This week, the Colts are expected to formally announce the hire of Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. It’s unclear who the Colts’ next OC will be, but the organization may be nudging McDaniels in the direction of former Seahawks play caller Darrell Bevell. During the head coaching interview process, Colts brass was asking candidates if they’d consider hiring Bevell as OC, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter).

McDaniels, of course, is expected to have a large degree of control over the hire, so the team could still go in a different direction even if GM Chris Ballard & Co. want Bevell to be the pick. It’s also anticipated that McDaniels will be the one calling plays in Indianapolis, so the OC there won’t have the usual degree of control. That’s may be music to the ears of some Colts fans who are turned off by the inconsistency of the Seahawks’ offense under Bevell and his sometimes questionable in-game decisions.

Back in January, it was reported that Raiders quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz would be Indianapolis’ new OC. In the coming days, we should have a definitive answer on whether the hire will be Bevell or Peetz.

Nick Foles’ Eagles Future Remains Murky

February 5th, 2018 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

Nick Foles was the MVP of the Super Bowl, but his future with the Eagles is far from certain. On Monday morning, coach Doug Pederson all but confirmed that Carson Wentz will be the Eagles’ starter to open up the 2018 season.

“I had a chance to talk to Carson actually on the field, on the podium last night after the game. I told him to take this in, enjoy this moment,” Pederson said on Monday morning (via NFL.com). “He’s a great quarterback and he’s a big reason — I told him you’re a big, big part of why this team won this championship, won this game. I told him that hopefully we’ll be back in this game with him leading the way.”

When asked if the Super Bowl MVP can realistically return as Wentz’ backup, Pederson didn’t have much in the way of concrete answers.

“I knew I couldn’t get off this stage without that question,” Pederson said. “You know what? I’m going to tell you right now, we’re going to enjoy it, we’re going to get on this plane, go back to Philadelphia, we’re going to celebrate with our fans back in Philly. We’ve got a long offseason — well, really a short offseason now. We’re just going to enjoy this moment. I’m happy for Nick, I’m happy for the team. It’s not about one guy, it’s about the team. Like I said, we’re going to enjoy these next few days.”

The Eagles would certainly like to keep Foles as Wentz’s No. 2 in the event of another injury next season and he has proven himself to be more than worthy of his $7.6MM cap charge for next season. At the same time, Foles will likely want to be a starting quarterback again and the Eagles could definitely use some additional draft capital as they pick last in the first round and do not own their second or third round picks thanks to trades. In the coming weeks, the Eagles can be expected to keep the phone lines open as teams inquire about this year’s Super Bowl hero.

Rob Gronkowski Mulling Retirement?

February 5th, 2018 at 10:32am CST by Zachary Links

In the aftermath of the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, tight end Rob Gronkowski was asked about the possibility that he could retire this offseason. Gronkowski indicated that retirement is at least a possibility, though he has not made a determination one way or another.

“I don’t know how you heard that, but I mean I’m definitely gonna look at my future for sure,” Gronkowski said (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter). “[I’ll] sit down the next couple weeks and see where I’m at.”

Gronkowski won’t turn 29 until May and remains one of the league’s very best tight ends. However, he may be thinking about moving on from the game after a big hit from Jaguars safety Barry Church left him with a concussion. Gronk, who has plenty of money in the bank thanks to endorsement deals, is due to make $8.25MM in 2018 and that might not be enough to make him return for another season if he is having doubts.

This past season, Gronkowski hauled in a team-high 69 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns. He also turned in another stellar performance on the game’s biggest stage with nine catches for 116 yards and two scores against the Eagles. If the Patriots want more of that, they may have to try and coax Gronkowski to come back out for another season – and that may mean offering him a sizable raise.

Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order

February 5th, 2018 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

With the Super Bowl in the books, we now know the draft order for the entire first round of the 2018 draft. Here’s the rundown:

1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)

2. New York Giants (3-13)

3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)

4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)

5. Denver Broncos (5-11)

6. New York Jets (5-11)

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)

8. Chicago Bears (5-11)

T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)

T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)

11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)

12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)

13. Washington Redskins (7-9)

14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)

15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)

17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)

20. Detroit Lions (9-7)

21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)

22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)

23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)

24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)

25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)

26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)

27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)

30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)

31. New England Patriots (13-3)

32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

Eagles Win Super Bowl LII

February 4th, 2018 at 9:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Philadelphia Eagles have won their first Super Bowl championship, holding off the New England Patriots in a classic.

Philadelphia prevailed in a 41-33 victory in Minneapolis, riding an all-time performance from backup quarterback Nick Foles. Carson Wentz‘s backup accounted for four touchdowns, being on the receiving a historic trick play at the goal line at the end of the first half, to help propel the Eagles to their first championship since 1960.

For his work, Foles earned MVP honors.

The 29-year-old quarterback, now in his second Eagles stint, turned in back-to-back dominant outings to lift the team to the NFL’s summit — his best work coming to hand the Patriots their third Super Bowl defeat of the Bill Belichick era.

Foles completed 28 of 43 passes, throwing for three touchdowns to counter Tom Brady‘s bid for another comeback. The Patriots icon broke his own Super Bowl record by throwing for 505 yards, adding three touchdown passes. But Brandon Graham intervened in a crucial spot to stymie Brady and New England’s bid for a second straight Super Bowl title.

Graham’s pass rush stripped the ball from Brady and denied the Patriots’ offense a chance at a game-winning touchdown drive. The Patriots, like they did in a Super Bowl XLVI loss to the Giants, had a final-play opportunity. But the Eagles thwarted their hail mary to preserve the championship in a game that broke the all-time record for yardage in a Super Bowl.

The teams combined for 1,151 yards, 75 of those coming on the Eagles’ go-ahead touchdown drive that ended in a Foles-to-Zach Ertz connection. That ended up being enough to clinch a championship in Doug Pederson‘s second season as HC. Philadelphia constructed a dramatic improvement from its 7-9 2016 effort.

The 85th-year franchise won three playoff games — despite being underdogs in all three — to hold seed in the NFC then upend the Patriots, winning a Super Bowl in its third try and avenging a loss to the Patriots 13 years ago.

North Notes: Packers, Vikes, Shazier, Ravens

February 4th, 2018 at 8:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

As a high-octane Super Bowl LII enters its defining stretch, here’s the latest from the North divisions, starting with a perennial Super Bowl contender.

Aaron Rodgers interprets the language coming out of Packers headquarters this offseason as indicating he’ll have more help in 2018. The 34-year-old quarterback said his team will need to improve on both sides of the ball. “I think based on some of his comments, he’s going to be aggressive,” Rodgers said (via Nate Davis USA Today Sports) of new GM Brian Gutekunst. “We gotta get better on both sides of the ball. And that’s on Brian’s staff, that’s their job responsibility to give us a product we can work with and then it’s on Mike (McCarthy) and the staff and leadership to make it work.” The Packers have been perhaps the stingiest team in the league regarding non-street free agency investments, and with Rodgers entering his mid-30s, it would make sense for the franchise to go after the window it has.
Earlier Sunday, a report surfaced regarding Ryan Shazier‘s progress. While Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported Shazier has a regular walking routine, the Steelers linebacker wanted to clarify that. Michele Tafoya of NBC Sports tweets Shazier is not walking on his own and needs the assistance of others or a walker at this juncture of his rehab process.
The Vikings want to have their next offensive coordinator by midweek, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. La Canfora posits it would be a surprise if the team doesn’t conduct an interview with Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. The second-year Philadelphia QBs coach is thought to be a sought-after candidate for this post but may not be ready to leave his current job just yet.
The Ravens‘ decision to announce Eric DeCosta will succeed Ozzie Newsome did not violate the Rooney Rule. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk notes a team is allowed to make a promotion of this sort without conducting an interview, provided the executive has been labeled as the GM-in-waiting.