2018 November - Pro Football Rumors

Georgia Tech To Interview Ken Whisenhunt

November 29th, 2018 at 5:02pm CST by Zachary Links

FRIDAY: Whisenhunt will now not be flying to Atlanta this weekend to interview for the Georgia Tech job and is expected to now go sometime next week, ESPN’s Eric Williams tweets. Head coach Anthony Lynn has spoken with Whisenhunt about the job and says his focus is on the team’s upcoming game against the Steelers.

THURSDAY: Whisenhunt will indeed interview for the Georgia Tech position over the weekend, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

WEDNESDAY: Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt is “a top candidate” to take over as the head coach of Georgia Tech’s football program, ESPN.com’s Andy Rittenberg (on Twitter) hears. It’s not immediately clear whether Whisenhunt is interested in the position, but it stands to reason that he will be at least intrigued by the job since he played for the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson is expected to retire in the coming days, creating a vacancy. Whisenhunt, meanwhile, profiles as an extremely attractive candidate given the Bolts’ success in 2018.

Whisenhunt is in the midst of his second stint as the Chargers’ OC. His first run came in 2013, under then-head coach Mike McCoy. Whisenhunt left to become the Titans’ head coach for one-and-a-half seasons before returning in 2016. This year, Whisenhunt’s offense ranks sixth with 4,422 total yards and is tied for seventh with 27.9 points per game.

The Chargers, who are currently 8-3, will presumably make a competitive offer to the OC when/if he gets interest from other NFL and college teams. This Sunday, they’ll look for another W when they take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

Broncos Waive LB A.J. Johnson

November 29th, 2018 at 4:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos waived linebacker Alexander Johnson, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. To take his place, the club promoted outside linebacker Jeff Holland from the practice squad to active roster.

Johnson, a Tennessee product, signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in the offseason. The talented ‘backer hadn’t played football in more than four years before landing signing with Denver, thanks to a rape charge of which he was later acquitted. Despite his potential and the $50K guarantee on his contract, he was active for just one game this year.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old recently plead guilty to simple possession and failure to exercise due care while driving, but prosecutors dropped the DUI charge stemming from his 2017 arrest. With no present legal troubles, it’s possible that another team will claim him on waivers, but it’s more likely that he’ll hit the workout circuit as a free agent next week.

Holland, meanwhile, will serve as a pass rusher while Shaquil Barrett is out with a hip flexor issue. Holland received a $15K signing bonus on his UDFA deal, just like standout running back Phillip Lindsay, so the Broncos are excited to see what he can do.

Jets’ Robby Anderson Wants Extension

November 29th, 2018 at 3:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Robby Anderson does not want to receive a restricted free agent tender from the Jets this offseason, as Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. But, unfortunately for the wide receiver, he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter.

Anderson was hoping to break out this season and garner a multi-year extension from the Jets. So far, things have not gone according to plan. With just 23 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns so far this year, it’s unlikely that the Jets will make a lengthy commitment to Anderson, but that won’t stop him from trying.

“I would hope not to be tendered,” said Anderson. “Because I don’t want to be here for possibly just one more year. I want to be here for the long term. I feel like I worked hard. [The RFA tender] is a step up from where I’m at now. But I want to be here for the long term.”

The RFA tender would indeed mark a big step up for the 25-year-old (26 in May). This year, he’s earning roughly $633K this year, but the tender would pay him about $3.1MM for 2019.

It’s not a given that the Jets will use the tender on Anderson, but it seems awfully probable after they turned down the Eagles’ offer of a fourth-round pick before the trade deadline. After that, if Anderson stays healthy and out of off-the-field trouble, the Jets would probably be willing to discuss a longer arrangement.

“I want to be one of the best to ever do it,” Anderson said. “That’s my goal and my mission. And I know that’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not going to happen in a year. It’s going to take time. I know it’s a journey. And I know it’s in God’s hands more than anything. So, I just try to keep a positive mindset and keep working.”

Anderson is a long way from GOAT discussion, but he did show promise last year. The former UDFA finished out the 2017 season with 63 catches for 941 yards and seven touchdowns.

NFL Teams Interested In Kliff Kingsbury

November 29th, 2018 at 3:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Rumors are circulating about former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury heading to USC to become their new offensive coordinator. That may still come to fruition, but no deal has been struck just yet and Kingsbury continues to consider offers from both the college ranks and the NFL, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

Kingsbury was canned by Texas Tech on Nov. 25 after the Red Raiders finished with a 5-7 record. Kingsbury went just 35-40 in his six seasons at the helm, but NFL teams – and other college programs – remain intrigued by his offensive mind and ingenuity.

Kingsbury is unlikely to receive head coaching consideration in the NFL, particularly at this juncture of the season, but he may fit as a quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator elsewhere. There aren’t a ton of true vacancies for those positions out there, but clubs that are high on Kingsbury may be willing to bust out some pink slips and make room.

Bengals Place Jake Fisher On IR

November 29th, 2018 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals placed offensive lineman Jake Fisher on injured reserve due to his ailing back, per a team announcement. Fisher is now the 14th player to land on the Bengals’ IR this season.

The Bengals acted fast to replace Fisher, signing old friend Andre Smith on Thursday morning. Smith may offer experience and familiarity with the Bengals’ blocking schemes, but he is far less skilled at this point in his career than the 25-year-old.

Fisher, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, also missed half of the 2017 season with an irregular heartbeat. This is a disappointing way for his 2018 season to end, especially since he is slated to reach the open market in March.

The Bengals, who are also without starting quarterback Andy Dalton, face extremely long odds of making the postseason. According to Five Thirty Eight, they have just a 6% chance of making the playoffs with a 1% probability of passing the Steelers and Ravens to win the AFC North.

Cardinals Place Jeremy Vujnovich On IR

November 29th, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals placed offensive lineman Jeremy Vujnovich on injured reserve, per a team announcement. To take his place, the club re-signed fellow offensive lineman Will Holden.

With Vujnovich going to IR, the Cardinals are now without two of the five players who started on the offensive line in Sunday’s lopsided loss to the Chargers. Andre Smith was released on Monday and has since rejoined the Bengals.

Vujnovich, 28, appeared in five games for the Cardinals this year and started twice. In 2017, he started all 16 games for the Colts at left guard, but he has struggled in Arizona this year. In Week 10, for example, Vujnovich allowed three sacks against the Chiefs. He’ll likely be replaced at right guard by Oday Aboushi.

Holden was most recently with the Saints’ practice squad. Last year, Holden appeared in seven games (five starts) for the Cardinals and saw snaps at left guard, left tackle, and even tight end.

Bengals Sign OT Andre Smith

November 29th, 2018 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals signed offensive tackle Andre Smith, according to Geoff Hobson of the team website (on Twitter). The deal marks Smith’s third career stint in Cincinnati.

Smith, ostensibly, has been brought on board to fill in for Cordy Glenn and Jake Fisher, who are both out with back injuries. Cedric Ogbuehi was next in line to pitch in at tackle, but team brass apparently prefers Smith, even though he struggled at right tackle last year and has not earned a quality score from Pro Football Focus since 2014.

Smith spent the first seven seasons of his career with Cincinnati after being selected No. 6 overall in the 2009 draft and reunited with the Bengals last offseason. He signed a one-year deal with the notion that he would be the team’s starting right guard, but lost that competition to Trey Hopkins. Later on, a spot opened up at right tackle when Jake Fisher was shut down for the year with a heart condition.

This year, Smith hooked on with the Cardinals, but he was unable to produce. Earlier this week, Arizona released him and he went unclaimed on waivers.

Latest On Redskins, Reuben Foster

November 29th, 2018 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Redskins decision-makers were split over whether to claim Reuben Foster off waivers from the 49ers this week, according to Les Carpenter and Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post. The biggest proponent of the move was team president Bruce Allen, who “masterminded” the idea.

Foster was arrested at the Niners’ team hotel on Saturday night, marking the second time this year that he has been accused of getting physical with girlfriend Elissa Ennis. Ennis recanted the first allegation, but she is cooperating with authorities this time around and her attorney says she will “participate in the [legal] process.”

The 2017 first-round pick is undeniably talented, but the Redskins’ decision to add him to the roster has been widely criticized. That may explain why Allen chose to have Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Williams quoted in the team’s press release rather than himself.

“The Redskins fully understand the severity of the recent allegations made against Reuben,” Williams said in the statement. “If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone.”

Shortly after claiming Foster, the Redskins announced that the linebacker will not play until his legal situation is resolved. They won’t have the opportunity to do that anyway – the NFL placed Foster on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning that he cannot play or practice for the Redskins until the league office gives its blessing.

Giants Could Keep Eli Manning In 2019

November 29th, 2018 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

There is still a chance that Eli Manning could return to the Giants as their starting quarterback in 2019, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY hears. While the offense has sputtered under Manning’s command, the Giants do not have a clear replacement for him, so the possibility of another season together cannot be ruled out.

Obviously, the Giants will be keeping close tabs on Manning’s performance over the final five games of the season. They also have to weigh the fiscal consequences of keeping him. Manning is signed through next year at a salary cap number of $23.2MM, which is a lot for a soon-to-be 38-year-old quarterback in decline.

The Giants may want to use these final five games as an opportunity to see what fourth-round pick Kyle Lauletta has to offer. If Lauletta sees the field and plays well, the Giants may gain enough confidence to move on from Manning.

The stats indicate that Manning is having a solid season on the whole, but the Giants’ offense has struggled to put points on the board. The veteran has completed 69% of his passes with just seven interceptions and he’s on pace for one of his best career totals in passing yards. Manning has also played better over the last three weeks thanks to improved protection from the offensive line. Still, he’s thrown only 14 touchdown passes through eleven games and the Giants’ offense is averaging only 21.5 points per contest.

Manning will look to keep it up against the Bears on Sunday. If the game gets out of hand, we could be one step closer to seeing what Lauletta has to offer.

North Rumors: Bears, Nagy, Ravens, Vikings

November 28th, 2018 at 9:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It’s still unclear if Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will be available to face the Giants on Sunday, but Chicago is confident Trubisky’s shoulder injury won’t turn into a long-term issue, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com tweets. Trubisky missed the Bears’ Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Lions, but Chicago was still able to manage a victory with backup Chase Daniel under center. The Bears have a 98% chance of earning a postseason berth and an 83% chance to win the NFC North, so they may not want to risk Trubisky’s health in what could be another easy win against New York. Trubisky did practice on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), although it was in a limited fashion.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

While Trubisky might be healthy enough to play on Sunday, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco almost certainly won’t be ready for Week 13. Flacco, who is still dealing with a hip issue that has cost him two games, didn’t practice on Wednesday and appears likely to sit out Sunday, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). First-round rookie Lamar Jackson, who has led Baltimore to two victories in his first two starts, figures to be under center again when the Ravens take on the Falcons. Meanwhile, offensive lineman James Hurst returned to practice on Wednesday after being sidelined since mid-October, reports Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Matt Nagy will lead the Bears against the Giants on Sunday, but New York never showed any interest in hiring him as a head coach during the offseason, as he told reporters — including Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com (Twitter link) — on Wednesday. That’s in line with PFR’s 2018 Head Coaching Search Tracker, which shows Nagy only interviewed with the Colts and Bears. The Giants, meanwhile, met with Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Steve Wilks, Eric Studesville, and Steve Spagnuolo before hiring Pat Shurmur. Nagy, for his part, could take home Coach of the Year depending on how Chicago’s season ends.
Speaking of current Bears coaches, Chicago is worried it could lose defensive coordinator Vic Fangio this offseason, as Jay Glazer of The Athletic writes. Fangio has interviewed for two head positions in the past, but both have been with clubs that already employed him (Bears in 2018, 49ers in 2015). While he didn’t land either of those gigs, Fangio could be in line to move into a head coaching role after that’s currently ranked first in DVOA by a relatively wide margin. As Glazer writes, however, Fangio’s age (60) could work against him as many clubs are searching for younger coaches.
By going over the 100-catch mark on Sunday, Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen triggered an escalator in his contract, tweets Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Thielen, who inked an incredibly team-friendly extension last spring, will now see his 2019 base salary increase from $3.85MM to $5.85MM. If he tops 90 receptions in 2019, Thielen will boost his 2020 salary from $5.35MM to $7.35MM.