HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Extra Points: Fournette, Jaguars, Foles, Gase, Dolphins

December 31st, 2018 at 12:40pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

While today’s NFL news is almost entirely focused on coaching staff shakeups, there are still some other interesting nuggets out there. One very noteworthy situation is the drama unfolding with the Jaguars and Leonard Fournette. Yesterday, head of football operations Tom Coughlin blasted Fournette for sitting on the bench during the team’s Week 17 loss, and now the team is voiding the remaining guarantees in his contract, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN (Twitter link). The voiding is a result of Fournette’s suspension by the league for one game a couple of weeks ago for his role in a fight that broke out in the Jaguars/Bills game. The NFLPA could challenge any such move, but if his contract included an exception for suspensions, as most rookie deals do, there might not be much they can do.

As a first round pick, Fournette’s multi-million dollar salaries for 2019 and 2020 had been guaranteed, but that’s no longer the case. The team can now cut Fournette without paying him anything more, and a parting of ways whether by trade or release now seems like a very real possibility. It’s a pretty significant development as a few weeks ago no one would’ve guessed the 2017 fourth overall pick’s longterm future with the team was in doubt. The Jaguars invested a very early pick in Fournette, but the returns have been underwhelming. He’s been injury prone and not particularly efficient even when healthy, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry this season. The Fournette situation will be one of the most interesting to monitor this offseason.

Here’s more from around the league on Black Monday:

  • Nick Foles scared Eagles fans everywhere when he went down with a rib injury late in the team’s win over the Redskins, but the undeniably clutch signal caller will be alright for the playoffs. Tests on his ribs came back “clear”, and Foles will start this weekend against the Bears, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s great news for Philly’s chances, as they look to make a second straight magical run to the Super Bowl. No matter what happens with Foles, he’s extremely unlikely to be back with the Eagles in 2019.
  • Adam Gase has been fired by the Dolphins, and not all of Miami’s players are sad to see him go. “Many players in Dolphins locker room won’t be hurt by decision to fire Adam Gase”, reports Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reports that some players told him they felt “alienated” by Gase and that he held some players to a “different standard.” Reports like these surely won’t help Gase in his quest to land a new head coaching job, although he is still expected to be a hot candidate.
  • Speaking of the Dolphins, one pleasant development for Miami this year was the breakout season cornerback Xavien Howard had. While Howard wants to sign a longterm extension with the Dolphins, his price tag might be too high, according to Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald. Howard picked off seven passes this year, and told Beasley he wants to land the biggest contract for a cornerback in NFL history. Josh Norman currently holds that record, and Howard thinks he deserves to break it. Howard will be playing the final year of his rookie deal in 2019, and Beasley writes that “$15 million annually is expected to be the floor when Howard’s representatives begin extension talks this offseason.” The Dolphins will have a new coaching staff and front office, and it will be interesting to see if they’re willing to meet his demands as they head into a rebuild.

Falcons Fire Steve Sarkisian

December 31st, 2018 at 11:40am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Dan Quinn’s job is safe, but the Falcons are firing almost everybody else. The team is letting go offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, and special teams coach Keith Armstrong, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The Falcons have gone downhill since their Super Bowl run two seasons ago, sneaking into the playoffs as a six seed last year before falling apart this season. Injuries were partially to blame, but the team finished just 7-9 despite having a ton of talent, and regressed heavily on defense. The offense hasn’t been the same since Kyle Shanahan left to coach the 49ers, and Sarkisian had received a ton of criticism for his playcalling, especially in the red-zone. With the defense becoming one of the worst units in the NFL this season, it’s no surprise that Manuel was let go. The firing of Armstrong, who has been considered for head coaching jobs in the past, cements this as a total house cleaning.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link), the Falcons will conduct searches for new offensive and special teams coordinators, but Quinn is expected to take over the defense. Matt Ryan has put up big numbers over the last couple of years but it hasn’t translated to wins.

Interestingly, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets to “keep an eye on Gary Kubiak” for the offensive coordinator role, and James Palmer of NFL Network tweets that he’s heard the same. Kubiak, the former Texans and Broncos head coach who won a Super Bowl in Denver, has been rumored to be mulling a return to the sidelines as a coordinator. Owner Arthur Blank has expressed confidence in Quinn, but these moves clearly suggest that Quinn is feeling the heat. If he can’t get Atlanta back to the playoffs next year, he could be out of a job just a few years removed from an NFC Championship.

Latest On Browns’ Coaching Search

December 31st, 2018 at 11:09am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

A flurry of head coaching moves have been made last night and this morning, but one team already had a significant head start on the process. The Browns were the first team to move on from their coach, firing Hue Jackson after eight games, and have had a while to formulate a plan. The team went 5-3 after moving on from Jackson, and might have the most attractive opening of any team with Baker Mayfield looking like a star in the making.

The Browns’ first step in the process will be to interview Gregg Williams tomorrow, GM John Dorsey revealed at a press conference this morning, per Pat McManamon of ESPN (Twitter link). Williams is the interim coach right now and although he isn’t expected to land the full time job, Cleveland’s strong play down the stretch certainly earned him consideration. Dorsey also said that offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, who has drawn rave reviews for his work with Mayfield, will get an interview although he wasn’t sure when that would occur.

Meanwhile, the Browns have also requested to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Flores is in his first year calling plays, but is highly regarded around the league and was a candidate for the Cardinals’ job last year. The Browns are also expected to interview former Titans head coach and current Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, according to Alex Marvez of Sporting News (Twitter link). We heard earlier this morning that the Broncos have interest in Munchak as well, who’s earned a ton of praise for his work with the Steelers and is instrumental in Pittsburgh and far more influential than your average offensive line coach.

We first heard late last night that the Browns had reached out to Mike McCarthy, and while he wouldn’t confirm anything, Dorsey certainly didn’t throw cold water on the rumors. Dorsey said he has “a lot of respect for Mike McCarthy and what he’s done”, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Dorsey also praised Kitchens, saying the first time coordinator has “done [a] wonderful job developing [a] relationship with” Mayfield, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (Twitter link).

As soon as Adam Gase was fired by the Dolphins, he was immediately linked to Cleveland. Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets that Gase going to the Browns is a “very real possibility”, and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network followed up with a tweet saying Peyton Manning, a very close friend of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, is a “big fan” of Gase. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk tweeted that Haslam “aggressively pursued” Gase five years ago, “but Gase decided to wait to become a head coach.”

The Browns have also put in a request to interview Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Campbell has been a popular darkhorse candidate for some jobs, and impressed during his brief stint as the Dolphins’ interim head coach in 2015. In addition to Campbell, Rapoport tweets they requested an interview with Vikings interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski.

Two last candidates for the Browns are Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, as Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets that the Browns have submitted an interview request for him, and Colts offensive Nick Sirianni is also on their interview list Pelissero tweets separately. Adam Schefter followed up on Pelissero’s report by tweeting that while the Browns do want to interview Eberflus, they won’t be able to this week with the Colts playing a playoff game this weekend, and the same presumably goes for Sirianni.

Cleveland will be one of the most buzzed about teams in the coming days and weeks, and we should know a lot more about their intentions soon, and they’re clearly casting a very wide net. At this point, it still seems most likely that they’ll pursue an offensive coach to pair with Mayfield despite their reported interest in Flores and Eberflus.

Dolphins Promote Chris Grier, Demote Mike Tannenbaum

December 31st, 2018 at 10:33am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Firing Adam Gase wasn’t the only major change the Dolphins made today. The team also announced they were promoting Chris Grier to oversee football operations while demoting Mike Tannebaum from that post, per Cameron Wolfe of ESPN (Twitter link).

Grier had been the GM but didn’t have decision making power and reported to Tannebaum, but those roles will now be reversed. Gase had contractual control over the 53-man roster during his tenure, but the new coach will have far less power. Whoever the new coach is will report to Grier and not to owner Stephen Ross like Gase did, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

While the Dolphins building was filled with internal drama and infighting, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets that Grier was the “one who remained above the fray, and could work with anyone”, which in part led to his promotion. Grier came up as a scout in the Patriots’ organization before he was hired by the Dolphins in 2000. He was promoted to the role of director of college scouting in 2007, and then to general manager in 2016.

It was reported last week that Tannebaum was on the way out, so his demotion isn’t a surprise. He’ll remain with the team for now in a lesser role, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he exited soon. With the team set to move on from Ryan Tannehill, Grier will have his hands full with finding a new head coach as well as a new franchise quarterback. It looks like a full-blown rebuild is in store for Miami.

Cardinals Fire Steve Wilks

December 31st, 2018 at 10:04am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The last expected move has been made official, as the Cardinals have fired head coach Steve Wilks, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Twitter link). 

The team showed a lot of fight in their Week 17 game against the Seahawks but came up short, and it ultimately wasn’t enough to save Wilks’ job. Wilks ended up lasting just one season in Arizona. While being a one and done is rare, it’s certainly not unheard of, and Wilks’ fate was sealed with a 3-13 record. Arizona’s season was doomed from the start, as it was clear right from the get-go that Sam Bradford didn’t have anything left in the tank. Bradford was benched for Josh Rosen, and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy was fired shortly thereafter.

The firing of McCoy did nothing to spark the offense, and Rosen showed little progress during his rookie year, which was likely one of the determining factors in Wilks’ firing. Wilks came to Arizona after a successful year as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator, and has always been well liked by players.

It’s been heavily rumored that the Panthers will have a staff shakeup on defense, and Joe Person of The Athletic tweets that he would “be very surprised” if Wilks doesn’t return to Carolina in some fashion. The Wilks firing makes eight openings across the league, and it will likely be the last firing barring any late surprises.

The Cardinals have been linked to a number of coaches, including Mike McCarthy, and are seemingly interested in hiring an offensive mind to pair with Rosen. They also were reportedly impressed with Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores during last year’s cycle, and with Flores set to be one of the top available candidates, could be interested again. At this point it appears that GM Steve Keim, also rumored to have been on the hot seat, has been spared.

Bills Sign Derek Anderson To One Year Extension

December 31st, 2018 at 10:01am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Buried beneath all the coaching news this morning, the Bills quietly signed quarterback Derek Anderson to a one-year extension, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Anderson, 35, appeared on his way out of the league when the Panthers moved on from him and no team signed him this past offseason. But then the Bills came calling in October when Josh Allen went down with an elbow injury. In true journeyman fashion, he ended up starting two games for Buffalo, losing both. He was concussed in a Monday Night Football loss to the Patriots, and didn’t play again the rest of the season.

While the deal keeps him tied to Buffalo through the 2019 season, it’s still no guarantee he’s back next year. Terms haven’t been made public yet, but it’s likely the deal contains little or no guaranteed money. The Bills also recently extended fellow backup Matt Barkley, giving him two extra years. Barkley fared much better than Anderson did in his one start this season, and would seem to have the leg up on Anderson to be Allen’s backup next year.

Anderson’s long-winding career has taken him through Baltimore, Cleveland, Arizona, Carolina and now Buffalo, and the veteran has started 49 games in his 14 year career. All told he has a 60:64 career touchdown to interception ratio, with 10,878 passing yards and a 54.3% completion percentage.

Bengals Fire Marvin Lewis

December 31st, 2018 at 9:01am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Just moments after Adam Gase was let go, another more surprising move was made. Marvin Lewis has been fired by the Bengals, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

While Lewis came very close to losing his job last year, he ultimately ended up signing a two year extension with the Bengals and had been expected to be allowed back in 2019 if he wanted to continue. It’s the end of one of the longest coaching stints in recent NFL history, as Lewis coached the team for 16 years. Although he inherited one of the worst teams in the league that was a complete mess and turned them into a winner, the Bengals went 0-7 in the playoffs during his tenure.

That being said, Lewis completely changed the culture of a team that was a laughingstock and hadn’t had a winning season in 13 years when he was hired, so it’s understandable why owner Mike Brown had stayed so loyal to him over the years.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted in a follow up tweet to “keep an eye on Vance Joseph” in Cincinnati. Joseph, who was fired by the Broncos earlier today, was an assistant on Lewis’ staff for a couple of seasons before taking the defensive coordinator job in Miami. The Bengals like to hire and promote from within, so Joseph getting consideration isn’t a surprise.

Mike Garafolo wrote in a tweet of his own that Lewis has told people that he wants to continue coaching, so this isn’t a retirement. It’ll be very interesting to see if another team gives him a shot as a head coach. All told throughout 16 seasons, Lewis went 131-122-3, and won the AFC North four times.

Dolphins Fire Adam Gase

December 31st, 2018 at 8:58am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Another coach has lost his job, and this one is far more of a surprise than the others. The Dolphins have fired Adam Gase, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

In a separate tweet, Rapoport notes it’s the “biggest surprise of the coaching carousel”, and that Gase will “immediately emerge as a top candidate for several openings.” While recent reports indicated his job was in serious jeopardy, just a couple of months ago it would’ve been shocking to think he could be fired. Gase’s tenure in Miami started out with great fanfare, but ended up lasting just three seasons. With Gase gone, Eagles coach Doug Pederson is now the lone remaining member of the seven man 2016 head coaching class.

Interestingly, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk tweets that a source told him “Dolphins owner Stephen Ross had planned to take some time to make a decision on Adam Gase, but something happened that caused Ross to accelerate his timetable.” It’s unclear what exactly happened, but we should know more on that soon.

Gase received a ton of praise for his work as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, and was hailed as a quarterback whisperer when he got to Miami. His first season with the team he went 10-6 and made the playoffs despite having journeyman Matt Moore as his quarterback due to a Ryan Tannehill injury, and was a Coach of the Year candidate. Last year he was without Tannehill again, and limped to a 6-10 record with Jay Cutler.

In what was supposed to be a breakout year this season, Tannehill was once again hurt and wasn’t very good when healthy, and Miami finished 7-9. With the team also set to move on from Tannehill and front office head Mike Tannebaum, it’ll be an offseason of major change for the Dolphins. As Rapoport mentioned, Gase should be an immediate candidate for head coaching vacancies including the Browns, who he’s been linked to, and will be a near lock to at least land an offensive coordinator job.

Gase was apparently asked to give up his contractual control over the 53-man roster, and balked at the request, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Jackson notes that Gase has told associates he’s fine with the outcome and isn’t really upset, and knows that he “will be wanted by other teams.” Given how he’s still managed to win a good amount of games with injury depleted rosters, it’s not at all surprising that he’ll be sought after.

Broncos Fire Vance Joseph

December 31st, 2018 at 8:37am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Another long expected move was made official this morning, as the Broncos are indeed firing Vance Joseph, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 

Joseph was almost fired after last season until John Elway had a last minute change of heart, but wasn’t that lucky this time around. He lasted only two years in Denver ultimately, going 5-11 in 2017 before improving only marginally and going 6-10 this year. Players had lobbied for Joseph to keep his job and while he was expected to be fired there were also late reports that he could be kept and paired up with former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak as his OC.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted in a tweet that Joseph will be a “top defensive coordinator candidate” and Joseph is a highly respected defensive mind. He’s been linked to the Bengals’ defensive coordinator opening as he was an assistant coach in Cincinnati for a couple of years and is close with Marvin Lewis. Miami is another possibility if they fire their defensive coordinator which many expect, as Joseph coordinated the Dolphins’ defense successfully before taking the Broncos job.

As for Denver, Elway will be conducting his fourth coaching search in the last six years. Once an organization known for their stability and winning culture, the Broncos have been disarray the last few years ever since the retirement of Peyton Manning. With their Christmas Eve blowout loss to the Raiders two weeks ago, they clinched back to back losing seasons for the first time in 45 years.

It’ll be a very interesting offseason for the Broncos, as they must decide what to do with Case Keenum and whether or not to draft a quarterback high. Schefter noted in a follow up tweet that the team has requested to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores for their head coaching job, and we’ve also heard they were interested in John Harbaugh. In an additional tweet, Schefter writes that the team has also requested to interview former Titans head coach and current Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak for their vacancy.

 

Saints Sign TE Josh Hill To Extension

December 31st, 2018 at 8:34am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints are the number one seed in the NFC, and they just doled out a contract extension while they wait to see who they’ll play in the divisional round of the playoffs. New Orleans is signing tight end Josh Hill to a three year extension worth $8.85MM, sources told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

While Hill isn’t a household name and doesn’t catch a ton of passes, he plays a big role in the Saints’ offense as a blocker. He’s played a tick over 62% of the offensive snaps this year, and also has the most receiving yards of his career. In the regular season he put up 16 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown, also matching his career high in receptions.

Hill just wrapped up his sixth year in the league, all with the Saints. The Idaho State product signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent back in 2013. The Saints clearly think very highly of him as they already matched an offer sheet for him when the Bears signed him as a restricted free agent in 2015, and $8.85MM is a lot of money for a blocking tight end. With Ben Watson set to retire after the season, it’s possible Hill will have an even bigger role as a receiver next year.

 

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