HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

West Notes: Broncos, Raiders, Seahawks

December 29th, 2018 at 8:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One team that will likely be undergoing a lot of change this offseason is the Broncos. Vance Joseph seems almost certain to be fired at the end of the season, and the shakeup will likely go well beyond the coaching staff. John Elway will have decisions to make about a lot of the roster, including quarterback Case Keenum, and there will be some tough calls. To preview the tumultuous offseason ahead, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic took a look at the roster and projected who is likely to be gone in 2019.

We’ve already known that outside linebacker Shane Ray and safety Su’a Cravens are extremely unlikely to be back in a Broncos uniform next year, and Jhabvala thinks several other big name defenders are in danger as well. She writes that cornerback Bradley Roby and linebacker Brandon Marshall, both starters the last few seasons, are both unlikely to be brought back. Jhabvala notes that the team traded Aqib Talib this past offseason because they were confident Roby was ready for a bigger role, but they’ve since soured on the 2015 first round pick. Among other players Jhabvala lists as being in danger are center Matt Paradis, who she thinks might be priced out of the Broncos’ range, and guard Max Garcia, who had already been demoted before tearing his ACL earlier this year.

Here’s more from the league’s western divisions:

  • The Raiders are still looking to upgrade their secondary, but they now view third year safety Karl Joseph as a building block for the future, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports. Bair writes that the team was shopping the 2016 first round pick at the trade deadline, but is now “happy they didn’t deal him” because of his play the second half of the season. The West Virginia alum has received very good marks from Pro Football Focus, especially recently, and has been a large part of Oakland’s recent resurgence.
  • The Seahawks clinched a playoff berth with their huge win over the Chiefs last Sunday night, and got even more good news this week. Starting guard J.R. Sweezy suffered what initially appeared to be a serious foot injury, but coach Pete Carroll said he thinks Sweezy will be able to play in the first round of the playoffs (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN). Sweezy has started every game this year for Seattle’s reborn offensive line, and while Carroll is notoriously overly optimistic when diagnosing injuries, this is still good news.
  • Speaking of the Seahawks, their defensive tackle Shamar Stephen “is closing in on a significant incentive bonus”, according to Henderson. Stephen is due a $500K bonus if he plays between 45 and 49.99 percent of Seattle’s defensive snaps, or $700K if he plays between 50-54.99 percent. Stephen is currently playing 50.16% of their defensive snaps entering their Week 17 game, so he’s on track to hit it. Considering Stephen’s base salary this year was only $800K, this would be a massive bonus for him to reach.

Extra Points: Gronkowski, Patriots, Peterson, Schaub, Wright

December 29th, 2018 at 7:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Rob Gronkowski is arguably the greatest tight end of all time, and as the regular season winds down, we could be seeing the end of Gronk in a Patriots uniform, opines Tom Curran of NBC Sports. Curran breaks down all the drama between Gronkowski and the New England front office regime over the past couple of years, and thinks that the fact that Gronkowski has been severely underpaid for years played the main role in the thawing of the relationship.

Both sides are unhappy with one another, and the Patriots already tried trading Gronkowski this offseason. Given that they already deemed him non-essential before the season began it won’t be at all surprising if they want to move on at the end of the year, and it’s highly possible Gronkowski will want to move on as well, as Curran writes he’s grown tired of the ‘Patriot Way.’ Curran thinks the writing is on the wall that things are coming to an end, and Gronk is having a very disappointing season by his lofty standards. His body has been breaking down, and he hasn’t been his usual game-breaking self most times this season. If it is indeed the end, it’ll be an end of an era in Foxborough.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • On the subject of the Patriots, the team brought in CFL players defensive back Tevaughn Campbell and receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert for workouts, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN (Twitter link). Since CFL players aren’t eligible to be signed until after the season, these workouts are likely for consideration for reserve/futures contracts to be handed out in 2019.
  • While he’s already rewritten the rule book about what a running back can do at his age, Adrian Peterson isn’t done yet. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer wants to continue playing, and wants to be back with the Redskins next year,per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. Signed at the last minute when Derrius Guice went down with a torn ACL, Peterson has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2018 NFL season, rushing for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s slowed down a bit as the season has gone on, but Washington could bring him back as a veteran mentor and change of pace option behind Guice.
  • Speaking of veterans who want to keep playing, quarterback Matt Schaub hopes to be back with Falcons next year, according to Matt Winkeljohn of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Schaub is aware his NFL career might be coming to an end, as most teams are trending toward having younger players as their backups. But the 37-year-old signal caller, once one of the league’s better starting quarterbacks, hopes to be back in the place where he’s taken on a coach-like role behind Matt Ryan. If he does end up hanging up his cleats, Schaub said he wants to stay “around sports in some form or fashion whether it’s trying to do broadcasting or with an organization somehow.”
  • While the Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, at least one player did get some good news. Receiver Jarius Wright got a $200K bonus for hitting his catch incentives, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). So far this season the 2012 fourth round pick out of Arkansas has 41 catches for 427 yards and a touchdown. He should be back in Carolina next year at his $2.5MM salary.

AFC Coaching Rumors: Gase, Harbaugh, Tomlin, Joseph

December 29th, 2018 at 6:02pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We just heard that Todd Bowles is officially done, and there is a ton of other new coaching news to sort through. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com came out with a breakdown of all the notable coaching situations in the AFC, and there were some interesting nuggets. It was reported recently that Dolphins coach Adam Gase isn’t necessarily safe in Miami, and Rapoport confirms that. There’s a “legitimate possibility” that Gase “ends up out of work”, sources told Rapoport.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network posted in a follow up tweet that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross “was pissed Sunday so everything is up for evaluation.” It won’t be the end of the world for Gase if he’s let go, as he’d immediately be a hot name and could surely land an offensive coordinator gig if not a head coaching job right away. Rapoport notes that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam “has long been a fan” of Gase, so he’d probably be a candidate in Cleveland. Gase has done a good job winning more games than expected with an injury and talent depleted roster, but it looks like Dolphins ownership might be looking for a total top to bottom reset, from the front office to quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Here’s more from the AFC coaching ranks:

  • While the Ravens came out and announced that John Harbaugh would be back in 2019, it’s been made clear that his status in Baltimore is still up in the air. There have been reports that Harbaugh isn’t interested in signing an extension and may want to test the market. While Rapoport does confirm that’s a “real possibility”, he does note that Harbaugh’s agent Bryan Harlan was in town to begin talking with the Ravens this past Sunday. It had previously been reported the two sides hadn’t talked at all, so it seems like there’s been some progress there.
  • It’s been a frustrating year for the Steelers, and despite some fans and media types calling for Mike Tomlin’s removal, the 12th year head coach isn’t going anywhere, according to Rapoport. That being said, Rapoport writes there could be a staff shakeup, and defensive coordinator Keith Butler could be on his way out, while “several assistants could be changed out” as well.
  • While most people have assumed Vance Joseph is a goner in Denver, there is still a “slim possibility” John Elway elects to stick with Joseph for another year, according to Rapoport. While Rapsheet still expects the Broncos to ultimately move on, he notes there is a scenario in which the Broncos fire offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, keep Joseph, and have former head coach Gary Kubiak come down from the front office and assume control of the offense. That would be a very interesting move, but at this point it still seems likely there’s an opening in the Mile High City.

 

Jets To Fire Todd Bowles

December 29th, 2018 at 5:12pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Something that’s long been rumored got even closer to being final today, as the Jets are indeed planning on firing Todd Bowles as soon as the season is over, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

While it’s far from a surprise, it appears Bowles’ fate is finally set in stone after he had managed to dodge being fired multiple times in the past. Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy and former Lions coach Jim Caldwell will likely be “among the candidates the Jets interview”, according to Rapoport. Bowles, a Bruce Arians disciple who previously served as Arians’ defensive coordinator with the Cardinals, lasted four years in New York.

Rapoport also added that GM Mike Maccagnan will survive, which has also been expected. Many expected Bowles to be fired last year, but he was able to survive by leading a mostly talentless roster to a very competitive season. They only finished 5-11, but they were way better than expected and Bowles received a lot of praise for guiding the Josh McCown-led team.

But as the losses again piled up this year, it became increasingly clear that Bowles wasn’t the coach that the front office and ownership wanted to pair with Sam Darnold for the future. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates has been singled out for a lot of criticism, and the Jets will very likely be looking for an offensive minded coach. In addition to McCarthy and Caldwell, Jim Harbaugh has also been repeatedly linked to the team, although Jets CEO Christopher Johnson recently denied they were interested.

With Darnold attached and the visibility that comes with the big media market, the opening will likely be one of the more desirable gigs for this cycle’s hottest head coaching candidates. As for Bowles, there’s been talk he could be a head coaching candidate himself for other teams, and he should be able to at least land a job as a defensive coordinator somewhere.

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick Leaning Toward Coming Back For 15th Season

December 29th, 2018 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers are likely to have a new coaching staff in place soon, and none of their three quarterbacks are locked into 2019 roster spots. The oldest of those players, however, is not quite ready to retire.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is leaning toward coming back for a 15th NFL season, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports (subscription required).

This week, Fitzpatrick will be the Bucs’ No. 3 quarterback, behind Jameis Winston and Ryan Griffin, Auman adds. Although the Bucs’ highest point of the season came when Fitzmagic had them at 2-0, he was twice benched for Winston. The fourth-year Bucs starter has a guaranteed-for-injury $20MM salary for 2019, but it’s far from certain he will be back.

Fitzpatrick signed two one-year deals with the Bucs over the past two years, the most recent for $3.3MM. He will certainly attract interest from teams looking for a backup quarterback. Fitz has posted four 400-yard games this season, doing so in just seven starts, and still has a 9.6 yards-per-attempt figure to go along with a 66.7 percent completion rate.

Free agency is set to include younger passers like Teddy Bridgewater, Tyrod Taylor and (probably) Nick Foles. They may receive more attention as bridge-starter-type options. Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill are also rumored to be available, complicating next year’s market. But Fitzpatrick could receive a look as well from teams looking for mentors/stopgaps for their to-be-determined rookie signal-callers. The Bucs shouldn’t be ruled out on this front, either, particularly if they do choose to move on from Winston.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/18

December 29th, 2018 at 4:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Redskins

Jets Place Claiborne, Enunwa On IR

December 29th, 2018 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Quincy Enunwa signed an extension to be part of the Jets’ long-term future, Morris Claiborne is again finishing out a one-year contract.

Both will end the season on IR. The Jets placed Enunwa, Claiborne and linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis on IR Saturday. All were declared out going into the team’s season finale in New England. Replacing them on the roster: defensive back Brandon Bryant, wide receiver J.J. Jones and defensive tackle Destiny Vaeao.

Claiborne started 30 Jets games over the past two seasons but is again set for free agency, barring an extension. He signed a one-year, $7MM deal to stay in the Big Apple in March. No extension talks are known to have taken place, and with a new coaching staff set to arrive, Claiborne’s place on the Jets may be less certain exiting this contract year than it was in 2017.

Enunwa’s four-year, $36MM deal makes him the highest-paid skill-position player the Jets have. He bounced back from a season-nullifying injury in 2017 to catch 38 passes for 449 yards this year, doing so despite dealing with more injuries in a 10-game slate.

The Jets acquired Bryant after he went undrafted in this year’s supplemental draft, guaranteeing $70K of his contract. He has spent the season on the practice squad.

Colts Promote CB Jalen Collins

December 29th, 2018 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jalen Collins has not played in an NFL game since Super Bowl LI, seeing suspensions hijack his career. But the embattled cornerback landed on the Colts’ practice squad earlier this season. He may have a chance to suit up again.

The Colts made the decision to promote the former second-round pick from their practice squad Saturday.

With five corners on their roster going into a win-or-go-home game against the Titans on Sunday night, the Colts have backup Nate Hairston listed as questionable. Collins provides insurance.

The Falcons waived Collins earlier this year. He served 10-game suspensions for violating the NFL’s PED policy the past two years. Atlanta did not activate Collins after his 2017 ban ended and did not bother keeping him around during his 10-game hiatus this year.

Collins made two starts for Atlanta during the 2016 regular season, intercepting two passes, and started in each of the team’s three playoff games that year.

Bears Activate OG Kyle Long From IR

December 29th, 2018 at 12:57pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears will be receiving a boost just in time for the playoffs. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the team will be activating offensive lineman Kyle Long off the injured reserve today. To make room on the roster, Chicago waived quarterback Tyler Bray (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).

Long suffered a foot injury during his team’s late-October victory over the Jets. The injury involved a tendon, and it wasn’t related to his broken ankle from 2016. His estimated time of recovery was six to eight weeks, and Long was healthy enough to be activated by the time he was eligible to return. Earlier this week, head coach Matt Nagy acknowledged that Long had completed an entire week of practice and would likely play most of the game this weekend.

‘‘Just talking to him throughout the week, I feel pretty good with him playing most of the game,’’ Nagy told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times. ‘‘But we’ve just got to kind of see if that’s where we’re at and if it is a pitch count. I think a lot of that, honestly, is going to be more so when you’re in the game: How’s he feeling?

‘‘If he’s feeling good, keep him going. If he’s not . . . maybe it’s just between all of us talking, ‘Hey, let’s just get him out.’ It’s good for him any way you look at it.’’

The 2013 first-round pick has battled through injuries over the past three years, missing a total of 22 games during that span. When he’s been in the lineup, Long has been among the top offensive guards in the entire league. Pro Football Focus only ranks him 28th among 79 eligible guards in 2018, but he was previously an annual inclusion in the top-five.

Current starting offensive guards Eric Kush and James Daniels have seen their way in and out of the starting lineup this season, and Long will surely replace one of them. Daniels, a second-round rookie, has graded out as the better lineman this season, per Pro Football Focus.

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