2019 January - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens, John Harbaugh Agree To Extension

January 24th, 2019 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

John Harbaugh‘s new deal is finally done. On Thursday, the Ravens announced the signing of a fresh contract for their head coach. It’s a four-year extension that will take him through the 2023 season.

Harbaugh and the Ravens began discussing an extension early in January, but things took a bit of time to come together. Ultimately, the two sides were able to hash things out after a few weeks. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely that the new deal will position him as one of the highest paid head coaches in the NFL.

In this cycle, multiple teams were said to be mulling trades for Harbaugh that probably would have called for the forfeiture of draft compensation. The Buccaneers and Dolphins gave it real thought, but they wound up hiring Bruce Arians and Brian Flores, respectively.

Harbaugh, 56, is 114-77 for his career and ranks fifth in wins among active coaches. Three straight Ravens playoff absences — and a 40-40 record from 2013-17 — moved him close to the chopping block, but the switch to Jackson (and Baltimore’s defense returning to elite status) transformed a 4-5 team to a 10-6 division champion. This past season marked the Ravens’ seventh playoff appearance under Harbaugh.

49ers Open To Earl Mitchell Return

January 24th, 2019 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Niners will not exercise Earl Mitchell‘s option for 2019, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s off the team. GM John Lynch has not closed the door on bringing the defensive tackle back at a lower price, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets.

Mitchell probably would have liked to play out the final two years of his four-year contract, but on the plus side, his release gives him an opportunity to explore the open market sooner. There should be a healthy market for his services as well – Mitchell offers plenty of experience and he won’t turn 32 until September.

Still, Mitchell may have to wait until after the first wave of free agency in March to find his next landing spot. Typically, teams are focused on higher-ticket items when free agency first gets underway and players of Mitchell’s caliber usually don’t get real attention until the end of the month.

Mitchell finished out the 2018 season with 28 tackles across 14 games (12 starts). Had he been retained by the Niners, he would have counted for a $4.45MM cap figure in 2019.

Contract Details: Fitzgerald, Cardinals, Jags

January 24th, 2019 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are the contract details on some of the NFL’s latest deals:

Larry Fitzgerald‘s new deal with the Cardinals includes a base salary of $11M plus incentives, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The pact does not include a signing bonus, but he did manage to match his $11MM salary from 2018. That’s not a bad deal for the veteran wide receiver given his drop in production last season.
The Jaguars‘ three-year deal with safety Jarrod Wilson is worth $9MM, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The contract calls for a $1MM signing bonus, $1.5MM guaranteed, and up to $1.75MM in playtime incentives over the last two years of the deal. Prior to the new deal, he was slated to be a restricted free agent this offseason.
Seantrel Henderson‘s new one-year deal with the Texans can be worth up to $4.5MM, but much of that sum is tied to performance incentives, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. He’s set to earn a base salary of $1.5MM with $1MM guaranteed, plus a $500K roster bonus in April and a $500K bonus if he’s on the 46-man roster for at least 12 games. He’ll also see a $2MM roster bonus paid out at a rate of $125K for every game he’s on the 46-man roster.

Chuck Pagano Not Interested In HC Jobs

January 24th, 2019 at 1:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Chuck Pagano had a largely successful run as the head coach of the Colts, but he’s not interested in taking that title again in his career, as ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson writes. The Bears’ new defensive coordinator says he’s excited for his fresh challenge and doesn’t anticipate wanting an HC job after the 2019 season.

“I’m not. I’ve done it,” Pagano at his introductory presser. “I’m motivated to just help coach Matt Nagy be successful. Help this organization be successful. Help these kids grow and develop. That’s my motivation is to be the best I can be for this organization, for the McCaskey family, for Coach Nagy and for these players and for these coaches and help develop these guys. That’s the only thing I want to do.”

The Bears hired Pagano earlier this month to replace Vic Fangio after he left to become head coach of the Broncos. It’s unquestionably a great opportunity for Pagano as he’ll be handed the keys to one of the league’s most talented defenses. He’ll have a great deal of freedom and creative control too as head coach Matt Nagy puts the bulk of his focus on the offense.

“Our vision for this defense is to be the best,” Pagano said. “Can we be the best in the history of the game? The pieces are there, and they will continue to add pieces. Can we continue to be better than we were last year? Absolutely. It’s going to be very, very difficult and a huge challenge, but one we will be up for.”

For what it’s worth, Pagano interviewed with the Broncos and Packers for their HC openings in this past cycle, so a change of heart may not be out of the question.

Dolphins Likely To Hire Pats’ Chad O’Shea

January 24th, 2019 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are set to hire Brian Flores as their next head coach and Flores is bringing some friends with him to South Beach. The ‘Fins are expected to hire Patriots wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea as their new offensive coordinator, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel.

Flores can’t be formally hired until after the Super Bowl, but his staff is already taking shape. He’s reportedly tapped former Colts and Lions coach Jim Caldwell as his assistant HC and former Packers linebackers coach Patrick Graham will be his defensive coordinator.

Flores and O’Shea have been working together since 2009 and, as Kelly notes, O’Shea is regarded as an up-and-coming offensive mind. Last year, O’Shea was believed to be a top OC candidate for Josh McDaniels‘ staff in Indianapolis, but he stayed in New England when McDaniels elected to do the same.

Last year, McDaniels was effusive in his praise of O’Shea.

“Chad’s unbelievable,” McDaniels told Mark Daniels of the Milford Daily News. “He’s incredibly responsible for any and all of our success in the red zone. He does a lot of that work and prepares us well for that situation in the game.“

Latest On Ravens’ Eric Weddle

January 24th, 2019 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

Recently, Eric Weddle indicated that it’s Ravens-or-bust for him in 2019. Now, he says that’s not necessarily the case.

“I want to finish out [my contract],” Weddle told the Ravens’ team website (Twitter link). “But obviously, decisions have to be made for the future of the team, the organization. They got to do what’s best for them, and I respect that. … [We’ll] see if there’s something to be worked out. If not, then I’ve had an unbelievable experience here and loved every second. So if it does happen, we both move on and then … we’ll see if I’ll play somewhere else or hang ’em up.”

For now, Weddle is set to return at a cap figure of $9.25MM, which puts his Baltimore future in flux. Should the Ravens release him, they’ll save $7.5MM versus just $1.75MM in dead money.

Weddle earned a fifth-career Pro Bowl selection this season, but his age (34) will work against him. There’s also the depressed market for free agent safeties to consider. Last year, safeties with starting experience such as Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, and Tre Boston wound up as afterthoughts. Standout Tyrann Mathieu found a home with the Texans in March, but even he had to settle for a one-year, $7MM deal.

Weddle’s willingness to play elsewhere may help his leverage with the Ravens, but it’s still far from certain that he’ll be retained at his current rate or anything close to it. No matter what, Weddle says he’s excited to return for yet another season.

“Who knows what the future holds?” he said. “But I live it up each day and whatever is going to happen is going to be meant to happen for myself and my family, and I’m excited for the future, for sure.”

Falcons’ Owner On Quinn, Dimitroff

January 24th, 2019 at 10:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have head coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff under contract through 2022. Their deals would indicate that their fates are tied together, but he says they are not necessarily linked if the 2019 season goes poorly.

“I don’t know that. That’s a whole year away,” Blank said (via Jeff Schultz of The Athletic). “They’re two different people with two different roles. I understand the question, and I understand the answer you would like. But the answer I’m giving is the honest answer, which is that we have a year for things to play out.”

Blank went on to say that he has a “very high confidence level” in their ability to turn things around, but it sounds like any outcome is possible if the Falcons fail to make the playoffs yet again. Atlanta finished out 7-9 in 2018 despite a talented roster and high expectations heading into the season.

Of course, the duo has found success together. The Falcons reached, and nearly won, Super Bowl LI against the Patriots following the 2016 season. In 2017, they secured a Wild Card spot with a 10-6 record before falling to the Eagles in the divisional round.

“They’re tied at the hip in a positive way in terms of their decision-making,” he said. “I’ve seen them disagree on things in a respectful way. They definitely have different views on some things, but we encourage that as part of our culture in all of our businesses. Usually, if they disagree on something, they move on and try to find an option they both feel better about.”

AFC West Rumors: Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos

January 23rd, 2019 at 9:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite previous reports to the contrary, the Raiders have not hired former Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal (Twitter link). In fact, no deal is considered imminent, as Grigson was simply one of several executives interviewed by Oakland in what Gehlken terms an “information-gathering process.” The Raiders hired former NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock earlier this month, but haven’t made any other notable additions to their front office. The 46-year-old Grigson was fired by the Colts in 2016 after a tumultuous five-year term as GM, and has since worked with the Browns and Seahawks’ front offices.

Here’s more from the AFC West:

Now that they’ve been eliminated from the postseason, the Chiefs have a number of offseason issues to address, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com details. Over the Cap currently projects Kansas City to enter the new league year with roughly $36MM in available cap space, which ranks 15th in the NFL. With those funds, the Chiefs are expected to prioritize extensions for wide receiver Tyreek Hill and defensive lineman Chris Jones, each of whom will be entering their contract years in 2019. Additionally, Kansas City needs to decide on edge rusher Dee Ford: the Chiefs have the option of deploying the franchise tag, while Corry predicts a long-term contract for Ford will cost more than $17MM annually.
In his latest mailbag for the Denver Post, Ryan O’Halloran notes the Broncos shouldn’t have any financial restraints as they enter the 2019 free agent market (OTC has Denver with roughly $40.5MM in cap space for next year). While the hiring of new head coach Vic Fangio — a former defensive coordinator — could push the Broncos to add on the defensive side of the ball, Denver is more likely to target offensive players, per O’Halloran.
In a pair of pieces, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area lays out the dire state of the Raiders‘ roster. The only positional group that doesn’t figure to see much change is Oakland’s offensive line, but much of the rest of the club — especially on defense — will likely see turnover.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Vikings, Bears

January 23rd, 2019 at 8:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers will not be hiring Dolphins special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Green Bay was reportedly one of five teams with interest in Rizzi, who also holds the title of assistant head coach in Miami, but the two sides weren’t able to come to an agreement. Per Silverstein, Rizzi’s price tag is believed to be “high,” but he’s still expected to land with another club in the near future. The Dolphins would like to retain Rizzi (whom they interviewed for head coach), but they figure to install an all-new staff under presumptive head coach Brian Flores, so it’s unclear if there is still a fit in South Beach.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

Like the Packers, the Vikings expressed interest in hiring Rizzi, but they’ve since gone in another direction. Minnesota has hired Rizzi’s assistant in Miami, Marwan Maalouf, as their new special teams coach, tweets Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio. Maalouf served as the Colts’ special teams coach in 2012 before joining Miami the following season. He’s replacing Mike Priefer, who left the Vikings to take the Browns’ ST job. Last year, the Vikings ranked 20th in Football Outsiders’ special teams metrics, while the Dolphins were one spot behind at No. 21.
Rick Dennison preferred to stay on as the Jets‘ offensive line coach under new head coach Adam Gase, but New York instead hired Frank Pollack to guide their front five. However, both the Vikings and Packers remain “strong possibilities” for Dennison, per Marvez (Twitter link). Dennison had been expected to immediately follow Gary Kubiak — who was recently hired as a Vikings’ offensive advisor — to Minnesota, but that union hasn’t yet happened. Green Bay, meanwhile, has already hired Adam Stenavich as its offensive line coach, so Dennison would come aboard in a different position.
Early reports suggested the Packers were interested in retaining incumbent tight ends coach Brian Angelichio, but Green Bay has instead hired Falcons quality control/assistant offensive line coach Justin Outten as their new TEs coach, tweets Silverstein. Angelichio was one of a few assistants that was expected to stick around under new Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur, but things must have changed over the past several weeks. Outten, for his part, joined Atlanta as an intern in 2016, and was coaching in the high school ranks as recently as 2015.
The Bears hired former Colts defensive coordinator Ted Monachino last week, and now Chicago has formally announced his title. Monachino will serve as a senior defensive assistant/outside linebackers coach under defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, who previously employed Monachino in both Indianapolis and Baltimore.

Saints CB P.J. Williams Arrested For DUI

January 23rd, 2019 at 7:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Saints cornerback P.J. Williams was arrested in New Orleans for driving under the influence early Wednesday morning, reports Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate.

Williams, 25, was allegedly driving 80 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone, while authorities also indicated Williams failed to used a traffic lane properly and failed to signal a turn. After being stopped, Williams refused a Breathalyzer test, which — as Vargas notes — is grounds for a drunk-driving arrest in Louisiana.

Williams was previously arrested for DUI in early April 2015, but those charges were later dropped just before the NFL draft. Still, the incident may have forced Williams’ draft stock to tumble, as he was subsequently chosen in the third round by the Saints after being identified as a potential Day 1 selection. In 2014, while Williams was still at Florida State, he crashed his vehicle into another car and left the scene, but eventually received only a traffic ticket.

Last season, Williams appeared in 15 games and played the second-most snaps of any Saints cornerback, but graded as a bottom-six CB league-wide, per Pro Football Focus. His rookie contract with New Orleans expires in March, at which point he will hit the free agent market. Given his off-field issues and his lackluster play, Williams may struggle to find guaranteed money this offseason.