2019 January - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Wentz, Foles, Packers

January 19th, 2019 at 6:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz won’t get into details about the stress fracture in his back that has cost him time over the last two seasons. Apparently, GM Howie Roseman isn’t willing to discuss specifics either, as Les Bowen of the Daily News writes.

“Carson talked about the injury [Monday] and coach [Doug] Pederson has talked about it, as well. I kind of stand by what they said,” Roseman said this week. “When we talk about injuries, injuries are of a personal nature. I don’t want to get involved in timetables or going backwards about it. We feel very good about where Carson’s going to be and having a full offseason, and we’re excited for him to have that.”

Wentz was on the official injury report with a back problem for two weeks in October. After that, he was off the injury report, until his back problems returned later in the year and ultimately shelved him. Many are left wondering whether the Eagles handled Wentz’s back problems appropriately and wondering if Wentz will be good to go for the 2019 season.

Here’s more from the NFC:

The Eagles paid quarterback Nick Foles a $1MM signing bonus to account for the incentive he missed out on by just four snaps, Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Foles technically needed to play in 33% of the team’s snaps in order to cash on in the playoff bonus, but the Eagles decided to do right by their Super Bowl hero. Unfortunately for Philly, the good will gesture probably won’t be enough to keep Foles in the fold next year. Several teams are desperate for QB help and free agent riches await the veteran.
Matt LaFleur‘s desire to call plays and advance his career led him to leave a comfortable job with the Rams to become the Titans’ offensive coordinator. That initiative impressed GM Brian Gutekunst, which helped LaFleur land the Packers‘ head coaching job earlier this month. “Most of that was just talking to people who had coached with Matt, worked with him,” Gutekunst said (via Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette). “Then his presence in the (interview) room was positive as well. He had the whole offense (while) working for a defensive head coach this past year in Tennessee. Him actively seeking that opportunity and doing that this year made me feel pretty good about it.”

Cardinals To Hire Clements; Won’t Add OC?

January 19th, 2019 at 4:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals interviewed Tom Clements for their offensive coordinator post but will be bringing him aboard with a different title.

Arizona will add Clements as its quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). At this point, the Cardinals are not expected to fill the position of offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Kliff Kingsbury is essentially going to serve in that role, with the 65-year-old Clements now set to play a key part in assisting the first-time NFL coach. The plan will be for Kingsbury to call plays but Clements to assist him in game plans and other facets, per the Arizona Republic’s Bob McManaman. Clements’ primary role will be developing Josh Rosen.

Should the Cardinals go without an OC, it will mark an interesting conclusion to a lengthy process. The franchise interviewed four coaches — Clements, Jim Bob Cooter, Hue Jackson and John DeFilippo — for the role and sought meetings with other coaches that did not end up taking place. The Cards were initially connected to an all-college group, with Texas State HC Jake Spavital mentioned as a candidate. The team also wanted to interview 49ers assistant Mike McDaniel and former Falcons OC Steve Sarkisian. Neither came to pass, and the search moved on to names like Cooter, Clements, DeFilippo and Jackson this week.

Clements, 65, has coached at the NFL level since 1997. He served as an OC or assistant head coach with the Packers and Bills, the latter from 2004-05 and the former from 2012-16. Clements has not coached in the league since his 11-season Packers tenure ended. Prior to ascending to Green Bay’s OC role, Clements coached Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers as QBs coach for six seasons.

This will be the sixth franchise with which Clements has been employed.

Texans Re-Sign T Seantrel Henderson

January 19th, 2019 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite suffering a season-ending injury in his first game as a Texan, Seantrel Henderson said he wanted to stay in Houston. He made good on that promise Saturday.

The Texans announced they re-signed the would-be free agent tackle. Henderson will be tethered to a one-year Texans deal for the second straight season. This contract looks similar to Henderson’s 2018 Houston pact, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (on Twitter) it will carry a max value of $4.5MM.

A former seventh-round pick who became a Bills starter during his first two seasons in the league, Henderson signed with the Texans as a free agent last year. He signed for $4MM but went down in Week 1, beginning a season that featured many issues for the Texans’ offensive line.

Following Henderson’s injury, the Texans used a tackle pairing of Julie’n Davenport and Kendall Lamm.

Although they did not get much out of their previous Henderson investment, the Texans are clearly interested in seeing if he can stay healthy and play a role on their 2019 line.

Morgan Burnett Seeks Steelers Release

January 19th, 2019 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Evidently, Morgan Burnett did not enjoy his first season with the Steelers. The veteran safety wants the team to release him before the start of free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Pittsburgh signed Burnett to a three-year, $14.35MM contract early in free agency last year, well before most other safeties of his ilk agreed to deals.

The Steelers’ frequent usage of Burnett as a dime linebacker did not sit well with the longtime Packers safety, with the 30-year-old defender seeking a team that will use him as a pure safety. Burnett started just two of the 11 games he played with the Steelers. He started every game he played as a Packer.

Burnett’s usage (390 snaps) lagged well behind younger Steeler safeties Sean Davis (981 snaps) and first-round pick Terrell Edmunds (968). It would not be a surprise to see the Steelers cut bait on Burnett, but the move will bring a slight cost. It would tag the Steelers with $2.8MM in dead money and save them $3.63MM against the cap if they grant Burnett’s request.

The Steelers brought in Burnett to play closer to the line of scrimmage, but he does not appear to be comfortable in this role. Burnett also missed five games due to injury.

Broncos Notes: Munchak, Paradis, Modkins

January 19th, 2019 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Gary Kubiak went from Broncos front office exec to impending Denver OC to Vikings assistant head coach. We heard the Super Bowl-winning head coach wanted to bring back former Broncos assistants Rick Dennison and Brian Pariani to be part of the next Broncos offensive staff, and that led to the breakup between the coach and the team with which he is most associated. But John Elway‘s HC interview with Mike Munchak, while not being enough to deter the GM from offering the position to Vic Fangio, went well enough he wanted the Pittsburgh offensive line coach to come to Denver as an assistant. That was a deal-breaker for Kubiak, who sought Dennison to oversee his offensive line concepts, Mike Klis of 9News notes. The Broncos fired Pariani in 2017, and the franchise was not ready to rehire him, Klis adds. Pariani will now coach tight ends in Minnesota. Rich Scangarello is now the Broncos’ OC.

Here is the latest from Denver:

On the subject of Scangarello, it looks like the former 49ers quarterbacks coach will be hiring someone to serve in that role in Denver. Previous QBs coach Mike Sullivan, as could be expected following the dismissal of 2017-18 Broncos OC Bill Musgrave, is not expected to be part of the 2019 staff, according to Klis (on Twitter). Sullivan had two NFL tours as an offensive coordinator, with the Buccaneers from 2012-13 and with the Giants from 2016-17.
However, the Broncos will retain one of their other offensive assistants. Running backs coach Curtis Modkins will be back, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. The 2016 San Francisco OC who then worked with Fangio in Chicago as the Bears’ 2017 running backs coach, Modkins succeeded longtime Denver RBs coach Eric Studesville and oversaw the stunning development of Phillip Lindsay. He will have a chance to continue working with the Pro Bowl back and third-round pick Royce Freeman in 2019.
Perhaps the Broncos’ best center since Tom Nalen, Matt Paradis is not a lock to return to Denver as a free agent. The Broncos would like him to come back, but Klis notes he will test the market. This could be a significant development, as the 29-year-old blocker will probably be the top center available come March. Denver brass and Paradis entered into extension discussions last year, but the sides could not reach an agreement. Paradis’ ironman streak ended in November as well, with a broken fibula ending his season. The Broncos stand to hold $40MM-plus in cap space and have some cap-casualty candidates, but Paradis going to the market may well mean it will cost a team eight figures annually to sign him.

Ravens, John Harbaugh Close On Extension

January 19th, 2019 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

John Harbaugh‘s shift from lame-duck status back to long-term security with the Ravens is nearing completion. The Ravens and their longtime coach have an agreement in principle on an extension, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

One year remains on Harbaugh’s current deal. This new agreement is not yet finalized, with CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweeting key issues remain unresolved. While an extension is expected to be completed, JLC notes it is not done. Although, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com describes the road left to go as procedural (Twitter link).

Talks Harbaugh was set to be fired preceded trade rumors surrounding Baltimore’s 11-season leader, but the Ravens turning their season around and winning their first AFC North title since 2012 helped Harbaugh re-establish himself. The parties began extension talks earlier this month. He will be in charge of the full Joe Flacco-to-Lamar Jackson transition.

The Broncos, Buccaneers and Dolphins were loosely linked to Harbaugh as trade suitors. Each either hired coaches or have identified a future HC. Harbaugh may well have been the top candidate on this year’s market had the Ravens allowed it. Baltimore’s transition from Ozzie Newsome, who hired Harbaugh in 2008, to Eric DeCosta will not feature a major sideline shakeup. The new GM evidently saw enough from the franchise’s winningest coach to begin his tenure tethered to him.

Harbaugh, 56, is 114-77 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 marked the Ravens’ seventh playoff appearance under Harbaugh.

Bucs TE Cameron Brate Underwent Surgery

January 19th, 2019 at 12:58pm CST by Ben Levine

Cameron Brate recently underwent surgery to remedy a hip injury that bothered him throughout the 2018 campaign.

ESPN’s Jenna Laine writes that the Buccaneers tight end underwent arthroscopic surgery last week to repair a torn labrum in his hip. Brate reportedly played through much of the 2018 season with the injury.

Brate is currently on crutches after have undergone a procedure that required the removal of bone fragments. The 27-year-old’s recovery time is expected to be a “few months.” The team is planning to ease him back into OTAs, and they hope he’ll be good to go by the time June’s minicamp comes around.

Considering he had to play through an injury that’s described as “very painful,” it’s not overly surprising that Brate struggled in 2018. The Harvard product ultimately finished the season having hauled in 30 receptions for 289 yards and six touchdowns, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 62nd among 71 eligible tight ends. However, Brate has 1,251 yards and 14 touchdowns between 2016 and 2017, with Pro Football Focus giving him grades that ranked among the best in the NFL.

Fellow Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard landed on the injured reserve with an ankle/foot injury in Week 12, but the former first-rounder should also be good to go by the time the regular season comes around. The team also has fellow tight ends Antony Auclair, Donnie Ernsberger, and Tanner Hudson under contract.

Colts Sign TE Gabe Holmes To Futures Deal

January 19th, 2019 at 12:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Gabe Holmes has landed on a new team. The Colts announced that they’ve signed the tight end to a reserve/futures contract.

The 27-year-old has bounced around the NFL a bit since going undrafted out of Purdue in 2015. The 6-foot-5 Holmes has had stints with the Raiders, Seahawks, Ravens, and Cardinals. He’s appeared in 10 games during three-year career, including eight this season with Arizona. He finished the season with a single special-teams tackle.

Considering his size, Holmes has always profiled as more of a blocking tight end, although he did haul in five touchdowns during his collegiate career. Holmes could end up being an option to replace impending free agent tight end Ryan Hewitt, who appeared in 12 games (two starts) this season but only hauled in a single catch (which also happened to be a touchdown).

Colts tight end Ross Travis is set to be a restricted free agent. The team still has tight ends Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle, and Mo Alie-Cox under contract for next season.

Panthers Owner Discusses Cam Newton Injury

January 19th, 2019 at 11:14am CST by Ben Levine

There have been whispers that Cam Newton could sit out the 2019 campaign as he recovers from a sore right shoulder. While Panthers owner David Tepper didn’t explicitly say that the Panthers franchise quarterback could miss the upcoming campaign, he did explain how that scenario could end up being a positive. Tepper specifically compared the situation to Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who missed the entire 2017 campaign before coming back for a productive 2018 season.

“If you told me he took a year off and could recover and be fully recovered and everything else, and that’s what it took, an extra year, why wouldn’t you do [that]?” Tepper told ESPN’s David Newton. “Now we would have to do other things, right? We’d have to go out and get another quarterback. If you could find me some more cap space I’d appreciate that.”

Through 14 games in 2018, Newton completed a career-high 67.9-percent of his passes for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also ran for another 488 yards and four scores. With strength in his shoulder fading, the Panthers decided to shut down Newton for the final two games of the season.

Tepper, who purchase the franchise for more than $2B back in May, recognizes that it would ultimately be in the organization’s best interest if Newton is at full health.

“When you make a decision, this gets into business, or here … you want to keep your options open as much as possible,” Tepper said. “And you want to put yourself in a position to win. Not a position to lose, but a position to win…That means keep your options open and try to have as much [cap] space as you possibly can.

“Hopefully, Cam’s shoulder is fantastic, right? And we’re hunky dory, all fantastic. If it’s not, you may need more cap space. You may need to go out and find somebody. If you don’t, you guys are going to be writing what a dope we are here. Why did we make these other moves? So think about that. You want to keep your options open, put yourself in best position as you can to win, and I’m talking again for the long term.”

Newton detailed several ways the Panthers could open up cap space this winter, noting that they could clear $7.2MM by releasing offensive lineman Matt Kalil and another $3.5MM by releasing cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.

RB Marshawn Lynch To Continue Playing?

January 19th, 2019 at 9:51am CST by Ben Levine

Could Marshawn Lynch return for a 12th NFL season in 2019? Well…maybe. Appearing on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Lynch said he’d continue playing if the right opportunity presented itself.

“If it works out that way then I will,” Lynch said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com).

The 32-year-old initially retired back in 2016, but he ended up joining his home-town Raiders on a two-year deal in 2017. His first season in Oakland saw him rush for 891 yards and seven touchdowns, and he had similar production in 2018, rushing for 376 yards and three touchdowns in six games. Unfortunately, the veteran suffered what proved to be a season-ending groin injury in October, and that left some to wonder whether Lynch had played in his final NFL game.

The impending free agent may have a tough time finding a gig that’d work out for both sides. Lynch has appeared in more than 150 regular season and postseason games, and teams seeking running back depth would surely be enticed by younger options. Furthermore, the Raiders may not be playing in Oakland next season, meaning Lynch won’t be able to stick around his hometown.

Of course, regardless of where they end up playing, the Raiders would seem to be a natural fit for the veteran. Fellow veteran running back Doug Martin will be hitting free agency, while Jalen Richard will be a restricted free agent. The organization will head into the offseason with two running backs under contract: DeAndre Washington and Chris Warren.