2019 January - Pro Football Rumors

Joe Woods To Join 49ers’ Staff

January 15th, 2019 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ recent revamp forced 2018 coordinators Joe Woods and Bill Musgrave to look for work elsewhere, and the former found it in the Bay Area.

Woods agreed to become the 49ers’ passing-game coordinator on defense, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The two-year Broncos defensive coordinator interviewed with the 49ers on Tuesday and drew interest from other teams.

Denver’s No-Fly Zone position coach from 2015-16, Woods replaced Wade Phillips as DC in 2017. The Broncos were not able to replicate the success they had under Phillips, particularly in defending air attacks, but Woods’ group remained an upper-echelon unit during his tenure.

Woods spent time in the Bay Area previously, serving as the 2014 Raiders’ defensive backs coach. He has been an NFL assistant since 2004, overseeing secondaries until his 2017 promotion.

The Cardinals and Redskins wanted Woods to coach their respective secondaries, but instead the 48-year-old assistant will join Kyle Shanahan‘s staff. Shanahan interviewed for the Broncos’ HC job that ultimately went to Vance Joseph in 2017. Woods also spent time as the Buccaneers’ secondary coach, which overlapped with Shanahan’s first NFL job — Tampa Bay’s offensive quality control coach from 2004-05.

The 49ers are retaining most of Robert Saleh‘s defensive staff but in recent days added Woods and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, the latter replacing Jeff Zgonina.

Colts Want To Bring Back Adam Vinatieri

January 15th, 2019 at 5:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

It seems neither party involved wants Adam Vinatieri‘s ineffective performance in Kansas City to be his final NFL act.

After the 46-year-old kicker expressed interest in playing at least one more season, the Colts also want to have their longtime kicker back for the 2019 season, Mike Chappell of CBS 4 tweets.

Another Vinatieri deal would mean a 14th season with the Colts and a voyage further into rare NFL territory. Only two players — kicker Morten Andersen and quarterback/kicker George Blanda — have played either a 24th season or past their 47th birthdays.

“If they’re wanting, I can’t imagine (I’d) not keep playing, you know?” Vinatieri said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star). “I haven’t made the decision yet. I’ll spend a week or two and just kind of see where we’re at.”

Vinatieri made 85 percent of his field goal tries (23-for-27) for a second straight year and connected on a 54-yard field goal for a third straight season. He made four 50-plus-yard field goals — the fourth straight year he has connected on at least four from beyond 50 yards. However, he missed an extra point and a field goal inside of PAT distance in the Colts’ 31-13 loss to the Chiefs.

Last year, Vinatieri earned $3.625MM on a one-year deal with the Colts.

Broncos To Interview Ed Donatell For DC Job

January 15th, 2019 at 4:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to spending eight seasons coaching alongside Vic Fangio in San Francisco and Chicago, Ed Donatell collected a pair of Super Bowl rings in Denver. The Broncos have employed the latter for two stints and may be set to bring him back.

Fangio’s new team will interview Donatell for its defensive coordinator position, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. This meeting has been rumored for a bit now, to the point it would be an upset if Donatell did not get the job. He was previously weighing between staying in Chicago or following Fangio to Denver.

This interview, the Broncos’ first for their DC job, could well be a sign he has chosen the latter path.

Donatell served as the Bears’ defensive backs coach for the past four seasons. Prior to that, he led the 49ers’ secondary. He held this position with the Broncos in the late 1990s, being on both of Mike Shanahan‘s Super Bowl-winning staffs. Donatell returned to Denver in 2010 before following Fangio and Jim Harbaugh to the Bay Area a year later.

Although he has coached secondaries throughout the 2010s, the 61-year-old assistant is a three-time DC — with the Packers (2000-03), Falcons (2004-06) and Redskins (’08). Fangio said he would call plays for Denver’s defense, so this gig would not bring the kind of responsibility many in the NFL do.

The Broncos are not retaining two-year DC Joe Woods, who has drawn interest as a DBs coach from multiple teams.

Jets To Hire Gregg Williams As DC

January 15th, 2019 at 1:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are finalizing a deal with former Browns’ interim head coach Gregg Williams to become their defensive coordinator, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Williams was the defensive coordinator the Jets were targeting no matter who their head coach was, Schefter adds.

The Jets have denied pushing certain assistants on candidates Matt Rhule and Mike McCarthy. Whether you choose to believe the Jets on that front is up to you, but it appears that they had a heavy hand in marrying new head coach Adam Gase and Williams.

Williams was widely mocked during the year for his assertion that several teams wanted him as a head coach. He may have been pumping himself up a bit, but things improved on both sides of the ball during his eight-game run as the Browns’ interim coach in 2018. Ultimately, the Browns chose interim offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens as the man to run things going forward, but Williams managed to boost his stock a bit in the latter half of the year.

With the Jets, Williams inherits an iffy defense, but one that has potential in the secondary and a solid defensive lineman in Leonard Williams. The Jets have no real pass rush to speak of, but they hope to change that with upwards of $100MM in cap room.

Saints To Sign DT Tyrunn Walker

January 15th, 2019 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have agreed to sign defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Walker will provide support in the wake of Sheldon Rankins’ season-ending torn Achilles. Rankins has been formally placed on IR.

Walker first broke into the league with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He made the roster in his first year, but was a healthy scratch throughout his first pro season. He finally saw the field in 2013 and managed 2.5 sacks in ’14 as a nose tackle for New Orleans. Since then, he’s had stints with the Lions and Rams, but did not see live action in the 2018 season.

Walker, in all likelihood, will not see time in the NFC Championship Game unless he is absolutely needed. Instead, the Saints figure to use interior defenders such as Tyeler Davison, David Onyemata, and Taylor Stallworth to make up for Rankins’ absence.

Rankins, 24, played the most snaps of any Saints defensive tackle in 2018, managing 40 tackles (12 for loss), eight sacks, and 15 quarterback hits in the process. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, graded Rankins as the No. 23 interior defender among 119 qualifiers.

Ravens, C.J. Mosley Begin Contract Talks

January 15th, 2019 at 12:43pm CST by Zachary Links

C.J. Mosley is scheduled for free agency in March, but the Ravens have opened up contract talks to try and keep him off the open market, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Mosley is also a franchise tag candidate (and probably the team’s only viable option for the tag), but the team would prefer to work out a long-term deal to tamp down costs in 2019.

The franchise tag would cost the Ravens upwards of $15MM. That’s a huge hit, particularly for an inside linebacker who struggles in coverage.

Still, Mosley is one of the Ravens’ best defenders and the team historically has not allowed its best defensive players to get away. A long term deal would allow the Ravens to stay the course at a key position while leaving enough flexibility to build around Lamar Jackson on the other side of the ball.

Mosley, 27 in June, finished out the regular season with 105 tackles, five passes defensed, and one interception in 15 games.

Jaguars To Interview Mike McCoy For OC Job

January 15th, 2019 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

Former Cardinals offensive coordinator Mike McCoy will interview for the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator job on Tuesday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McCoy’s candidacy in Jacksonville is a bit surprising considering how poorly his 2018 run in Arizona turned out.

McCoy hooked on with Arizona in January of 2018, marking his third different offense in three years. McCoy ran the Chargers’ offense from 2013-16 as head coach and began the 2017 season as the Broncos’ OC before getting fired midway through the season. In October, after the Broncos walloped the Cards and held them to just 10 points in the process, McCoy was shown the door.

Clearly, McCoy’s reputation has taken a beating. Once considered one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds, McCoy has not been on the coaching radar since his October dismissal. Still, the Jaguars are at least open to the idea of giving McCoy another shot at an OC position. If hired, McCoy will endeavor to restore his good name and actually make it through a complete season.

As shown in PFR’s Offensive Coordinator Tracker, the Jags have also interviewed former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and ex-Vikings OC John DeFilippo.

Cardinals To Interview Jim Bob Cooter

January 15th, 2019 at 10:59am CST by Zachary Links

Former Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter will interview for the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator vacancy on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Cooter has been on the market since Jan. 1 when the Lions informed him that his contract would not be renewed.

Cooter recently interviewed for the Browns’ offensive coordinator position, but that gig ultimately went to former Buccaneers OC Todd Monken. The Cardinals job, in some respects, would be similar. He wouldn’t have had much in the way of play-calling responsibility under Freddie Kitchens and the same goes in Arizona where the offensively-focused Kliff Kingsbury is in charge.

Of course, the jobs differ in terms of appeal. The Browns were viewed as one of the most intriguing OC destinations in this cycle thanks in large part to Baker Mayfield‘s upside. The Cardinals have a young quarterback of their own in Josh Rosen and the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, but there are also serious holes that need to be addressed.

Under Cooter, the Lions had the NFL’s No. 7 scoring offense in 2017. This past season, however, Matthew Stafford regressed.

Adam Vinatieri Wants To Re-Sign With Colts

January 15th, 2019 at 10:53am CST by Zachary Links

Adam Vinatieri hasn’t made a firm decision either way, but the kicker seems to want to continue his career with the Colts. The 46-year-old kicker has pretty much done it all, but he says he’d have a hard time saying no to a new deal.

“If they’re wanting, I can’t imagine (I’d) not keep playing, you know?” Vinatieri said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star). “I haven’t made the decision yet. I’ll spend a week or two and just kind of see where we’re at.”

Vinatieri could certainly pack it in now and be proud of his career. He’s spent more than two decades in the league, collected four Super Bowl rings, and eclipsed Morten Andersen for the league’s all-time records in key kicking categories.

Then again, he still has plenty in the tank after a strong 23rd season in the NFL. In 2018, the old man nailed 23 of 27 field goals, giving him an 85.2% conversion rate that is clip that is higher than his career average of 84.3%. He also sank four field goals from 50 yards or more, so his power hasn’t gone anywhere either.

Last year, Vinatieri earned $3.625MM on a one-year deal with the Colts.

Colts GM On Possible Jacoby Brissett Trade

January 15th, 2019 at 10:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have a potential trade chip in backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. However, they also value him highly and aren’t inclined to trade him for cheap.

“I think he’s a starter in the league,” GM Chris Ballard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “It would take somebody doing something that would blow me away, and it has to be the right thing for the kid, too. I’m not just sending him anywhere.”

Last year’s free agent QB crop was uniquely strong, but this year’s group doesn’t offer nearly as many viable options. Between Brissett’s 2017 performance and the dearth of quality signal callers out there, Brissett could fetch a high price if he’s dangled to other teams.

The Colts went just 4-12 without Andrew Luck under center in 2017, but Brissett did well from an individual perspective. He completed 58.8% of his throws that year for 3,098 yards with 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Those aren’t MVP numbers, but he was playing behind a porous offensive line that allowed him to be sacked 52 times.