HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Robert Kraft Eyeing Tom Brady Extension

January 30th, 2019 at 2:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Brady continues to insist he wants to play into his mid-40s, and the quarterback with the most Super Bowl starts is about to enter a contract year.

Robert Kraft sees the Patriots retaining the all-time great past 2019 and does not have an issue with extending the 41-year-old passer’s contract beyond next season, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

“I would be quite surprised if he didn’t continue for quite awhile as our quarterback,” Kraft said.

Negotiations may begin soon. Brady has never played into a contract year and is set to carry a $27MM cap figure on the Patriots’ 2019 balance sheet. He said recently there is a “zero” percent chance he retires after Super Bowl LIII.

After staying away from the Patriots for most of the offseason, Brady returned for a 19th season and again is set for a Super Bowl start. With the Patriots no longer having an heir apparent on the roster, another Brady re-up makes sense. He and Bill Belichick are in their ninth Super Bowl together, and Kraft is certainly OK with this ultra-successful tandem continuing their voyage into uncharted waters.

“Having two outstanding people like Bill Belichick and Tom Brady for almost two decades, pretty proud of that,” Kraft said, via Volin. “I think we’re very lucky.”

The Patriots have managed to employ Brady on some below-market deals over the past several years. They did add some incentives to his 2018 deal. While he missed out on the statistical portion of this $5MM package due to a slight drop in his numbers from his 2017 MVP season, Brady can earn $2MM by leading the Pats to their sixth championship on Sunday.

Redskins Hire Rob Ryan

January 30th, 2019 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins hired longtime defensive coordinator Rob Ryan as their new inside linebackers coach, according to a team announcement. Ryan last served as the Bills’ assistant head coach (defense) in 2016 and is now set to enter his 20th season as an NFL coach. 

Before hooking on with the Bills, Ryan served as the DC for the Saints (2013-15), Cowboys (2011-12), Browns (2009-10) and Raiders (2004-08). He found success with the Saints early on, leading their defensive unit to Top 5 rankings in points allowed and passing defense in 2013. Things unraveled a bit afterwards, but Ryan remains a respected defensive mind.

Clearly, the ILB coach role is a step down from where Ryan has been in the past, but this could be an opportunity for him to springboard into a larger role. For now, he’ll work under Greg Manusky, who was retained as DC after some flirtations with outside candidates this offseason.

Chargers’ Tyrell Williams: I’m A No. 1 WR

January 30th, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers receiver Tyrell Williams is set to hit free agency in March. Based on his own self-evaluation, it sounds like he’ll be looking to make big bucks on the open market. 

“I definitely feel like I’m a No. 1 receiver,” Williams said while exiting the Chargers’ facility earlier this month (via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com). “So I want to make sure that I clean up all of the little things in route running and blocking, to make sure I solidify myself as a No. 1.”

Frankly speaking, Williams did not put up WR1 numbers in 2018 – he finished out with 41 catches for 653 yards and five touchdowns. However, he did show serious promise in 2016 when he caught 69 passes for 1,059 yards and seven scores as an NFL sophomore.

The Chargers, meanwhile, are interested in a new deal, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll be close on terms.

“This past year, his game had already been solid, and he kind of took it to the next level this year,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said. “He’s certainly earned his second contract. Those are discussions we have to have, but I just don’t have hard answers at this point in the offseason.”

The WR market at large will dictate Williams’ asking price. In the 2017 offseason, wide receivers like Terrelle Pryor were met with disappointment in free agency. But, last year, players like Sammy Watkins and Paul Richardson found free agent riches. Williams is not expected to approach Watkins’ $16MM AAV, but he could be in line for a solid multi-year payday.

Teams Wanted Redskins’ Kevin O’Connell

January 30th, 2019 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

Kevin O’Connell is the Redskins’ new offensive coordinator, but things could have played out differently. Before Washington promoted him to the OC role, other teams inquired about trying to hire him for the same position, sources tell ESPN.com’s John Keim. Right now, it’s not clear which teams reached out to O’Connell, but it sounds like there was interest from multiple clubs.

O’Connell, 33, was bumped up on Tuesday, putting him in the role formerly occupied by Matt Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh, meanwhile, has been moved to a role as the team’s senior offensive assistant.

Prior to the big promotion, O’Connell was Washington’s quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator in 2018. He’s young, but, lately, NFL teams have been happy to eschew experienced candidates for more energetic personalities.

Meanwhile, the Redskins have yet to determine whether O’Connell will call plays, Keim hears. Cavanaugh did not call plays as the team’s OC, but Sean McVay did when he donned the headset in D.C.

Tony Romo To Hold Off On Coaching

January 30th, 2019 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

Someday, Tony Romo hopes to be a coach, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets. But, for now, Romo likes being in the broadcast booth, which means that Cowboys fans hoping to see him as the team’s new offensive coordinator will have to cool their jets. 

[RELATED: Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott Considering Holdout?]

“Well, they’ll have to wait,” Romo said. “I’m sure one day I’ll coach. Right now, I’m happy with where I’m at.”

Romo retired from playing before the 2017 season, but the NFL world wasn’t convinced that his on-field days were over. Two years later, Romo has one of the top jobs in sports broadcasting, and pressure is mounting for him to take a job on the sidelines.

Romo admits his interest in coaching, but it’ll be hard for him to walk away from his current gig at CBS. Romo reportedly earns $4MM/year from the network and he’s expected to earn a significant bump on his next extension. If Romo earns, say, $6MM/year on his new CBS deal, it’s hard to imagine an NFL team topping that salary to hire him as an offensive coordinator.

North Rumors: Ryan, Lions, Newman, Bears

January 29th, 2019 at 9:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The coaching carousel brought plenty of rumors Tuesday. Here is the latest from the North divisions on that front:

  • Sean Ryan was connected to multiple North-division offensive coordinator openings last year, but both the Browns and Vikings went in different directions. A year later, though, the Lions will bring the Texans’ quarterbacks coach north. Ryan will replace George Godsey as Detroit’s QBs coach, the team announced. Godsey will join Brian Flores‘ staff in Miami. This will be Ryan’s third gig instructing QBs. He first held that post with the Giants from 2012-13. The past two years, he worked with Deshaun Watson in Houston.
  • Following changes at OC and quarterbacks coach, more turnover will occur in Detroit. Lions running backs coach David Walker will step away from coaching. He coached the Lions’ running backs for the past three seasons. Walker coached at the college and pro levels for 22 years. This will be another place Patricia makes a hire. Only wide receivers coach Robert Prince remains as an offensive position coach from the Jim Caldwell era.
  • Terence Newman transitioned from the NFL’s oldest active defensive player to a Vikings coach at this season’s outset. The Vikings want him back for another year, but Newman is not certain to keep coaching, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP.com (via Twitter). The 40-year-old coach is no longer listed among Minnesota’s coaches on the team website.
  • One of Bob Sutton‘s Chiefs staffers will migrate to Chicago. Matt Nagy will hire Mark DeLeone to coach the Bears‘ inside linebackers, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. DeLeone and Nagy worked together in Kansas City from 2013-17, and DeLeone stayed on with the Chiefs this season. Sutton’s firing, though, figures to force relocations from some of his position coaches. Vic Fangio‘s departure is having the same effect in Chicago, with only defensive line coach Jay Rodgers expected to return under Chuck Pagano.
  • Deuce Schwartz will be part of Freddie Kitchens‘ Browns staff as a defensive quality control coach, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. Schwartz spent two seasons as an assistant in New Orleans, primarily working with the Saints’ specialty units.

Brian Cushing Accepts Texans Staff Position

January 29th, 2019 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Cushing attempted to land elsewhere as a player last season, but following his Texans release, the veteran linebacker did not play in 2018. He may be ready to call it quits and transition to coaching.

The nine-year Texans veteran accepted a position on Houston’s staff, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Cushing, 32, will be involved with the Texans’ strength and conditioning staff while helping on defense as well.

Houston cut ties with Cushing early during the 2018 offseason, transitioning to Zach Cunningham playing alongside Benardrick McKinney.

A first-round pick in 2009, Cushing won defensive rookie of the year honors and made the Pro Bowl that year. He earned a Texans extension, but the former USC standout’s career also included two performance-enhancing drug suspensions — the second of which a 10-game ban in 2017.

He remains the franchise’s all-time tackles leader with 674 stops.

Staff Notes: Broncos, Redskins, Eagles

January 29th, 2019 at 6:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

A few pipelines have led to the Broncos this offseason. Following’s Ed Donatell Chicago-to-Denver move alongside Vic Fangio, another 49ers staffer will take a key job on the Broncos’ staff, joining new OC Rich Scangarello. T.C. McCartney, an offensive assistant with San Francisco, will become Denver’s new quarterbacks coach, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. McCartney interviewed on Tuesday, per Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link), and represents a unique addition to the Broncos’ staff. The 29-year-old assistant is the grandson of former Colorado Buffaloes head coach Bill McCartney. It will be T.C. McCartney’s first NFL time as an NFL position coach.

But the latest pipeline to lead to the Denver staff is the most interesting. The Broncos will hire another former Wagner College assistant, with Rob Calabrese set to become a Broncos offensive assistant, per Klis. Scangarello and Calabrese worked together at the Division I-FCS, Staten Island, N.Y., program in 2016, with Calabrese succeeding Scangarello as Wagner’s OC and serving in that capacity for the past two seasons. (Fun fact: former Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton is an assistant at Wagner.)

Here is the latest from coaching staffs around the league:

  • Although Jim Tomsula‘s Redskins contract had expired, the parties look to have worked out another agreement. Tomsula will return as Washington’s defensive line coach, the team announced Tuesday. This will be the former 49ers HC’s third season instructing Redskins defensive linemen.
  • Washington did some staff rearranging Tuesday, shifting Kevin O’Connell to OC and Matt Cavanaugh to an advisory role. Ken Zampese met with the Redskins about O’Connell’s old QBs coach job, per Alex Marvez of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link). The Browns fired Zampese from his quarterbacks coach post after one season, which included overseeing the development of Baker Mayfield. He previously served as the Bengals’ OC. Prior to that promotion, Zampese worked as Cincinnati’s QBs coach from 2013-15, the first of those years overlapping with Jay Gruden‘s Cincy tenure.
  • The five teams that coveted former Dolphins special teams coach Darren Rizzi — the Bills, Jets, Lions, Packers and Vikings — are no longer in the running for Rizzi, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. But two other teams are interested. Rizzi and incoming Dolphins HC Brian Flores met recently and decided to part ways, per Salguero (on Twitter).
  • Former Dolphins DC Matt Burke will land on the Eagles‘ staff, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Burke succeeded Vance Joseph as Miami’s DC and held the job for two seasons, both of which ending with the Fins being among the worst at preventing points.

Dolphins To Hire 4 Assistants, Part Ways With Darren Rizzi

January 29th, 2019 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the other candidates for the position Brian Flores will soon take, Darren Rizzi‘s near-decade-long stay with the Dolphins will come to an end.

The Dolphins will not retain their longtime special teams coordinator, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Miami will instead hire former Buffalo ST coordinator Danny Crossman to take over in that role, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

Additionally, former Texans OC (and 2018 Lions quarterbacks coach) George Godsey will be the Dolphins’ new tight ends coach, and former Fins wideouts coach Karl Dorrell will be back for a second stay in this job, Yates adds. Pat Flaherty will join the staff as offensive line coach, Alex Marvez of Sirius XM reports (on Twitter).

Flores wanted to move in another direction for his new team’s ST coach, per Jackson, who adds Rizzi also did not want to come back after being bypassed for the HC post. Rizzi, who has received significant interest on the market this offseason, may have a new gig soon. He is in advanced stages of negotiations with another team, Jackson notes.

While Flores’ arrival will mean most of Miami’s assistants will be new hires, running backs coach Eric Studesville will be back, per Marvez (on Twitter). So will defensive backs coach Tony Oden, Jackson adds.

In the event of a Rizzi exit, the Dolphins placed Crossman on their radar weeks ago, Marvez tweets. The Bills fired him after a six-year tenure as their ST coordinator. The Dolphins have been Rizzi’s only NFL employer, hiring him in 2010 and promoting him to ST boss a year later. Miami led the NFL with 11 punts blocked in that span.

Matt Patricia‘s continued overhaul of the Lions’ staff meant more Jim Caldwell-era holdovers were out. Godsey stayed on during Patricia’s first season, moving to quarterbacks coach in 2018. Flaherty had worked with Tom Coughlin in 14 of the past 15 years, mentoring the Giants’ O-line for 12 seasons and spending the past two slates working with the Jaguars’ blockers.

Dorrell was Miami’s receivers coach from 2008-10. Conversely to how things have been moving this offseason, with Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains going from the Dolphins to the Jets, Dorrell will head from the Big Apple to south Florida. He coached New York’s wideouts during each of Todd Bowles‘ four seasons. The Packers interviewed Dorrell for their WRs job, which remains vacant.

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