HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Colts Re-Sign Adam Vinatieri

January 25th, 2019 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

Adam Vinatieri will return for a 24th NFL season. The Colts inked a new one-year deal with the kicker, the team announced.

Vinatieri owns four Super Bowl rings and is the league’s all-time leading scorer, so he has nothing left to prove. Still, Vinatieri’s love of football has not waned, so he is eager to return for his age-46 season. Should the Colts reach the playoffs in 2019, Vinatieri will be booting kicks as a 47-year-old.

“If they’re wanting, I can’t imagine (I’d) not keep playing, you know?” Vinatieri said earlier this month.

Vinatieri nailed 85% 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. He did miss an extra point and a field goal inside of PAT distance in the Colts’ divisional round loss to the Chiefs, but he’s still one of the league’s most reliable legs.

“I will say this: do I think he can still kick in this league and be a really good kicker? Absolutely I do,” GM Chris Ballard said recently. “He is as important a guy in that locker room. I don’t know if I have been around a special teams player that has as much impact as Adam (Vinatieri) does in the locker room. From a positive standpoint, all of our young guys that come in get to see Adam Vinatieri work, rehab, prepare his body every year, be a pro, handle the hard times, handle the good times. I mean all of that, what Adam brings, brings a lot of value to this team.”

Only two players — kicker Morten Andersen and quarterback/kicker George Blanda — have played either a 24th season or past their 47th birthdays. Once again, Vinatieri has his eye on smashing a new record.

The deal was first reported by Zak Keefer of the Indy Star (on Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reported the length of the contract. 

Bears To Audition Several Kickers

January 25th, 2019 at 10:19am CST by Zachary Links

The Bears are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to upgrade the kicker position. On Friday, they’ll work out a group of six or seven kickers including Nick Folk, Blair Walsh, and Austin MacGinnis, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). 

Parkey missed a potential game winner against the Eagles in the opening round of the playoffs, putting him on thin ice. His 43-yard try off the upright was a heartbreaker, though it wasn’t exactly Parkey’s fault as it was tipped by defensive tackle Treyvon Hester.

The 26-year-old kicker (27 in February) may have put his job in further jeopardy when he made a guest appearance on NBC’s Today show to discuss the miss. The lighthearted segment rubbed head coach Matt Nagy the wrong way and drew the ire of many Bears fans.

“For me, you understand that we always talk about a ‘we’ and not a ‘me’ thing,” Nagy said (via ESPN.com). “We always talk as a team, we win as a team, we lose as a team. You know, I just, I didn’t necessarily think that that was too much of a ‘we’ thing.”

It certainly sounds like the Bears want to replace Parkey, but his contract complicates matters. Parkey joined the Bears on a four-year, $15MM deal last offseason which calls for a $4.4MM dead cap hit if he is released before the 2019 season. Earlier this month, GM Ryan Pace indicated that the contract will not necessarily keep them from moving on.

“We talk about those things [the financial ramifications], but the most important thing is performance,” Pace said.

Latest On Steelers, Antonio Brown

January 24th, 2019 at 9:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Steelers owner Art Rooney II hasn’t been shy while opining on the status of disgruntled wideout Antonio Brown, first noting it’s “hard to envision” Brown being with the team in training camp before admitting there are “not that many signs out there that” Brown is going to offer any sort of apology for his Week 17 meltdown. But Rooney used a slightly softer tone when discussing Brown this week, as Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune writes.

“There are a lot of factors we have to take into account on it,” Rooney said. “We’d have to sit down with Antonio and understand where he is and make sure he understands where we are. There is some work to do before we figure that out.”

If Brown is cut or traded before June 1, the Steelers will incur more than $21MM in dead money on their salary cap and gain just over $1MM in new space. If he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut or traded after that date, Pittsburgh will take on roughly $7MM in dead money in 2019 and ~$14MM in 2020.

As Rutter notes, Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17, so the Steelers would likely trade him before paying out that total. Trades can’t be officially processed until the new league year begins on March 13, but agreements can be in place before then.

Staff Notes: Redskins, 49ers, Packers, Jets

January 24th, 2019 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins have hired former Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton as their new defensive backs coach, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. Washington is retaining incumbent DC Greg Manusky, but the club has spent the offseason meeting with other defensive minds such as Gregg Williams, Steve Wilks, and Todd Bowles. Horton, unlike those three, doesn’t have prior head coaching experience, but he has been a defensive play-caller for the Cardinals, Titans, and Browns (two stints). Horton, who didn’t coach in the NFL in either of the past two seasons, is replacing Torrian Gray, who was let go earlier this month.

Let’s check in on the latest coaching and front office moves:

  • The 49ers have promoted Martin Mayhew to vice president of of player personnel, tweets Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Mayhew, whose previous title was “senior personnel executive,” will now share the VP role with Adam Peters. After serving as Detroit’s general manager from 2008-15, Mayhew was the Giants’ director of football operations/special projects in 2016 before he joined San Francisco the following year. He interviewed for the Panthers’ GM gig last February, but lost out to interim Marty Hurney.
  • Former Giants special teams coordinator Tom Quinn is a candidate for the same position with the Packers, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), who adds Quinn has spoken with Green Bay. Quinn was New York’s coordinator from 2007-17 before being let go by Pat Shurmur last offseason. However, Quinn re-joined the Giants staff in September 2018 after new ST coordinator Thomas McGaughey began cancer treatments. The Packers were thought to be a serious contender to hire Dolphins’ special teams coach Darren Rizzi, but that union won’t be happening.
  • Adam Gase is bringing a familiar face to New York, as former Dolphins wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson has taken the same job with the Jets, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). Jefferson, 49, started his coaching career in 2006 with the Lions before moving on to Tennessee in 2013 and Miami in 2016. He was reportedly a candidate to become the Packers’ new wide receivers coach, a role which still hasn’t been filled.
  • The Falcons have hired former Buccaneers tight ends coach Ben Steele as an offensive assistant, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Steele had worked under Dirk Koetter — Atlanta’s new offensive coordinator — in Tampa Bay for the past two years.

49ers’ Weston Richburg, D.J. Reed Undergo Surgery

January 24th, 2019 at 7:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

49ers center Weston Richburg and cornerback D.J. Reed both recently underwent surgery, leaving their availability for the start of training camp in question, San Francisco announced today. Richburg’s operation addressed an ongoing knee issue, while Reed went under the knife to correct a shoulder injury.

Richburg inked a five-year, $47.5MM contract with the 49ers last offseason, and proceeded to play in 15 games despite dealing with his knee injury. His production wasn’t great, as Pro Football Focus assigned Richburg the lowest grade (51.9) of his five-year career, but it’s fair to assume his health questions factored into his reduced level of play.

Although Richburg could return for training camp, knee injuries can often last longer than initially expected. The 49ers don’t have a ton of depth along the interior of their offensive line, so they could potentially be in trouble if Richburg is forced to miss any regular season action. Erik Magnuson would presumably take over at center, but San Francisco could look to free agency and/or the draft to shore up their line in case Richburg isn’t ready for the 2019 campaign.

Reed, a fifth-round pick last year, appeared in 15 games (two starts) for the Niners. At 5’9″, 188 pounds, he’s mostly suited for the slot, and that’s where he primarily played in 2018. All told, Reed saw action on roughly a third of San Francisco’s defensive snaps and 43.2% of the club’s special teams plays.

Panthers Notes: Newton, Hostler, Obada

January 24th, 2019 at 6:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cam Newton underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on Thursday, the Panthers announced. While Carolina did say Newton will immediately begin his rehabilitation process, the team did not provide a timeline for his recovery. However, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears the signal-caller’s procedure was not of the “major reconstructive” variety, while Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets the operation was relatively minor. Indeed, Newton is expected to resume throwing by the time organized team activities begin in May, per Breer.

Here’s more from Carolina:

  • The Panthers — who currently run a 4-3 defense — may implement more 3-4 looks in 2019, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. While it doesn’t appear Carolina will make a full-fledged change to a 3-4 front, the club does plan on deploying multiple defensive schemes. Dontari Poe would become a natural nose tackle (a role he played in Kansas City), while Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson would handle middle linebacker. The real issue, however, would be finding edge rushers that could fit into a 3-4 scheme. The Panthers’ potential shift isn’t necessarily being driven by change in personnel or coaching, as defensive coordinator Eric Washington is remaining in place while head coach Ron Rivera will continue to call defensive plays.
  • Former Packers passing game coordinator Jim Hostler has been hired as the Panthers’ new wide receivers coach, the club recently announced. Hostler, 52, is a long-time NFL coach with experience dating back to 2000. He spent only one season in Green Bay working with the team’s offense, and wasn’t retained when the Packers hired new head coach Matt LaFleur. Hostler, who is replacing Lance Taylor on Carolina’s staff, will work with a wideout group that currently includes D.J. Moore, Torrey Smith, Curtis Samuel, and Jarius Wright (plus pending free agent Devin Funchess).
  • Defensive end Efe Obada‘s one year-deal with the Panthers is worth $570K, tweets David Newton of ESPN.com. The minimum salary for a player with one year of NFL experience (like Obada) will be $555K in 2019, so Carolina is giving the 27-year-old a slight pay bump. Obada was scheduled to become an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he wouldn’t have hit the open market unless the Panthers opted to non-tender him.

Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger Have Discussed Extension

January 24th, 2019 at 5:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Reports earlier this month indicated the Steelers were expected to discuss an extension with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and club owner Art Rooney II confirmed this week that those talks have indeed begun.

“We’ve already started talking to him and his representative about extending that contract,” Rooney said, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune. “I think Ben has some good years left. I’d still say he’s close to being in the prime of his career.

“Now that we’re seeing quarterbacks around the league that are playing into their 40s,” Rooney added. “I’m not sure there’s any reason that Ben can’t play for several more years. We’re looking forward to that.”

Roethlisberger, 36, is entering the final season of his current deal. He’s scheduled to earn a $12MM base salary and a $5MM roster bonus, and carries a cap charge of $23.2MM. Pittsburgh is among the bottom-10 teams in 2019 cap space, so a Roethlisberger extension would serve not only to lock in the star quarterback for a few more years, but give the Steelers financial breathing room. By handing Roethlisberger a signing bonus which would be spread out cap-wise over the length of his new deal, the Steelers could create extra cap space.

Roethlisberger set career-highs in completions (452), pass attempts (675), passing yards (5,129), and touchdowns (34) this past season. Advanced metrics lauded Roethlisberger’s work, as well, as he finished fourth in Total QBR and eighth in adjusted net yards per attempt. Meanwhile, Roethlisberger ranked fifth in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR, which measures value over a replacement level player, and eighth in DVOA, meaning he was effective on a per-play basis.

Chiefs To Hire Steve Spagnuolo

January 24th, 2019 at 4:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs will hire Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a reunion for Spagnuolo and Andy Reid – Spags started his NFL coaching career in Philadelphia under Reid years ago and now joins him in Kansas City. 

Bob Sutton was fired this week after the Chiefs’ heartbreaking exit in the AFC Championship Game. Soon after, the loud and lovable Rex Ryan was connected to the job, but former Giants and Rams coach won out over the ex-Jets coach, who may or may not have been a real contender anyway.

Spagnuolo didn’t coach in 2018, but he is highly respected around the NFL for his work as the Giants’ DC. The 59-year-old also comes with head coaching experience, as he led the Rams from 2009-11. We didn’t hear his name much in this cycle, but he was connected to the Broncos’ DC job at one point.

Sutton’s Chiefs D struggled in 2018 while the offense ascended to new heights. Clearly, there’s real potential for the Chiefs with quality pieces like Eric Berry, Justin Houston, and Dee Ford (if he’s re-signed) and Spagnuolo gets to re-enter the league with a plum job.

As the Giants’ DC, Spagnuolo’s defenses finished in the top 10 in 2007, 2008, and 2016. If the Chiefs can get anywhere close to those results, they’ll be very happy with their new hire.

ASJ Bids Farewell To Jaguars

January 24th, 2019 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

UPDATE, 3:32pm CT: Hold the phone. The Jaguars have not made any decisions regarding ASJ’s option, per the team’s PR director (on Twitter):

“The club has until Feb. 19 to make a decision on his 2019 option, which would be the 2nd season of a two-year deal. The team HAS NOT made a decision on his 2019 option. Any reports to the contrary are false.”

3:30pm CT: Austin Seferian-Jenkins will not be returning to Jacksonville. On Thursday, the tight end took to Twitter to bid farewell to his teammates and fans. 

“Appreciate the time Jax! It wasn’t what we wanted! But I’m happy y’all supported me and my teammates! Next chapter,” Jenkins wrote.

ASJ joined the Jags on a two-year, $10MM contract last offseason worth $10MM. Like many NFL deals, the contract wasn’t exactly a true $10MM deal. The Jags held a $500K team option bonus for ’19 that had to be exercised in the spring. Instead, they’ll let him go and explore the open market.

Seferian-Jenkins’ lone year in Jacksonville wasn’t a success. He appeared in only five games and finished out with 11 catches for 90 yards and one touchdown.

For all of his warts, his potential should lead him to work next season, even if it’s not on a big money contract. The former second-round pick won’t turn 27 until September and he flashed potential in 2017 as he caught 50 balls for 357 yards and three TDs with the Jets.

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