HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Saints’ Michael Thomas Hires Agent

February 22nd, 2019 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has signed with agent Andrew Kessler of Athletes First, according to Josh Katzenstein. Thomas was without representation since November of 2018 when he cut ties with David Mulugheta. 

His dropping of Mulugheta in November raised eyebrows since Thomas is in line for a big extension this offseason. However, he has an agent once again with talks about to get underway.

Thomas, 26 in March, topped 1,100 yards receiving in each of his first two campaigns. In 2018, he exploded for a league-leading 125 catches and a career-high 1,405 yards, plus nine touchdowns. The Saints have the former second-round pick under contract through 2019, but there’s no question that both sides would prefer a long-term deal. It’s also clear that the Saints will have to come to the table with a deal that is near the top of the wide receiver market.

Currently, Odell Beckham Jr. leads all wide receivers with deal worth $90MM overall, $18MM in average annual value, and a $40.959MM total guarantee. Antonio Brown ranks second in AAV with $17MM/year and Mike Evans is the closest in total value with $82.5MM.

Steelers, Tyson Alualu Agree To Extension

February 22nd, 2019 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers and defensive end Tyson Alualu have agreed to an extension, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The new two-year attachment will keep Alualu under contract through the 2020 season. 

Alualu spent his first seven seasons with the Jaguars before signing with the Steelers in 2017. The 31-year-old (32 in May) has since appeared in 31 games (seven starts) for the Steelers. In ’17, he logged four sacks, but had zero sacks last season and a career-low 22 tackles.

Alualu’s unimpressive stat line may have led him to re-up with Pittsburgh rather than testing the open market. He also played in just 311 snaps, so he didn’t have a ton of film for other teams to review. The advanced metrics weren’t keen on Alualu in 2018 either, though Pro Football Focus has never given him a great score.

Patriots’ Devin McCourty To Play In 2019

February 22nd, 2019 at 10:29am CST by Zachary Links

Before the Super Bowl, Patriots safety Devin McCourty openly pondered retirement. But, on Thursday night, McCourty said he’s “going to play,” (Twitter link via the Sports Spectrum Podcast). 

“At that point, that was Media Night when Deion said that to me, and it’s like, yeah, man, if we won a Super Bowl, I don’t know what else could top that,” he said. “I think in that moment I kind of forgot that I don’t play this game just to win Super Bowls. There’s so much more that comes from me playing the game that I love. I think once you get a chance to step away for a couple weeks, you’re like, yeah, I still do want to be around these other young guys that come in.”

McCourty is set to earn $9MM in the final year of his deal, though its possible the Patriots will ask him to take a pay cut. Of course, without the threat of retirement, McCourty might not have much in the way of leverage.

Last year, McCourty registered 82 tackles, four passes defensed and a pick six across all 16 games.

The rest of the key secondary players – Patrick Chung, Obi Melifonwu, Nate Ebner, and Duron Harmon – are also set to return to the Pats in ’19.

Broncos Likely To Let Matt Paradis Test Market

February 21st, 2019 at 9:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Broncos have been in contact with the agent for center Matt Paradis, they’re likely to let the pending free agent hit the open market in order to test his value, according to Mike Klis of 9News.

Paradis is one of the best centers in the NFL, but there are a few complicating factors regarding his free agency. For one, he’s coming off a fractured fibula that ended his season in early November. While he’s already ahead of schedule and should be ready for the 2019 regular season, Paradis’ injury will be something interested clubs will monitor. Additionally, Paradis is older than than typical free agent given that he entered the league at age-25 — he’ll be 29 years old when free agency opens and 30 by October.

But Paradis will undoubtedly be the most coveted free agent center on the open market, as the only other starting-caliber pivot scheduled to reach free agency is the Chiefs’ Mitch Morse. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus ranked Paradis as the second-best center in the NFL last season, while Paradis finished 13th. Financially, the center position is currently topped by Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen, who landed a $10.5MM annual average last offseason.

If Paradis signs elsewhere, the Broncos will likely use Garett Bolles, Ronald Leary, and Connor McGovern on the left side of their line, with pending free agent Billy Turner — who has discussed an extension with Denver — likely playing either right guard or right tackle.

Giants Still Likely To Franchise Landon Collins

February 21st, 2019 at 9:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite all the noise surrounding pending free agent safety Landon Collins, the most likely outcome remains him being franchise-tagged by the Giants, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Collins cleared some personal items out of his Giants locker on Wednesday, and at least one report suggested he’s not expecting to return to New York. However, just because the Giants haven’t expressed any interest in extending Collins for the long-term doesn’t mean the club doesn’t want to retain him for at least 2019.

Big Blue can keep Collins around for at least one more season via the franchise tender, which will cost roughly $11.2MM for safeties. Collins, however, has been adamant that he’s not in favor of receiving the tag, and he may even be willing to sit out spring and summer practice sessions in order to prove his point. If the Giants do franchise Collin, they’ll have until July 15 to hammer out an extension.

Collins, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been a full-time starter for the Giants since entering the league. A two-time Pro Bowler, Collins posted 96 tackles, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble in 2018 while grading as the NFL’s 39th-best safety, per Pro Football Focus.

2019’s Major NFL Coaching Changes

February 21st, 2019 at 7:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Because most NFL coaching changes happen in January, those moves can often be overshadowed by the postseason and – subsequently – the major moves that teams makes in free agency. However, those coaching changes shouldn’t be overlooked.

A year ago, 24 of the league’s 32 teams made changes to at least one of their head coach, offensive coordinator, or defensive coordinator spots, and many of those hirings turned into major stories throughout the 2018 season. New head coaches Matt Nagy and Frank Reich led the Bears and Colts, respectively, to the postseason during their first go-rounds in charge, while new Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur leveraged his one-year stint as a play-caller to become the next Packers head coach.

Which new coaches could make a similar impact this year? We may have to wait to find out, but there are certainly plenty of candidates. The full breakdown of 2019’s major coaching changes from around the league is below:

Head coaches:

Offensive coordinators:

Defensive coordinators:

Special teams coordinators:

Other 2018 OCs, DCs with new jobs:

  • Atlanta Falcons: Hired former Chiefs DC Bob Sutton as a senior assistant.
  • Cincinnati Bengals: Hired former interim Buccaneers DC Mark Duffner as a senior defensive assistant.
  • Cleveland Browns: Hired former Cardinals DC Al Holcomb as run game coordinator/linebackers coach.
  • New York Jets: Hired former Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter as running backs coach.
  • Philadelphia Eagles: Hired former Dolphins DC Matt Burke as a defensive assistant.
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: Hired former Bengals DC Teryl Austin as a senior defensive assistant/secondary.
  • San Francisco 49ers: Hired former Broncos DC Joe Woods as passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Hired former Jets DC Kacy Rodgers as defensive line coach.
  • Washington Redskins: Re-assigned former OC Matt Cavanaugh as a senior offensive assistant.

Jets Keeping 3-4 Defense In Place

February 21st, 2019 at 6:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are surprisingly keeping their 3-4 defense in place even after hiring Gregg Williams — who’s historically run 4-3 fronts — as their new defensive coordinator, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post.

Gang Green has deployed a 3-4 look dating back to 2006, and the club still believes that scheme is the best fit for its current personnel. Additionally, new head coach Adam Gase hired Williams in part due to the latter’s ability to utilize multiple, hybrid defenses, so it’ll be up to the veteran defensive play-caller to mix up formations with regularity.

On a macro level, the contrasts between 4-3 and 3-4 defenses are less important than ever. The Jets faced three or more wide receivers on more than 75% of their defensive plays in 2018, per Warren Sharp. On those plays, New York was typically deploying nickel and dime packages that not only put more defensive backs on the field, but allowed for four down linemen.

As Costello, notes, however, the Jets’ decision to retain their 3-4 defense could have implications for the team’s free agent and draft strategy. Ever in need of edge rushers, New York can now continue to target outside linebackers who have the ability to get after opposing quarterbacks. And a player like pending free agent defensive end Henry Anderson — a better fit in a 3-4 than a 4-3 — now remains on the table as the Jets attempt to improve their front seven.

Broncos Plan To Move On From DT Domata Peko

February 21st, 2019 at 6:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos are unlikely to re-sign veteran defensive tackle Domata Peko, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Denver has told Peko and his camp that it won’t attempt to re-up the 34-year-old during the opening stages of the free agent period.

While Peko isn’t going to be priority for Denver, it does sound as though there’s a glimmer of hope that he could return to the Mile High City. If the Broncos aren’t able to find enough defensive linemen in free agency, they might be open to re-signing Peko at a later date, per Klis. That, of course, would depend on whether Peko himself was able to find a new team on the open market.

Peko is wrapping up a two-year, $7.5MM deal that he signed with the Broncos in 2017 after spending the first 11 years of his career with the Bengals. Over the past two seasons, Peko has only missed two games, racking up 44 tackles (eight for loss) during that time frame. In 2018, Pro Football Focus ranked Peko as the No. 39 interior defender among 112 qualifiers.

If Peko leaves, the Broncos’ remaining defensive lineman will include Derek Wolfe, Adam Gotsis, and DeMarcus Walker. Zach Kerr is an unrestricted free agent, while Shelby Harris is headed for restricted free agency.

Saints To Release Kurt Coleman

February 21st, 2019 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are releasing safety Kurt Coleman, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). However, the Saints will keep the door open to a potential return later on, Garafolo hears. 

Coleman was due $5.5MM in total compensation this year, a figure that was too high for New Orleans. By cutting him loose, the Saints will save $4MM against the cap with a $3MM dead money hit.

The move leaves the Saints rather thin at safety. The club still has starters Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell under contract, but they have a clear need for backup support. Coleman is out of the picture and Chris Banjo‘s status is up in the air as an unrestricted free agent.

Coleman, 30, had two more years to go on his three-year, $16.35MM deal. It’s safe to assume that his next deal will come in at a much lower average annual value. After starting in every one of his appearances for the Panthers from 2015-2017, Coleman lost his starting job to Bell in 2018 and was first-string for just nine games. All in all, he had 32 tackles and one pass defensed last season.

In previous years, Coleman was extremely effective. In 2015, he reeled in seven interceptions for Carolina. He followed that up with four picks in 2016, plus a career-best 95 tackles.

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