HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Patriots, Texans Could Ultimately Agree To Deal For Nick Caserio?

June 13th, 2019 at 8:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots on Wednesday filed tampering charges against the Texans, who are pursuing New England director of player personnel Nick Caserio for their open general manager position. Speculation arose that the Patriots could accept draft pick compensation in exchange for Caserio, and that indeed may be the ultimate resolution to this saga.

A source with “knowledge of the dynamics and personalities involved” believes Houston will ultimately send a draft choice (or perhaps multiple draft choices) to New England in order to land Caserio, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The reasoning here is that if Caserio truly wants to leave the Patriots but isn’t allowed to defect, operations in New England could become “awkward.”

As John McClain of the Houston Chronicle indicated yesterday, the Texans are willing to give Caserio full control of their 53-man roster, and are open to putting that stipulation in writing. However, the NFL may need to determine whether Caserio is considered a “high level employee,” which would prevent him from leaving the Patriots even for a perceived promotion.

New Texans vice president of player development Jack Easterby — a former Patriots staffer — is in the middle of the controversy, as New England reportedly believes he discussed Houston’s GM job with Caserio at the Patriots’ Super Bowl ring ceremony last week. But as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reported earlier today, Easterby and Caserio share the same agent, which could help the Texans deflect charges of tampering.

Poll: Which New Head Coach Will Experience Most 2019 Success?

June 13th, 2019 at 8:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Coaching staff turnover was abundant this offseason, but most of that change occurred at the assistant level: while there were 28 instances of alteration among offensive and defensive coordinators, only eight new head coaches will be leading teams in 2019, a number that fits in nicely with yearly averages. Naturally, most of these eight new HCs are taking over clubs that are in something of a rebuilding phase, as no club that made the postseason in 2018 decided to make a change at the top.

With that in mind, we’d like to ask PFR readers which new head coach will experience the most success during the upcoming campaign? While we aren’t solely asking about record (the Dolphins could win five games and consider that a success, for example), we’re looking mostly at wins and losses.

Here’s a refresher on the NFL’s new head coaches:

In the AFC, Taylor will not only lead an extremely young coaching staff in Cincinnati, but hope bringing the Rams’ offense to the Queen City leads to positive results. Kitchens and the Browns will enter the 2019 season with extremely high expectations, and he has the benefit of experienced coordinators — Todd Monken and Steve Wilks — on each side of the ball. In South Beach, Flores will attempt to change the Dolphins’ culture as the club embarks on a potentially multi-season rebuild. Miami’s prior coach, Gase, is now in New York where he’ll be tasked with developing second-year quarterback Sam Darnold.

Moving to the NFC, Kingsbury is probably the most intriguing NFL head coaching hire in several years, and all eyes will be on the desert as he meshes his Air Raid offense with No. 1 overall selection Kyler Murray. LaFleur comes to Green Bay with only one season of play-calling experience under his belt, but Packers fans won’t be happy with a step back while Aaron Rodgers is still under center. And in Tampa Bay, Arians will add his “no risk it, no biscuit” mantra to an offense that already loved to throw deep in 2018.

So, who do you like? Which of these coaches will post the most successful season in 2018? (Link for app users).

Todd McShay To Remain At ESPN; Champ Kelly Likely To Join Jets?

June 13th, 2019 at 7:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Todd McShay will remain in his role as an ESPN draft analyst rather than continue to pursue a front office position with the Jets, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly — who interviewed for the Jets’ GM position before it went to Joe Douglas — is a candidate to join Gang Green in a different capacity and indeed is likely to be hired, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com and Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter links). 

McShay, who first joined ESPN in 2006, interviewed for a job with the Jets last week. While he’s never worked in an NFL front office, McShay was a college teammate of Douglas. McShay was the scout team quarterback at the University of Richmond where Douglas was an offensive lineman. Given his high on-air profile, McShay was likely searching for a either a large salary or a critical title with New York.

Kelly also enjoys a prior relationship with Douglas, having worked with both him and new Jets head coach Adam Gase with the Bears. A Kentucky alum, Kelly has also spent time with the Broncos during his front office career. He was one of four candidates to interview for the Jets’ GM job, joining Douglas, the Saints’ Terry Fontenot, and the Seahawks’ Scott Fitterer.

Bears Sign Third-Round RB David Montgomery

June 13th, 2019 at 6:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have reached an agreement with third-round running back David Montgomery, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Chicago traded up to acquire Montgomery, sending three picks (including a 2020 fourth-rounder) to New England in exchange for the 73rd overall selection. The Bears didn’t have a first- or second-round pick in the 2019 draft as a result of the Khalil Mack trade and a 2018 draft-day swap with (again with the Patriots), so Montgomery represented the club’s first selection.

Having already shipped Jordan Howard to the Eagles, the Bears were searching for another back to team with free agent signee Mike Davis and holdover Tarik Cohen. Howard handled roughly 58% of Chicago’s running back snaps and 55% of the team’s rushing attempts a season ago, and head coach Matt Nagy will now be tasked with divvying up touches among three backs.

Montgomery (5’10”, 222 pounds) topped 1,100 yards rushing in each of his final two seasons at Iowa State. While he didn’t produce elite athletic testing results at the combine, Montgomery finished the 2018 campaign with the most missed tackles forced (99) of any collegiate running back, as Ben Cooper of Pro Football Focus writes.

Chiacgo’s lone unsigned 2019 draft pick is now sixth-round cornerback Duke Shelley. Here’s the club’s draft class in full:

Sean McVay Fully Commits To Jared Goff

June 13th, 2019 at 5:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rams quarterback Jared Goff still has two years left on his rookie deal, but there’s already been at least some speculation that Los Angeles could move on from its signal-caller at the end of his contract rather than venture into $30MM+ per year territory. But speaking to Mike Silver of NFL.com, Rams head coach Sean McVay fully threw his weight behind Goff as LA’s long-term starter.

“Whether it ends up happening this year or next year, there is a zero percent chance this guy’s not gonna get an extension he’s worthy of,” said McVay. “All the narratives out there are wrong. Jared and I couldn’t be more connected, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of him as our leader. He is so vital and important to us and our success. That extension will get done. It’s a matter of when, not if.”

Goff, 24, is coming off a stellar campaign in which he threw for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while earning a Pro Bowl nod and a trip to the Super Bowl. However, the idea of letting Goff walk in free agency — or trading him before his contract expires — has at least come up as a topic of conversation, with the reasoning that the former No. 1 overall pick is simply a by-product of McVay’s offensive system. Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com examined the possibility of a club trading its starting quarterback (and specifically used Goff as an example) in a September 2018 piece.

The most obvious comparison for a Goff extension would be the four-year, $128MM deal Carson Wentz signed with the Eagles last week. But the Rams don’t seem to be interested in giving Goff a new deal immediately, as team COO Kevin Demoff recently indicated Los Angeles will likely wait until next offseason to work on a Goff pact.

“I don’t want this to sound hollow, but I don’t think (the Wentz extension) affects our conversations that much,” Demoff said. “It’s been reported for a few months that the Eagles and Carson were talking about a contract. We were well aware of that, and they seem to be on a different timetable. I think people mistake timeline and getting deals done with multiple years left for commitment.”

Goff is set to count for roughly $8.889MM in 2019 before his salary balloons to $22.783MM in 2020, courtesy of his fifth-year option.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/13/19

June 13th, 2019 at 4:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Saints Sign Rishard Matthews

June 13th, 2019 at 4:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have signed wide receiver Rishard Matthews, according to the NFL’s transactions wire. To make room, the team waived fellow wide receiver Travin Dural. 

The Titans granted Matthews’ request for release in late September after he grew frustrated with his lack of playing time. He hooked on with the Jets in October, but posted just two catches for 13 yards before landing on injured reserve.

Prior to that, Matthews was the Titans’ leading receiver for two seasons. And, prior to that, he had something of a breakout season with the Dolphins in 2015.

Matthews isn’t the only ex-Jet to join the Saints’ WR group. The Saints also added Chad Hansen earlier this week, giving them a baker’s dozen of receivers on the 90-man roster.

Cardinals Release CB David Amerson

June 13th, 2019 at 3:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals announced that they have released cornerback David Amerson. It’s a surprising move considering that star Patrick Peterson will be suspended for the first six games of the 2019 season. 

[RELATED: Cardinals Meet With Andre Branch]

The Cardinals project to start free agent addition Robert Alford at one cornerback spot, opposite of Peterson when his suspension is over. While Peterson is sidelined, the club figures to place either second-round pick Byron Murphy or Tramaine Brock in the starting lineup. The other cornerbacks on the roster include Chris Jones, Deatrick Nichols, rookie Nate Brooks and Brandon Williams.

Amerson joined the Cardinals last November and appeared in six games with the club. The 27-year-old will now look to hook on elsewhere.

Chiefs, Harrison Butker Agree To Extension

June 13th, 2019 at 2:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs signed kicker Harrison Butker to a contract extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new deal will lock Butker down with a five-year add-on worth roughly $20MM. 

With the new pact, Butker will be on the books for another six years in total, taking him through the 2024 season. The Chiefs couldn’t have known it at the time, but they found their franchise kicker in 2017 when they claimed Butker off waivers from the Panthers.

The Chiefs held on to Butker via the exclusive rights free agent tender this offseason, locking him down for $645K in 2019. The new deal will give him an average annual value of $4MM, putting him in the top ten at his position.

In 2017, Butker led the NFL with 42 field goal attempts, despite playing in only 13 games, and sank 38 of them, giving him a 90.5% completion percentage on the year. He kept up the good work in 2018, nailing 88.9% of his kicks. The Chiefs’ high-powered offense resulted in far more touchdowns than FGs last year, but Butker still got plenty of screen time with a league-high 69 extra point tries and converted 65 of them.

Cardinals Meet With Andre Branch

June 13th, 2019 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch will visit the Cardinals on Thursday, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Cardinals have been working hard to find help in the late stages of free agency and Branch could provide veteran support for the team’s pass rush unit. 

We haven’t heard much about Branch since he was released by the Dolphins in March, but he offers an impressive resume and could be a nice value addition in the later stages of free agency. Over the last three seasons with the ‘Fins, Branch recorded 55 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Branch didn’t make sense for Miami with nearly $7MM owed to him for 2019, but he would be a solid pickup on a lesser deal for Arizona.

Armed with the top waiver priority in the NFL, the Cardinals pounced on former Browns tackle Desmond Harrison earlier this month. You can expect them to continue to use their No. 1 slot to land other worthwhile castaways while exploring low-cost vets like Branch between now and September.

Earlier this offseason, the Cardinals signed Terrell Suggs to bolster the pass rush opposite Chandler Jones. That should help the cause, but they’ll need additional firepower after shifting Haason Reddick to an off-ball role.

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