HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Devin McCourty To Play In 2020

January 22nd, 2020 at 9:30am CST by Rory Parks

Last year, Patriots safety Devin McCourty suggested that he may choose to retire after the Super Bowl. But he ended up playing in 2019, the last year of his contract with New England, and the free agent-to-be is apparently not making any bones about his desire to continue his playing career this time around.

Agent Andy Simms, who has represented McCourty since the Patriots selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft, told Mike Reiss of ESPN.com that his client has no intention of hanging up the cleats. “He wants to play. Retirement is not an option,” Simms said.

McCourty, who will turn 33 before Week 1 of the 2020 regular season, showed this past season that he has plenty left in the tank. Starting all 16 games for the fourth consecutive year, the Rutgers product logged five interceptions — his highest total since the 2012 campaign — and allowed a completion percentage of 54.3 as the nearest defender in coverage. His on-field leadership and his ability to facilitate communication among the Pats’ defensive backs has been a critical component of the club’s defensive success.

However, the Patriots are only projected to have $28MM or so in cap room for 2020, and despite his age, McCourty could draw a contract paying him at least $10MM per year. He has already won three Super Bowl rings, so if a team like the Dolphins — who are rumored to have interest and who could reunite him with former Pats DC Brian Flores — gives him a top-of-the-market offer New England can’t match, it may be tough to turn down.

McCourty did not have any concrete thoughts on his future when discussing free agency in a recent podcast. “No one really knows what’s going to happen,” he said. “I would say most teams really don’t even think about free agency for a couple weeks; I would say the beginning of March … So you think where you could go, will you be on your team again? But there’s really nothing [definitive] to think about.”

Latest On Browns, George Paton

January 22nd, 2020 at 8:45am CST by Sam Robinson

Jan. 22: Paton’s second interview with the Browns will take place today, per Nate Ulirch of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com, who first reported that Paton was flying to Cleveland today, said we could have a resolution in the next couple of days (Twitter link).

Jan. 20: George Paton has moved to the front of the Browns’ GM search, with the Minnesota-to-Cleveland pairing of Paton-Kevin Stefanski looking like the next Browns power structure.

But the longtime Vikings executive will meet with Browns brass one more time, doing so later this week, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes. With the Vikings since 2007, Paton has been selective about his GM future over the past several years. He’s turned down multiple teams’ offers since 2017, so it would certainly be interesting to see Rick Spielman‘s top lieutenant jump ship to one of the NFL’s least stable franchises.

Initially, Paton paused on taking a Browns interview because of the prospect of an Andrew Berry reunion, Cabot adds. But the prospect of working with Stefanski enticed him to take the meeting.

Berry was a Browns exec from 2016-18, coming aboard when Jimmy Haslam brought in Sashi Brown and current chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta to run a new-age front office. But Paton’s first Browns meeting obviously went quite well, and he appears to be leading a field that includes Berry and Patriots exec Monti Ossenfort.

Paton’s Vikings tenure overlapped with Stefanski’s. The new Browns HC also became acquainted with Berry during the John Dorsey-led coaching search that led to Freddie Kitchens taking over. Berry then joined the Eagles’ front office. But a Minneapolis East setup may be the latest in a long line of power structures under Haslam.

Extra Points: Brady, Dalton, Dolphins, Lions

January 21st, 2020 at 9:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Brady news figures to be a rather common occurrence in this unusual offseason for the 20-year Patriots passer. Set for free agency for the first time, Brady is not expected to re-sign with the Patriots before free agency opens. The Chargers have surfaced again, with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noting that Brady will have the Bolts atop his list — if, in fact, he decides to leave New England. This is not the first Brady-Chargers link, but JLC adds that the 42-year-old quarterback would have a short list if he did legitimately decide to test free agency. The Chargers’ Los Angeles headquarters, which have not been especially beneficial to the franchise thus far, would appeal to Brady. The future Hall of Famer holds offseason workouts at USC and has previously lived in L.A. The Chargers are set to move into their new stadium, along with the Rams. Brady would certainly help on this front, with the team struggling to generate attention in its new market.

Here is the latest from around the league:

  • Andy Dalton and new Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor remain close, and JLC can envision this being a factor in how the quarterback dominoes fall during what could be a complex offseason at sports’ marquee position. Dalton “loved” playing for Lazor during his time as Bengals QBs coach and OC, per JLC. Although the Bears have committed to starting Mitchell Trubisky next season, he certainly has not lived up to his No. 2 overall draft slot and could be pushed like 2015 No. 2 pick Marcus Mariota was this season.
  • Patriots free agents Devin McCourty, Joe Thuney and Kyle Van Noy will likely have many suitors. One is expected to be the Dolphins, with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writing that Brian Flores holds McCourty in high regard and that the team will pursue Thuney and Van Noy. All three are unrestricted free agents-to-be. Van Noy and McCourty played under Flores during his time as de facto Patriots defensive coordinator (2018), linebackers coach (2016-17) and safeties coach (2012-15). Van Noy and Thuney may price themselves out of New England.
  • Raekwon McMillan‘s 2019 season also helped sell the Dolphins on his long-term stock, Jackson adds. The Dolphins are interested in keeping the linebacker around long-term. McMillan rated as an upper-echelon linebacker, per Pro Football Focus, this season and became extension-eligible at season’s end. Under the Flores-Chris Grier setup, the Dolphins have already extended a few holdovers from the previous regime.
  • Damon Harrison revealed at the regular season’s end he is considering retirement, and the Lions are still waiting. They will likely not know Snacks’ plans for at least another few weeks, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. Thanks to the one-year add-on the Lions gave him in August, Harrison is under contract through 2021.
  • The Lions are expected to promote defensive assistant Steve Gregory to secondary coach, Birkett adds. The Lions hired Gregory, who played under Matt Patricia in New England, in 2018. Detroit fired DBs coach Brian Stewart after the season.

Odell Beckham Jr. Undergoes Surgery

January 21st, 2020 at 9:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr. struggled for much of the 2019 season. Although part of the former Pro Bowler’s issues stemmed from a shaky rapport with Baker Mayfield amid a tough season for the Freddie Kitchens-led offense, Beckham dealt with core muscle discomfort.

It was not certain whether Beckham was set for surgery, but he took care of that issue early in the offseason. The Browns announced their highest-paid player underwent core surgery on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Beckham spent much of this season not running in practice until Fridays. He also dealt with a hip injury but played in all 16 Browns games. OBJ finished with his worst full-season stat line — 74 receptions, 1,035 yards, four touchdowns — and one that was worse than his 12-game showing with the 2018 Giants.

The 27-year-old standout did not participate in most of the Browns’ offseason program last year, but with Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noting Beckham should be expected to recover by late March, he would be on track to be ready for all or part of Cleveland’s OTAs.

Police Investigating Antonio Brown

January 21st, 2020 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

8:30pm: Despite Brown not being charged, he remains part of the Hollywood, Fla., police’s investigation, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports. Brown refused to speak with police officers, locking himself inside his home.

6:50pm: This investigation stems from a moving truck driver accusing Brown and trainer Glen Holt of battery, Wolfe reports. Holt was arrested on one count of burglary with battery. Brown is not in custody and has not been charged. The NFL is monitoring this situation, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com notes it will be folded into the league’s ongoing investigation of the former All-Pro wide receiver (Twitter link).

3:40pm: More potential trouble for troubled free agent Antonio Brown. Florida police are investigating Brown for possible battery at his home on Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe (on Twitter) hears. 

[RELATED: Raiders GM Mike Mayock On Antonio Brown]

Details are still trickling in, but as of this writing, Brown has not been arrested at his Hollywood, Florida home. Wolfe hears that it is not a domestic violence situation, though it is a possible battery that warranted police attention.

Brown has been out of the NFL since being dropped by the Patriots midway through the 2019 season, but he’s been in the news at least twice per week, and the updates have hardly been positive. Most recently, Brown broadcasted a profanity-laced argument with police officers and the mother of one of his children. Soon after, longtime agent and ally Drew Rosenhaus dropped him and said that he would only resume the relationship if Brown made wholesale changes to his life.

Despite the erratic behavior towards the end of his Steelers tenure, the Raiders rolled the dice by trading for Brown and giving him a whopping new contract. At the time, it seemed like a savvy move to breathe life into the offense. Today, GM Mike Mayock wishes he could undo it all.

“I put that on me,” Mayock said. “My anticipation was that he was coming off a situation in Pittsburgh where he wants to prove everybody wrong and he wants to ride into the Hall of Fame. That he was going to come in with Jon Gruden and Derek Carr and our offense and lead the way. … I really thought we were going to get the best out of Antonio Brown and we didn’t.”

Even after Brown’s practice blowups and retirement threats, the Patriots were willing to gamble. They bailed, but for different reasons – Brown was accused of sexual assault by multiple women.

Talent tends to prevail in the NFL, but Brown has likely exhausted any chance of another opportunity. The Saints auditioned Brown late in the season, but opted to hold off and wait for the NFL’s investigation to conclude. At this point, the league wants nothing to do with Brown, who once ranked as one of the game’s brightest stars. Brown won’t be cleared to play by 345 Park Ave. anytime soon, and even if Roger Goodell allows him back at some point, he could be categorized as untouchable by all 32 clubs.

Coaching Notes: Giants, O’Connell, Browns

January 21st, 2020 at 7:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Since former Mississippi State coworker Joe Judge landed the Giants‘ HC job, Freddie Kitchens has been linked to a staff position. A report circulated Tuesday indicating Judge will hire Kitchens for an unspecified role (Twitter link via AL.com), but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets nothing is finalized between the Giants and the former Browns coach. The Giants have hired a quarterbacks coach, Jerry Schuplinski, but certainly could add the longtime offensive assistant in another capacity.

Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:

  • Before deciding to reunite with Scott Turner, Ron Rivera interviewed 2019 Redskins offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell for the job, J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington notes. Rivera was interested in former Giants HC Pat Shurmur for OC, but he declined the interview and opted for the Broncos’ play-calling job. O’Connell landed on his feet as well, becoming the Rams’ offensive coordinator.
  • While the Kitchens hire is not yet certain, veteran secondary coach Jerome Henderson will be joining Judge’s Giants staff, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets. Most recently the Falcons’ DBs coach/defensive passing-game coordinator, the 50-year-old Henderson has also coached the Jets’, Browns’ and Cowboys’ secondaries dating back to 2008. Henderson was a 1991 first-round pick who played eight NFL seasons.
  • The Giants will also add Jody Wright to their staff, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman (Twitter link). Wright worked with Judge at Mississippi State in the 2000s and was most recently an offensive assistant with the Browns under Kitchens in 2019. Wright also spent time at Alabama during the 2010s and was an assistant head coach at UAB prior to relocating to Cleveland.
  • On the subject of the Browns, they are not retaining several Kitchens staffers. Most notably, Kevin Stefanski will not bring back quarterbacks coach Ryan Lindley, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Lindley, tight ends coach John Lilly, assistant defensive line coach John Parella and quality control staffers Deuce Schwartz, Tyler Tettleton and Alonso Escalante will not be back. Lindley, 30, served as Browns running backs coach after Kitchens was promoted to OC midway through the 2018 season, and the former quarterback held Cleveland’s QBs coach job this past season.
  • The Cardinals hired another recent Browns staffer, bringing in offensive assistant Jim Dray, Yates adds. A former Cardinals seventh-round pick in 2010 as a tight end, Dray played eight seasons — mostly in Arizona and Cleveland — and wound up with the Browns in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach.
  • Recently notified he was out in Cleveland, James Campen may have an opportunity with Carolina. The Panthers are interested in the former Browns offensive line coach, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. Campen was Mike McCarthy‘s offensive line coach from 2007-18 and spent 15 years as a Green Bay assistant prior to his Cleveland move last year. The Browns hired Bill Callahan to replace him on Monday.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/21/20

January 21st, 2020 at 7:20pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s reserve/futures deals here:

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Tennessee Titans

Dolphins Considering Joe Burrow Trade-Up?

January 21st, 2020 at 6:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Considering how their season started, the Dolphins surprised most by winning five games. As a result, the first of their three first-round picks comes in at No. 5. But the team long expected to draft a quarterback high this year is intrigued by the top prospect available.

The Dolphins covet Joe Burrow, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who adds owner Stephen Ross is driving the bandwagon for the player expected to go No. 1 overall. This obviously may be academic, with the Bengals also needing a quarterback and fans of the LSU record-setter as well. The Bengals have backtracked on a report they will not trade the top pick, however.

It would take a massive trade haul for the Dolphins to move up to No. 1, but they do have the necessary draft capital to make such a move. The Dolphins also hold the Nos. 18 and 26 picks. However, it is quite possible Tua Tagovailoa — long linked to the Dolphins — will be available at No. 5. The Alabama quarterback has hovered as a top prospect for far longer than Burrow, and the Dolphins may embrace adding him for no extra cost rather than using their draft war chest for a Burrow move.

Miami started 0-7 but rallied to win five of its final nine games, moving the team into a less certain spot to land a quarterback. As it stands now, the rebuilding team may need to pay close attention to the respective draft stocks of Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert. Other interested teams will surely consider moving into the Nos. 2-4 spots — occupied currently by the Redskins, Lions and Giants — to trade in front of a franchise known to be fixated on passers.

Falcons Unlikely To Tag Austin Hooper

January 21st, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons used their 2019 offseason to sign three of their top players to lucrative extensions. Partially because of this, their 2020 offseason may be a bit quieter. While the team has identified multiple players it would like to retain, GM Thomas Dimitroff does not have much cap space with which to work.

Austin Hooper loomed as a trade candidate before this season’s deadline, but the Falcons held onto him and identified their top tight end as a player they could potentially extend. Dimitroff acknowledged Tuesday that the sides have not engaged in contract talks and that the franchise tag does not appear realistic, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

The tight end franchise tag is expected to come in at approximately $10.7MM. While Dimitroff indicated that is technically an option, the Falcons’ projected $6.7MM in cap space (fifth-least in the NFL) will make such a move difficult.

Hooper broke out in his contract year, establishing new career-high marks in catches (75), yards (787) and touchdowns (six). He did so in 13 games, missing three because of a hamstring injury. The Falcons have begun talks with linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, but with the team having already extended Deion Jones, it would seem Campbell could well join Hooper in free agency. The Falcons used their 2019 tag on Grady Jarrett before extending him in July; they then gave Julio Jones a monster extension.

Should he reach the market, he would join Eric Ebron and Hunter Henry as a top tight end available. The Colts have indicated they will not move to re-sign Ebron, while nothing has come out on Chargers talks with Henry.

Giants To Hire Bret Bielema

January 21st, 2020 at 4:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another Patriots coach will join Joe Judge‘s Giants staff. Big Blue will bring in Bret Bielema, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

It is not yet known what role the former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach will play, but he will join a few ex-Patriots colleagues on Judge’s staff. Bielema was one of the Patriots’ more experienced assistants this past season, serving as New England’s defensive line coach.

The Giants made Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham as their defensive coordinator, but Bielema was under consideration for New York’s DC role. This hire then could well be for the team’s D-line coach position.

Wisconsin’s head coach from 2006-12 and Arkansas’ from 2013-17, Bielema joined Bill Belichick‘s staff as a consultant in 2018. When Brian Flores brought a few Pats assistants with him to Miami, Bielema became a position coach in New England. The 50-year-old coach served as an experienced assistant on a staff full of younger minds.

Bielema joins Judge, Graham and quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski as ex-Patriots coaches on the 2020 Giants staff. The Giants have also interviewed ex-Pats coach (and recently dismissed Dolphins OC) Chad O’Shea and former New England offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo.

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