2020 January - Pro Football Rumors

Texans Fire Exec Chris Olsen

January 19th, 2020 at 7:20pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Texans’ strange front office situation just got even more muddled. Houston has fired executive Chris Olsen, sources told Mark Berman of Fox 26 (Twitter link).

He might not be a household name, but this is a highly significant move. Olsen, who had the official title of senior VP for football administration, had been with the organization for the past 13 years. When the Texans originally fired general manager Brian Gaine last summer, Olsen took over on an interim basis. As their unusual plan developed, Olsen became one of a few key execs who split front office duties with head coach Bill O’Brien. O’Brien has been consolidating his power lately, and we recently received confirmation that Houston wouldn’t be hiring a new GM anytime soon.

Olsen had been handling contract negotiations and salary cap matters before getting canned. It’s unclear exactly why he was fired now, or if he clashed with O’Brien. Texans owner Cal McNair has been putting all his chips in the B’OB basket, even though the playoff results have been underwhelming. Most recently, the Texans blew a 24-point lead over the Chiefs in the divisional round. O’Brien appears to have full control over the team, and will continue to remake it in his image.

Dan Orlovsky Getting Coaching Interest

January 19th, 2020 at 5:49pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Plenty of former NFL coaches end up at ESPN as analysts, but now that formula could be working in reverse. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has received calls from teams to “gauge his interest in leaving the network for an offensive coaching job,” sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

According to Schefter, Orlovsky also had interest from the Packers last year about joining their staff. Orlovsky told Schefter that it “would have to be a perfect mix of circumstances” to get him to leave his in-studio gig. A journeyman quarterback in the league for a little over a decade, Orlovsky retired in 2017. He quickly pivoted to becoming an analyst, and joined ESPN last year. While there, he’s received a lot of praise for his work breaking down quarterback play.

A Connecticut product, he was drafted by the Lions in the fifth-round back in 2005. He started seven games for Detroit in 2008 and five for the Colts in 2011, the only starts of his career. He also spent time with the Texans, Buccaneers, and Rams as a backup. Only 36, he’s got plenty of time to make the jump if he wants.

Chargers’ Philip Rivers Moves To Florida

January 19th, 2020 at 4:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers star quarterback Philip Rivers has moved “permanently” from San Diego to Florida, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com hear. It’s yet another signal that the Bolts and their longtime QB could be moving in separate directions this offseason.

“What this means football-wise is to be determined but it was time for us to move back closer to home,” Rivers said in a text message.

After the Chargers’ season finale, Rivers confirmed that he wants to continue playing. The 38-year-old also acknowledged that he might have played his final game with the only franchise he’s ever known.

The Chargers could slide Tyrod Taylor into the starting quarterback role and put their cap dollars elsewhere. Meanwhile, Rivers could join an intriguing QB free agent crop alongside Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston, and Marcus Mariota.

Rivers threw for 4,615 yards in 2019 with just 23 touchdowns, his lowest total since 2007. Meanwhile, he threw 20 interceptions as the Chargers went 5-11.

Over the years, Rivers has tallied eight Pro Bowl selections and nearly 400 touchdowns through the air.

Latest On Reuben Foster

January 19th, 2020 at 4:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Reuben Foster is hoping to return to the field after suffering a torn ACL, LCL, and MCL. But, in addition to those injuries, the Redskins linebacker was also dealing with nerve damage that left him without feeling in his toes for the last several months, agent Malki Kawa tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. On the plus side – there have been signs of improvement.

“He’s got feeling in his toes, the underside of his foot, the side of his foot,” Kawa said. “The nerve is starting to fire again.”

Kawa is hopeful that Foster can participate in training camp this summer, but there’s no set timetable for his return. In the meantime, Foster is hoping that stem cell treatment and sessions in hyperbaric chambers will help him return to his old form. The road to recovery won’t be easy, but Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith also came back from the dreaded “drop foot,” so it wouldn’t be unprecedented.

“He’s regaining feeling and power,” said Kawa. “It shows the nerve is firing. When he moves his leg upward, he can feel around the ankle and the top part of the foot. That’s a new thing. The next 60 days are going to be big as far as getting back to normal.”

If the controversial linebacker can retake the field this year, it’ll be a major lift for the Redskins’ front seven under new head coach Ron Rivera.

Browns To Hire Joe Woods?

January 19th, 2020 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers defensive backs coach Joe Woods is on track to become the Browns’ next defensive coordinator, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). All that remains, Schefter hears, is figuring out a contract.

The Browns, reportedly, were down to Woods and incumbent Steve Wilks as of last week. Today, the Browns told Wilks that he’s out, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. Barring something unexpected, Woods will get the job.

Woods, 49, has history with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski – Woods was a Vikes assistant between 2006-2013. All in all, Woods comes with 16 years of NFL coaching experience for five different teams. Before he hooked on as the Niners’ LBs coach, he spent four years with the Broncos, including two as their DC.

While Woods’ two Broncos defenses were solid, the 49ers’ rise from 23rd to second in pass-defense DVOA has obviously been key to the NFC No. 1 seed’s success. The 49ers’ Richard Sherman-led secondary has become a much better unit compared to last season, when Sherman did not play at a Pro Bowl level. Woods also oversaw the Broncos’ dominant No-Fly Zone secondary that helped the team to a championship in 2015, working under Wade Phillips.

Jason Witten Could Join Giants?

January 19th, 2020 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

The Giants recently hired former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett as their new offensive coordinator, and another longtime Cowboy could be joining Garrett in the Meadowlands. Per ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, the Giants could look to sign tight end Jason Witten when free agency opens in March (Twitter link).

Witten has spent his entire career in Dallas, and after a one-year stint in the Monday Night Football broadcast booth in 2018, he rejoined the club in 2019. The 37-year-old showed he still has something left in the tank, posting 63 catches for 529 yards and four touchdowns.

Witten recently indicated that he is open to continuing his playing career in 2020, and the Giants could certainly use him. Although Big Blue will have Evan Engram at the top of its depth chart, it couldn’t hurt to have a reliable security blanket like Witten for second-year QB Daniel Jones.

Engram missed the second half of the 2019 season due to injury, and the Giants turned to sixth-round rookie Kaden Smith in his stead. Smith posted 31 catches for 268 yards and three scores, not bad for a rookie TE who was claimed off waivers in September, but perhaps not enough to preclude a one-year deal with Witten.

Garrett joined the Cowboys in 2007, so Witten played under him for 12 years. Dallas will almost certainly offer Witten a better chance than New York to capture a Super Bowl ring in 2020, so that consideration may trump his familiarity with, and respect for, Garrett. Indeed, Mortensen says there is no real clarity on Witten’s future at this point (Twitter link).

Titans Willing To Tag Derrick Henry

January 19th, 2020 at 12:28pm CST by Rory Parks

Spoiler alert: the Titans want to keep Derrick Henry. The 2019 rushing champion has carried the Titans to this afternoon’s AFC Championship Game, and if Tennessee should win and advance to the Super Bowl, Henry will be a big reason why.

But the Alabama product is eligible for free agency in March, and we heard last month that the Titans had not had any internal discussions about a new deal for Henry. Since then, Henry has continued to dominate, and he piled up nearly 400 rushing yards in the team’s two playoff wins over New England and Baltimore.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Titans want to keep Henry, and they are willing to use the franchise tag if necessary. Of course, the club also wants to retain Ryan Tannhill, so there are some major negotiations looming whenever Tennessee’s season is over.

If the Titans cannot work out a long-term deal with either player by the time they are permitted to use the franchise or transition tag on February 25, they can use one tag on Henry and the other on Tannehill to buy themselves more time (provided that there is not a new labor agreement in place by that point). As Rapoport notes in a separate piece, Tannehill has cashed in on a number of his incentives this year and will pocket $10.25MM for his 2019 performance, though he will get a huge raise in 2020.

Given his ability to take over a game and his fairly light usage over his first two years in the league, Henry will doubtlessly be aiming for the top of the RB market. Tennessee — which entertained trade talks for Henry prior to the 2018 trade deadline — is open to a multi-year pact, but it may have to dole out at least $15MM per year and around $50MM or so in guarantees to get that done.

Bengals Will Not Trade No. 1 Overall Pick

January 19th, 2020 at 12:03pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bengals are armed with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, and as it turns out, it was a good year to be the worst team in the league. Cincinnati can select Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow with the top selection, and the club is not hiding its affinity for the LSU signal-caller.

And the Bengals’ public comments about Burrow are not a ploy to heighten the trade value of the No. 1 pick. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Cincinnati has no intention of trading away the selection, regardless of how tempting an offer might be.

Schefter says there has been mounting speculation that the Panthers, whose QB situation is also uncertain, may be gearing up to trade for the top pick. That speculation has grown since Carolina recently named LSU passing game coordinator, Joe Brady, as its new OC. And the Dolphins, another QB-needy club, have three first-round picks in the 2020 draft, so they have the capital to move up if they want.

But the Bengals are not interested, as they are locked in on Burrow. The Ohio native just completed one of the finest seasons in college football history, leading his Tigers to a national championship while completing 76.3% of his passes for an incredible 60 touchdowns against just six interceptions.

Burrow will not participate in the Senior Bowl, but even if he does not do anything until the draft, his spot as the No. 1 overall pick seems secure.

Eli Manning Leaning Towards Retirement?

January 19th, 2020 at 11:44am CST by Rory Parks

As recently as December, we heard that Eli Manning wanted to continue his playing career in 2020. We knew that opportunities may be limited, given that he does not want to serve as a backup/mentor, but it seemed that the longtime Giants signal-caller would at least take a look to see what might be out there.

Now, that may no longer be the case. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post says all signs indicate that Manning, 39, is headed for retirement.

Recent reports have suggested that the Giants would welcome Manning back as the backup to Daniel Jones, but not only does Manning not want that, the team itself does not really believe that’s a great idea either, per Schwartz. The team’s new head coach, Joe Judge, is nearly a full year younger than Manning, and Big Blue wants to usher in a new era.

Manning is not hindering the Giants by continuing to take his time with his decision, as he is not under contract and New York is not carving out any salary cap space for him. He is expected to be in Miami, the site of this year’s Super Bowl, for some promotional appearances, and he is unlikely to make any announcement prior to the big game.

Schwartz said those close to Manning believed that, as the 2019 season drew to a close, he realized it would be his last. And if so, it makes plenty of sense. He is remarkably healthy, he has earned $252.3MM in his career — the most ever for an NFL player — and he has captured two Super Bowls. He has often expressed a desire to spend his entire career with the Giants, a franchise he truly loves, and he has never been interested in suiting up for another club.

He has also indicated that he is not interested in becoming a coach, so if he does hang up the cleats in the next few weeks, we may not hear much from him until he is being fitted for a gold jacket.

Cowboys Were Close To Extension With Dak Prescott

January 19th, 2020 at 11:21am CST by Rory Parks

Back in September, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called an extension with quarterback Dak Prescott “imminent.” Months later, Prescott and the Cowboys still do not have a new contract in place, which means that the club may have to put the franchise tag on their signal-caller, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.

However, Jones wasn’t being hyperbolic in his September comments regarding a new deal. Sources tell Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the two sides were indeed close to an agreement that would have paid Prescott $33MM per year, but those talks broke down when Prescott got off to a hot start.

Prescott may have been eyeing Russell Wilson‘s $35MM AAV after his great start to the 2019 campaign, but after a less impressive second half of the season, his value may have returned to that $33MM/year range. Of course, the real question will be what type of guaranteed money the Cowboys will be required to pony up, and it seems unlikely they will be able to avoid giving Prescott at least $100MM in full guarantees.

Hill says the Cowboys’ biggest focus is getting a deal with Prescott done, which is especially important given that new head coach Mike McCarthy will be installing a new offense. McCarthy believes Prescott is an elite QB, and the team wants to keep him around for the long haul.

“We’ve got to land the plane and get his deal done,” vice president Stephen Jones recently said. “We got real, real, real close there to start the season and just didn’t get it finished up. He’s so laser-focused on wanting to win football games and compete that he really didn’t want the distraction once we didn’t get it done in that first week of going back and forth with the contract. We just got to move forward. He’s our quarterback of the future. I’ll take him any time when you go to war against these guys. We’re fortunate to have him.”