2020 January - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers To Interview Mike McCoy, Ben McAdoo

January 16th, 2020 at 2:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After hiring a 30-year-old offensive coordinator from the college ranks, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule appears to be seeking experience for his offensive staff.

The Panthers interviewed former Giants HC Ben McAdoo and will meet with ex-Chargers HC Mike McCoy on Thursday, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports (on Twitter). These two have a combined six seasons’ worth of experience leading staffs.

Neither McAdoo nor McCoy coached this season. The Giants fired McAdoo late in the 2017 season, and the Cardinals canned McCoy midway through the ’18 slate. The Chargers, Broncos and Cards each fired McCoy from 2016-18. McAdoo, a former Packers quarterbacks coach, has not coached since his three-plus-year Giants tenure ended after the Eli Manning benching debacle in December 2017.

Should McCoy land a job with the Panthers, it would mark a reunion. He got his start as a coach in Carolina in 2000, working under George Seifert and staying aboard through most of the John Fox era. McCoy ended his Panthers tenure as quarterbacks coach, working in that capacity from 2004-08. This latest interview may well be for the same position.

Rhule brought in LSU wide receivers coach Joe Brady to be his offensive coordinator. While the wunderkind assistant played a key role in the national champions’ offensive explosion this past season, his highest NFL rank was as an offensive assistant with the Saints. Rhule has said he wants to bring in a mix of college and NFL assistants, and given the route he took with Brady, it would make sense to supplement him with experience.

Panthers Still Interested In Andrew Berry

January 16th, 2020 at 1:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers are still interested in speaking with Eagles VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry for their Executive VP of Football Operations role, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. However, the Panthers would likely have to offer Berry control over the roster in order for the Eagles to grant permission.

Earlier this week, the Eagles rejected the Panthers’ request to chat with Berry, citing the roster control issue. At present, the Panthers’ roster is controlled by GM Marty Hurney.

The Panthers may or may not want to stick with Hurney as their front office leader for the 2020 offseason, but Berry’s candidacy for this particular job could wind up being moot. On Friday, Berry will interview for the Browns’ GM vacancy. The Eagles can’t prevent him from accepting an offer there and he could be off the table for the Panthers in a matter of days.

Browns To Interview Andrew Berry

January 16th, 2020 at 1:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Andrew Berry, the Eagles’ VP of football operations, will interview for the Browns GM job on Friday, Jim Trotter of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.Patriots college scouting director Monti Ossenfort will also be in the building on Friday to interview for the same job, but as Trotter notes, the Browns had similar overlap in their head coaching search.

Berry has been the rumored favorite for the job, in part because of his relationship with the organization and owner Jimmy Haslam. The exec spent the 2016-18 campaigns as the Browns’ vice president of player personnel. Prior to that, he served as the Colts’ pro scouting coordinator from 2012-15.

Recently, the Eagles denied the Panthers’ request to interview Berry for a front office position. They have no such ability here, since the GM job would give Berry authority over the roster.

It remains to be seen whether a front office headlined by Berry, Ossenfort, or anyone else would still include assistant GM Eliot Wolf or VP of Player Personnel Alonzo Highsmith.

Drew Rosenhaus Parts Ways With Antonio Brown

January 16th, 2020 at 1:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Antonio Brown is without an NFL team and without an agent. On Thursday, agent Drew Rosenhaus “conditionally” dropped the wide receiver as a client (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

Rosenhaus informed the NFLPA of his decision in a letter, explaining that he will not represent Brown until he seeks counsel. The agent says he would like to work with Brown, but he will not do so unless he gets help.

Brown, clearly, has bigger fish to fry before he resumes his focus on the NFL. Since being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, Brown has made a number of bizarre posts on social media, ranging from unprofessional to downright scary. Most recently, he broadcasted a profanity-laced argument with police officers and the mother of one of his children.

Rosenhaus has fought Brown’s battles in radio interviews over the past few months, expressing his frustration with the league’s slow-moving investigation that has kept Brown in a holding pattern. At this point, the NFL has no real motivation to hurry things up and it’s unlikely that Roger Goodell wants Brown back on the field as he continues to find off-the-field trouble.

For many years, Brown was the focal point of the Steelers’ passing attack and one of the league’s very best wide receivers. Things deteriorated over time, however, leading him to the Raiders. The late summer drama over Brown’s helmet and his willingness to play now seems like a distant memory. Since then, Brown has faced multiple accusations of sexual assault, been released by the Patriots, and placed in indefinite limbo by a sport that doesn’t know exactly what to do with him.

In spite of all of this, teams expressed interest in signing Brown, pending the outcome of the NFL’s investigation. The Saints worked Brown out just a few weeks ago, then passed on him. Brown, who came to the audition flanked by an entire camera crew, later accused the Saints of working him out as a publicity stunt.

Brown has now lost one of his biggest allies and it’s clear that he’ll have to make wholesale changes to his life before he can get anywhere near the field again.

Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald To Return

January 16th, 2020 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Retirement can wait. On Wednesday, Larry Fitzgerald agreed to a new one-year deal with the Cardinals, setting the stage for his 17th season in Arizona.

The new deal mirrors Fitzgerald’s 2019 pact. No. 11 will earn a base salary of $11MM for the fifth-straight year, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll also see a roster bonuses of $500K with $250K in additional incentives.

Fitzgerald, the NFL’s oldest active wide receiver, was on the fence about playing in 2020. At the same time, he admitted that he had more fun this past season than in previous seasons.

Fitzgerald led the Cardinals with 804 receiving yards and did not miss a game for the fifth straight campaign. With that, the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer will lace ’em up for at least one more year.

Fitzgerald entered the league as a first-round pick in 2004. Since then, he’s reached the Pro Bowl eleven times and, last year, he moved into second place on the NFL’s all-time receptions list, slotting him between Jerry Rice and Tony Gonzalez. He’s also No. 2 in receiving yards, second only to Rice.

The Cardinals are coming off of a trying 5-10-1 season, but there’s reason for hope, including star quarterback Kyler Murray. They can also carve out as much as $74MM for free agents in March and add another impact player with the No. 8 overall pick in April.

Arrest Warrant Issued For Odell Beckham

January 16th, 2020 at 11:15am CST by Zachary Links

An arrest warrant has been issued for Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. after he allegedly slapped a police officer’s buttocks (link via Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Times-Picayune). The incident took place in LSU’s locker room following the championship game and was captured on video.

In the video, a Superdome police officer is seen exchanging words with an LSU player. In the video, Beckham intervened and appears to smack the officer’s rear end. Initially, authorities originally sought a warrant for a misdemeanor sexual battery charge, but it was declined by a judge. Now, they’re seeking to arrest him for simple battery.

At maximum, it’s a charge that would likely result in nothing more than a fine for the Browns superstar. In theory, however, it could have ramifications with the league office, if a conviction arises from the arrest.

In his first year with the Browns, Beckham notched 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns. On the whole, the Browns offense sagged under the guidance of Freddie Kitchens, who was fired after just one season at the helm. Meanwhile, rumors have swirled about Beckham’s dissatisfaction and the Browns buyer’s remorse, but both sides insist they’ll move forward together.

Eagles Interested In James Urban

January 16th, 2020 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are interested in Ravens quarterbacks coach James Urban as a candidate for their offensive coordinator vacancy, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Urban has been credited with developing Lamar Jackson into one of the league’s premier quarterbacks and he could be ripe for a move up the ladder.

Urban also offers familiarity with the organization. Prior to joining the Ravens, he spent years in Philly on Andy Reid‘s staff. Ironically, he went on to become part of the Ravens’ braintrust that pushed for a trade up with the Eagles in the 2018 draft to select Jackson. The Eagles, who then had both Carson Wentz and Nick Foles under contract, had no real place for Jackson.

The Eagles surprised many when they fired offensive coordinator Mike Groh earlier this offseason. Since then, they’ve been researching OC candidates including former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, as well as former Redskins OC Kevin O’Connell.

Falcons, De’Vondre Campbell Talking Extension

January 16th, 2020 at 10:47am CST by Zachary Links

De’Vondre Campbell is scheduled for free agency, but he might not make it to the open market. The Falcons have begun contract talks with the linebacker, as ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure tweets.

“There will be a lot of interest in Dre,” agent Drew Rosenhaus said. “We have had positive dialogue with the Falcons. Dre will be a highly sought-after player.”

Campbell has expressed interest in staying with the Falcons, but it’s possible that he might not fit into their budget. Ideally, the Falcons would love to keep him – Campbell led the team with 129 tackles last year (he also led the way in 2018) and won’t turn 27 until July. Over the last three years, he has not missed a single game.

In the past, the Falcons have spent the money necessary to lock up key players, including linebacker Deion Jones. But, the former fourth-round pick is due for a monumental pay bump.

Campbell drew trade interest before the deadline in October, but the Falcons opted to hold on to him. That speaks volumes for their own evaluation of him, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll get a deal done before March.

Browns To Interview Monti Ossenfort

January 16th, 2020 at 10:31am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns will interview Patriots college scouting director Monti Ossenfort for their GM job on Friday, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). This marks Ossenfort’s first his first GM interview, even though he’s been a popular name for previous vacancies.

Two years ago, Ossenfort was blocked from pursuing the Texans job. Then, after the surprising dismissal of Brian Gaine, he was connected to the club yet again. That didn’t materialize, either, because the Texans zeroed in on fellow Pats employee Nick Caserio, only to be shot down by Bill Belichick & Co.

Ossenfort‘s contract is believed to be up after this year, so he should be free to join up with the Browns if there’s a fit. The Browns also have Vikings assistant GM George Paton and Eagles vice president of football operations Andrew Berry on their radar.

LSU WR Justin Jefferson Enters 2020 Draft

January 15th, 2020 at 10:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

LSU wideout Justin Jefferson has declared for the 2020 NFL draft, as he tells Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.

“We just had a perfect year,” Jefferson said. “We won the national championship and set records. We had a lot of awards and did it with our team. I feel like it was the best way to go.”

Jefferson, who stands 6’3″ and 192 pounds, posting an outstanding campaign during his final year at LSU, catching 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns while hauling in passes from Heisman winner Joe Burrow. In the National Championship Game, Jefferson posted nine receptions for 106 yards.

In an exceptionally deep wide receiver class, Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network ranks Jefferson as the draft’s seventh-best wideout and the 36th overall player, meaning he could potentially come off the board at the end of the first round or the beginning of Day 2.