HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Ravens Sign T Andre Smith

January 8th, 2020 at 9:21am CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens have signed veteran tackle Andre Smith, the team announced. Yesterday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweeted that Baltimore worked out Smith, along with younger linemen Darrell Williams and Tyler Jones, and obviously the team liked what it saw in the more experienced Smith.

Smith, 32, has not played since November, when the Bengals ended their latest stint with the former top-10 pick. He played in six games this season, starting five, for an embattled Cincinnati offensive line. The team waived the 11th-year veteran in late November, but no team claimed his contract. The Cardinals used Smith as a starter for much of 2018 but cut him during the season, leading the longtime Bengal back to Cincinnati. Smith has started 90 games during his career, but his prime obviously ended years ago. The Texans also auditioned Smith since his latest Bengals departure but did not sign him.

The Ravens opened practice for Saturday’s divisional-round game against the Titans without a tackle on their injury report, but Smith provides veteran insurance in case something should happen to starters Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown during their playoff run. James Hurst had served as the swing man behind Stanley and Brown, but he is probably more effective at guard.

Guard Parker Ehinger, who sat out Tuesday’s practice with a shoulder malady, has been placed on IR in a corresponding move.

Patriots’ Tom Brady Won’t Retire

January 8th, 2020 at 8:48am CST by Zachary Links

Tom Brady‘s season is over, but his career will continue. On Wednesday, Brady took to social media to declare that he will continue playing in 2020.

[RELATED: Tom Brady, Robert Kraft Discuss Future]

“You don’t always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again. And that’s right where you will find me,” Brady wrote. “Because I know I still have more to prove.”

Not everyone would agree that Brady still has more to prove, even after the Patriots’ surprising ouster at the hands of the Titans. Brady, who will turn 43 before the start of the 2020 season, is a six-time Super Bowl champ, three-time MVP, 14-time Pro Bowler, and, undeniably, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.

Meanwhile, Brady is on course to reach free agency for the first time in his career. The Patriots are reportedly willing to allow Brady to explore his options, even though they do not have any other viable options at the position.

For his part, owner Robert Kraft doesn’t want to see Brady in another uniform.

“Before the season started it was very important to Tom that he be free to do whatever he wanted at the end of the year. You know what I said to myself? That any person who plays 20 years for this team and helps us get to nine Super Bowls, and been really selfless, has earned that right,” Kraft said recently. “And you know, my hope and prayer is No. 1, he play for the Patriots. Or No. 2, he retires. … But I just hope and pray we fit into his plans.”

Matt Rhule Preferred Giants To Panthers?

January 8th, 2020 at 8:03am CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday, Matt Rhule signed on as the new coach of the Panthers. However, the former Baylor head coach preferred the Giants job, according to a source who spoke with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. 

After receiving a whopping seven-year, $62MM offer from the Panthers – a deal that could reach $70MM, through incentives – Rhule called the Giants to see if they would be willing to match. The Giants asked Rhule to meet with them in person, but Rhule pressed for a more definitive answer. When the Giants informed him that they would not match on the money or length of the deal, Rhule cancelled his Giants interview and accepted the Panthers offer, out of fear that owner David Tepper would pivot to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

In the weeks leading up to the hire of Joe Judge, Rhule was the Giants’ top target in their search. However, the Giants insist that they preferred the Patriots assistant, even when putting finances aside. Judge floored the Giants in his interview and Vacchiano hears that he came with a sterling recommendation from Bill Belichick.

“It doesn’t matter how we got here,” one team source told Vacchiano. “We feel we got the right guy. And I think everyone will be happy in the end.”

Ron Rivera was also linked to the Giants job by many, due to his history with GM Dave Gettleman. The Giants had interest in the 58-year-old, but Vacchiano hears that he was not considered a priority, even before he was hired by the rival Redskins.

Latest On Browns’ HC Search

January 7th, 2020 at 8:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns are no longer competing with any team for coaching candidates, with the Panthers and Giants having made their choices. However, neither hired a coach the Browns were considering. Both were linked to Josh McDaniels, who remains set to interview with the Browns on Friday.

But with Jim Schwartz entering the derby and Kevin Stefanski remaining a Browns target, McDaniels’ status as frontrunner may be slipping. The Patriots offensive coordinator may not have the edge Schwartz or Stefanski, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link).

Stefanski wowed Browns brass in his 2019 interview, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds. But then-GM John Dorsey promoted Freddie Kitchens instead. With Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta running this year’s search, the team appears to be seeking analytically geared coaches. Schwartz and Stefanski profile as embracing analytics, per Rapoport.

McDaniels, however, still has support in the Browns building, Cabot notes, adding that DePodesta and ex-Browns exec Andrew Berry (now with the Eagles) would be interested in a reunion. However, Cabot points to said reunion being most likely to commence with Stefanski as the head coach.

McDaniels’ interview will occur Friday — two days after Schwartz’s and one day after Stefanski’s. A northeast Ohio native, the 43-year-old McDaniels has interviewed with the Browns twice before. He met with the Browns during previous owner Randy Lerner‘s tenure in 2009, but the team hired Eric Mangini. McDaniels withdrew his name from consideration after interviewing in 2014, when current owner Jimmy Haslam was in charge. The Browns conducted a lengthy search in 2014; McDaniels was once believed to be the favorite during that process as well. The Browns want to make their hire by Saturday, so second interviews do not appear to be on tap.

Here is where the Browns’ process stands as of Tuesday night, courtesy of PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker:

Coaching Notes: Rhule, Giants, Cowboys

January 7th, 2020 at 7:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even after Joe Judge‘s standout interview Monday led to him becoming the Giants‘ head coach, the franchise still had Matt Rhule as their preferred candidate. The Panthers‘ seven-year, $62MM offer to the Baylor head coach essentially prompted the Giants to fold their hand on this front, with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY noting Big Blue balked at the contract length and salary. Rhule’s $8.9MM salary makes him the sixth-highest-paid coach in the league — behind Bill Belichick ($12MM per year), Pete Carroll ($11MM AAV), Jon Gruden ($10MM), Sean Payton ($9.8MM) and John Harbaugh ($9MM). The Panthers also paid Baylor a $6MM buyout, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Just months ago, Rhule agreed to an extension with the Big 12 program.

Here is the latest from the coaching front:

  • In addition to missing out on the Ron Rivera boat, the Giants wanted to speak with Mike McCarthy again, Vacchiano adds. The Cowboys swooping in prevented such an opportunity.
  • Big Blue received a ringing Judge endorsement from Belichick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The former Giants defensive coordinator and six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach called the Giants to sell them on Judge’s credentials, despite his non-traditional candidacy as a special teams coordinator.
  • Shifting to McCarthy’s Cowboys staff, the team is expected to hire Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel to the same position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Fassel’s contract was up. The second-generation NFL coach will relocate to Dallas after spending eight seasons with the Rams. Fassel came over from the Raiders in 2012, when Jeff Fisher took over in St. Louis, and stayed on with Sean McVay‘s team for three seasons. Fassel served as Rams interim HC in 2016, after the franchise fired Fisher. The Rams are losing their DC and ST coordinators, with Wade Phillips also out of the picture.
  • Other candidates have surfaced to relocate to Texas. Cowboys assistants expect Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan to be named Dallas’ new defensive coordinator, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Nolan was the 49ers’ head coach in 2005, when McCarthy served as San Francisco’s OC. Additionally, Redskins defensive line coach Jim Tomsula is on McCarthy’s radar, per Pelissero (on Twitter). Tomsula was the 49ers’ HC in 2015 and has been the Redskins’ D-line coach since 2017.
  • The Bengals and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons have agreed to an extension, Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (on Twitter). A longtime Dolphins ST boss, Simmons interviewed for the Bengals’ HC job last year and joined Cincinnati’s staff as a key assistant after the top job went to Zac Taylor. Despite Cincinnati’s 2-14 record, the team ranked first in special teams DVOA under its first-year leader.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/7/20

January 7th, 2020 at 3:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest reserve/futures signings from around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

New England Patriots

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Latest On Giants, Jason Garrett

January 7th, 2020 at 3:11pm CST by Zachary Links

3:11pm: Hold the phone. The Giants have not requested permission to speak to Garrett about their OC job, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) hears. Their request was for their head coaching job, before they agreed to hire Joe Judge.

As the HC, Judge will get to pick his own staff. It’s not clear whether he would consider Garrett for the OC job, or if the ex-Cowboys head coach would be interested in the position.

10:50am: The Giants’ head coaching job is spoken for, but the team still wants to meet with former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. The Giants are interested in Garrett as a candidate for the offensive coordinator role on Joe Judge‘s staff, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 

Judge, 38, lacks head coaching experience, and Garrett could provide some helpful counsel to him. Garrett, of course, spent a decade as the Cowboys’ HC.

It’s not clear whether Garrett is willing to consider coordinator positions, though the Giants job would have some obvious upside. Garrett could groom quarterback Daniel Jones, who showed promise as a rookie despite still being green. The Giants OC job would also give him a chance to face his old friends twice per season.

The Browns stand as the last head coaching vacancy in the league and, so far, they haven’t shown any real interest in Garrett.

Rams, Browns To Consider O’Connell?

January 7th, 2020 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Kevin O’Connell, in all likelihood, will be out of a job soon. The Redskins are poised to hire Scott Turner as their new offensive coordinator and O’Connell has been granted permission to speak with other teams about OC opportunities. Once the dust settles, O’Connell could land with the Rams or Browns, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com and Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter links). 

O’Connell has been referred to as “the next Sean McVay” by many in years past – he’s a young and highly-respected offensive guru who took on McVay’s one-time role in 2019. The two could unite on the same staff in Los Angeles, where McVay is also seeking a new coordinator on the other side of the ball.

Meanwhile, O’Connell could wind up as the Browns’ OC, if Josh McDaniels is hired. As a rookie quarterback for the Patriots in 2008, O’Connell was coached by McDaniels, who was then the team’s QBs coach. After that, O’Connell bounced around the league until 2012 and, eventually, transitioned to the sidelines.

Redskins Eyeing Scott Turner For OC Job

January 7th, 2020 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are zeroing in on Scott Turner as their offensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Turner served under Ron Rivera in Carolina and they could be on track for a reunion. 

Turner served as Rivera’s quarterbacks coach in Carolina, up until Rivera’s dismissal. After Rivera was ousted, Turner was elevated to OC and he impressed with his play calling. The 37-year-old would be a logical choice for the Redskins, who seem likely to part ways with Kevin O’Connell.

O’Connell has received permission to speak with other teams about potential OC vacancies, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Redskins’ offense struggled in 2019, but O’Connell has long been viewed as a rising star in coaching circles. O’Connell was reportedly considered for the Redskins HC job before Rivera was hired and Rivera (at least, at one point) was open to keeping him on board.

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