HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Tua Tagovailoa Enters NFL Draft

January 6th, 2020 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

Tua Tagovailoa is going pro. On Monday, Alabama’s star quarterback announced that he will enter the 2020 NFL Draft. 

[RELATED: Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order]

Tagovailoa was long expected to enter the draft this year, but his brutal hip injury and subsequent surgery threw those plans into flux. Before the injury, Tagovailoa was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick. Now, between that and the emergence of Heisman Award winner Joe Burrow, no one is quite sure where he’ll land.

After the injury, doctors told the QB that he’ll be able to play football again at 100%. Even then, Tagovailoa conceded that he’ll have some barriers to overcome.

“I don’t think I’d be the same again because there’s, like metal in here, you know?” he said. “I lose some rotation inward, so I won’t be able to twist as much inward and whatnot. I wouldn’t need that as much. When you’re running, you’re almost always opening up your hip. From the doctors say, they expect a full recovery and I’ll be able to go out there and play football again at 100 percent, it’s just I won’t be able to rotate it internally the same way.”

Tagovailoa could have positioned himself as the top prospect in the 2021 draft by returning to school and turning in another strong season, but that would have come with significant risk. Instead of gambling, he’ll cash in his chips now and, in all likelihood, wind up as a first-round selection.

If tests and workouts show that Tagovailoa is truly 100% healthy – or close to it – he could still land somewhere in the top 10. The Lions could theoretically use the No. 4 pick to select Matthew Stafford‘s successor, though they have other pressing needs to fill. The Dolphins could also consider Tagovailoa at No. 5 and ease him into things with Ryan Fitzpatrick serving as their Week 1 starter.

Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins “Won’t Be Back On The Same Deal”

January 6th, 2020 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

If the Eagles want Malcolm Jenkins to return for a seventh season in Philadelphia, it’ll cost ’em. On Monday, Jenkins told reporters that he is seeking a sizable pay bump on his next contract. 

“I won’t be back on the same deal,” Jenkins said, via Zach Berman of The Athletic (on Twitter). “That won’t happen. The market is good for safeties now. I consider myself in the top tier.”

Jenkins, 32, has emerged as a defensive leader and a proven playmaker. The three-time Pro Bowler still has one year to go on his current deal, but he’s been pushing for a raise for a while now. In June, he said that he has “outplayed” his contact. Months later, the veteran is still eyeing a substantial extension.

In 2019, Jenkins tallied 80 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and eight passes defensed, though he finished without an interception for the first time since 2011.

Jenkins is set to enter the final season of his four-year, $35MM deal. That pact calls for a $10.887MM cap hit with $7.6MM in base pay. A new deal could allow the Eagles to reduce the hit in 2020, though they’ll may be wary about giving significant guarantees to a player who will turn 33 before the end of the upcoming campaign.

A “top-tier” deal for Jenkins would equate to a $10MM+ average annual salary.

Former Chiefs S Ron Parker Retires

January 6th, 2020 at 10:22am CST by Zachary Links

Former Chiefs safety Ron Parker has formally announced his retirement from the NFL. Parker did not play in 2019, so the news doesn’t come as a huge surprise. 

Parker first entered the league as a UDFA out of Division II Newbury College with the Seahawks in 2011. After stops with the Raiders and Panthers, he hooked on with the Chiefs in 2013, where he eventually cracked the starting lineup.

Parker went on to appear in 95 games for KC, including 78 starts. His best work came in 2015, when he notched five sacks and three interceptions as the Chiefs’ starting strong safety. All in all, Parker logged 104 games, 397 tackles, 11 interceptions, and eight sacks.

We here at PFR wish Parker the best in retirement.

Cowboys Hire Mike McCarthy

January 6th, 2020 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have hired Mike McCarthy as their new head coach, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). A formal announcement and press conference will come later this week. 

The Cowboys dragged their feet on letting Jason Garrett go, but, at long last, they finalized his dismissal over the weekend. They also kicked off their head coaching search by interviewing McCarthy and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. It didn’t take long for them to find their man.

As our head coaching tracker shows, McCarthy was one of the more popular names on the interview circuit. Before meeting with the Cowboys, McCarthy also interviewed for the Panthers, Browns, and Giants vacancies. The longtime Packers HC was out of the NFL for the entire 2019 campaign, but he spent the season studying film and designing plays in preparation for his next opportunity. That’s a plus, since McCarthy has been criticized for his play calling in the past.

McCarthy was fired by the Packers in December 2018, ending a 13-year run with the franchise. Over the years, he amassed a 135-85-2 record, including a 10-8 mark in the playoffs. Most notably, he led the Packers to the Super Bowl XLV title.

In the Cowboys’ last external head coaching search, they cast a wide net before settling on Wade Phillips. This time around, they quickly locked in on a short list of candidates before hiring McCarthy. This search also included a sleepover at JJ’s place, according t ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

“Once you stay at Jerrry’s house, he doesn’t lose his guy,” the source told Schefter.

McCarthy is expected to install a totally new offensive scheme in Dallas. Since 2007, the offense has been anchored by Garrett and the aid of three different play-callers. It remains to be seen whether current OC Kellen Moore will return under McCarthy’s staff, even though he’s still under contract. On the other side of the ball, DC Rod Marinelli is out of contract, along with passing game coordinator Kris Richard.

The Cowboys believe that McCarthy – who helped groom Aaron Rodgers into one of the league’s top quarterbacks – will pair well with star Dak Prescott. Even though the Cowboys finished .500 this year, Prescott had a strong individual season on the whole as he set new career-highs in passing yards (4,902) and touchdowns (30) with eleven interceptions.

Panthers Sign Efe Obada To Extension

January 6th, 2020 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have signed defensive end Efe Obada to a new one-year deal, per a club announcement. Obada was set to be an exclusive rights free agent, so he wouldn’t have been able to sign with another club anyway.

The Panthers are still searching for their next head coach, so it’s unlikely that the new pact includes significant guarantees. After all, their next HC might not be as high on Obada as current GM Marty Hurney.

Obada was born in Nigeria and did not play football at the collegiate level. In 2014, he hooked on with the London Warriors of the British American Football Association and wound up joining the Cowboys’ practice squad in 2015 as a part of the international pathway program. Finally, in 2018, he became the first international pathway program player to crack a 53-man roster when he was activated by the Panthers.

In 2019, Obada registered 24 total tackles and one pass defensed while appearing in all 16 games.

Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order

January 6th, 2020 at 8:36am CST by Zachary Links

After a weekend full of drama and upsets, four more spots have been determined in this year’s NFL Draft order. Most notably – the Patriots will pick No. 23 overall, their highest original pick since 2006.

Here’s the updated rundown, from Nos. 1-24:

1. Bengals (2-14)

2. Redskins (3-13)

3. Lions (3-12-1)

4. Giants (4-12)

5. Dolphins (5-11)

6. Chargers (5-11)

7. Panthers (5-11)

8. Cardinals (5-10-1)

9. Jaguars (6-10)

10. Browns (6-10)

11. Jets (7-9)

12. Raiders (7-9)

13. Colts (7-9)

14. Buccaneers (7-9)

15. Broncos (7-9)

16. Falcons (7-9)

17. Cowboys (8-8)

18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)

19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)

20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)

21. Eagles (9-7)

22. Bills (10-6)

23. Patriots (12-4)

24. Saints (13-3)

Cowboys To Focus On Coaches With NFL Experience

January 6th, 2020 at 8:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys will focus their search on coaches with extensive NFL experience, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen. That would rule out several candidates from the college ranks, including former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, Baylor’s Matt Rhule and Florida’s Dan Mullen. 

Over the weekend, the Cowboys interviewed former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, two men with lengthy resumes in the pro ranks. They also took the long-expected step of formally announcing that Jason Garrett would not return to the team in 2020.

Also of note – the Cowboys spoke with former Rams and Titans head coach Jeff Fisher via phone, according to Mortensen, but it’s not clear if he’ll be considered for the vacancy. Fisher famously boasts a near .500 record in the regular season (173-165-1) with a 5-6 record postseason and his three-year layoff from coaching may be a barrier. Still, Mortensen notes that Fisher is held in high regard by owner Jerry Jones and team vice president Stephen Jones. When we last heard Fisher’s name, it was in connection with the XFL.

NFL Workout Updates: 1/5/20

January 5th, 2020 at 8:54pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Here is a recap of some recent workouts around the league:

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Eagles LT Jason Peters Does Not Plan To Retire

January 5th, 2020 at 8:10pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Eagles left tackle Jason Peters told reporters after Philadelphia’s loss to the Seahawks that he will not retire and plans to return in 2020 for his 17th NFL season, according to Eagles Insiders Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher. Peters started 13 games this season and remained one of the best offensive tackles in football, but considering he will turn 38 in a few weeks, retirement would not have been a surprise.

The Eagles would surely welcome Peters back, but set for free agency he will be free to sign with any team. It’s hard to foresee him leaving Philadelphia, but another team with cap space could make a run at the veteran tackle.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, pointed out that another veteran along the Eagles offensive line, Jason Kelce, was unwilling to make the same statement. Garafolo added that Kelce “was the last player out of uniform” and “Didn’t look like he wanted to take it off.” Kelce will talk to reporters tomorrow and Garafolo’s report seems to suggest he is leaning towards retirement. If he does, the Eagles will already need to replace one starter and may be even more inclined to keep Peters in the fold.

Load More Posts