HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Texans Notes: Fuller, Watt, Anger

January 4th, 2020 at 10:11am CST by Ben Levine

The Texans will be without a major offensive weapon when they open the playoffs against the Bills this afternoon. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that wideout Will Fuller will not play today as he continues to recover from his groin injury.

Fuller suffered the injury during Houston’s Week 16 victory over the Buccaneers. There was some optimism that the 25-year-old would be ready to return for the playoffs, but the groin injury will sideline him for at least another week. The former first-rounder finished the 2019 regular season with a career-high 49 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns.

With Fuller out of the lineup, Wilson suggests that receiver Keke Coutee will be active for today’s game.

Let’s check out some more notes out of Houston…

  • While the Fuller absence will certainly hurt, the Texans can at least look forward to J.J. Watt‘s return to the lineup. The veteran played in the Texans’ first eight games before suffering a torn pectoral muscle. While the risk of re-injury does exist, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says the team isn’t planning on using the pass rusher situationally (Twitter link). Rather, the team is expected to “unleash him” instead of hold him back.
  • The Texans extended punter Bryan Anger last week, and Wilson has the details on the new deal (Twitter link). The three-year, $7.5MM contract includes $2MM guaranteed and a $1.25MM signing bonus. Anger will have a cap number of $2.312MM in 2020 and $2.812MM in 2021 and 2022. His base salary peaks at $2.5MM.
  • Anger wasn’t the only Texans player to ink an extension last week. In case you missed it, Whitney Mercilus signed a four-year deal with Houston.

Panthers To Interview Kevin Stefanski

January 4th, 2020 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

Add another name to the list. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports (via Twitter) that Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski is scheduled to interview for the Panthers head coaching vacancy next week. The interview is tentatively set for Thursday, although that could change if Minnesota tops New Orleans tomorrow.

Stefanski has served in a variety of roles for the Vikings since joining the organization back in 2006, including stints as the tight ends coach, running backs coach, and quarterbacks coach. The 37-year-old was named interim offensive coordinator following the firing of John DeFilippo during the 2018 season, and he earned the full-time gig prior to the 2019 campaign.

During Stefanski’s first full season at the helm, the Vikings ranked as a top-10 offense in points. The coach led the trio of Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, and Mike Boone to top-six rankings in rushing yards and touchdowns, and he also helped quarterback Kirk Cousins have one of the best seasons of his career.

We previously heard that Stefanski was set to interview for the Browns head coaching gig, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero passes along (via Twitter) that the coach will indeed interview with Cleveland this week. Stefanski was a finalist for the Browns job last year.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that Panther interim head coach Perry Fewell is scheduled to meet with the team on Wednesday. As our head coaching tracker shows, Stefanski and Fewell are two of five coaches who will interview for the gig, a grouping that also includes Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has also been mentioned as a potential candidate, but no interview has been scheduled.

Kenneth Murray Declares For Draft

January 3rd, 2020 at 9:36pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Add another top prospect to the 2020 NFL Draft pool. Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray is leaving school early to enter the draft, he announced in a video posted to Twitter. 

Murray is widely regarded as a first-round talent and one of the best linebackers in the draft. He was taken 18th overall in Matt Miller of Bleacher Report’s recent mock draft. Miller referred to him as “a linebacker with excellent range and the ability to stay on the field all three downs.” As Miller points out, that’s an essential trait for today’s NFL when inside linebackers like Murray need to be able to hold their own in coverage.

Murray became an immediate contributor as a freshman in 2017, and had an absurd 155 tackles as a sophomore last year. This past season, he had 102 tackles, 17 for a loss, and four sacks to go along with four passes defended. He was a first-team All-Big 12 as well as a consensus All-American selection this year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/20

January 3rd, 2020 at 8:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Today’s minor moves:

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed to reserve/futures contract: DB Marcus Sayles

San Francisco 49ers

Since it’s a reserve/futures deal, Kindred won’t be playing for the 49ers in the playoffs, he’ll be added to the offseason roster for 2020. A fourth-round pick of the Browns back in 2016, he started 17 games for Cleveland from 2016-18.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman On Not Wanting To Fire Pat Shurmur, Coaching Search

January 3rd, 2020 at 7:43pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Giants GM Dave Gettleman has caught a lot of flak from both the media and fans, but he is surviving for at least one more year. The team fired head coach Pat Shurmur after the season, but announced they’d be retaining Gettleman for 2020. With his job safe for the time being Gettleman made a couple of appearances on ESPN Radio and WFAN in New York and made some interesting comments, via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

Perhaps most notably, Gettleman admitted that he didn’t want to fire Shurmur, the first coach he hired, and that the order came directly from ownership. “Came from above,” he said of the decision. There were reports that co-owner Steve Tisch was pushing for Shurmur’s firing, and his view ultimately won out with controlling owner John Mara. Many questioned the decision to bring back Eli Manning for 2019 and pay his hefty salary if they were going to bench him after only two games, but Gettleman insisted ownership played no role in making that call.

Gettleman was previously the GM in Carolina, where he worked with recently hired Redskins coach Ron Rivera. Gettleman revealed that New York would’ve been interested in a reunion, but they didn’t have the chance because they waited until after the season to fire Shurmur, whereas Washington had a head start. “Before we could turn around,” Gettleman said, “the [Redskins] deal was done.”

The front office head also revealed that it was Shurmur who originally identified and brought quarterback Daniel Jones to his attention. Gettleman then fell in love with the signal-caller from Duke, and ended up taking him sixth overall. Gettleman said on both radio programs that he would be willing to give up some of his power on personnel decisions to a new head coach depending on the candidate. With ownership calling the shots, he might not have a choice.

New York has been busy, already scheduling a slate of interviews, which you can keep track of via our head coaching search tracker. Below are a list of names we’ve heard about as of right now:

Jonathan Taylor Declares For Draft

January 3rd, 2020 at 6:44pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One of the most productive players in recent college football history is leaving school early. Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor will forego his final year of college eligibility to enter the 2020 NFL Draft, he announced in a video posted to Twitter.

Taylor isn’t considered to be a first-round pick by most analysts as of right now, but he’ll be among the first handful of running backs to be selected and has the potential to rise throughout the process. In his latest mock draft, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller had Taylor getting taken 54th overall. Taylor became a starter at Wisconsin as a freshman, and instantly started etching his name in the record books. During Wisconsin’s bowl game this past week, he became the second college player ever to have multiple 2,000 yard rushing seasons.

He finished with at least 1,977 rushing yards in all three of his college seasons, and has the most ever by any player through his junior season. He was a unanimous first-team All-American in each of the past two seasons, and won the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s best running back in each of the past two years as well. The Badgers legend was a non-factor in the passing game his first two years, but managed to catch 26 passes for 252 yards and five touchdowns in this most recent campaign. That aspect of his game will be crucial for his draft stock.

Nevin Lawson Suspended One Game

January 3rd, 2020 at 5:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Myles Garrett is no longer the only player to be suspended for using his helmet as a weapon this season. Raiders cornerback Nevin Lawson has been suspended one game for wielding a helmet during Oakland’s Week 17 loss to Denver, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Since the Raiders aren’t in the playoffs, Lawson will have to sit out the first game of the 2020 season. Lawson was already suspended four games at the beginning of the season for taking a banned substance. He ended up appearing in 11 games for Oakland, making five starts. He signed a one-year deal worth just over $3MM with the Raiders back in March, so he’ll be a free agent again this spring.

Lawson was originally drafted by the Lions in the fourth round back in 2014. He spent the first five years of his career there, and became a full-time starter in Detroit for the last three. The Utah State product has started 50 games over the past four years and is still only 28, so even with the suspension he should draw some mild interest on the open market.

D’Andre Swift Declares For Draft

January 3rd, 2020 at 4:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One of the top skill position players in college football is foregoing his final year of college eligibility and entering the draft. Georgia running back D’Andre Swift is leaving school early, he announced on Twitter.

Judging from recent mock drafts and projections, Swift has a good chance to hear his name called in the first round, and he is also viewed by many analysts as the top running back prospect in the 2020 draft. He might be competing with fellow recent early entrant J.K. Dobbins to be the first runner off the board. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweeted soon after the news broke that he has Swift as a first-rounder on his board.

Swift averaged a ridiculous 7.6 yards per carry as a freshman in 2017, and has dominated in each of his three collegiate seasons. This past year he rushed for 1,218 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 24 catches for an additional 216 yards through the air. He earned all sorts of accolades during his college career, and was recently named a first-team All-SEC selection.

Eagles’ Nelson Agholor Out Vs. Seahawks

January 3rd, 2020 at 3:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles will face the Seahawks without the services of Nelson Agholor. The wide receiver’s knee injury will sideline him for the opening round of the playoffs, head coach Doug Pederson announced. 

Agholor has not played since suffering a knee injury in Week 13. Before that, he caught 39 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns in eleven games.

Meanwhile, the statuses of tight end Zach Ertz and right tackle Lane Johnson remain murky.

“Zach [is] still not cleared for any contact,” Pederson said. “He will work a little bit on the side again like he’s done this week and stuff like that, but we’re waiting on a few doctor results tomorrow. If things go favorable, he’ll play. If they don’t, he won’t.”

The Eagles can get by without Agholor, but it won’t be easy for Carson Wentz to move the chains or convert in the red zone without Ertz. The tight end caught 88 passes for 916 yards and six touchdowns this season, giving him his third-straight Pro Bowl nod. Ertz is known for his toughness, but doctors won’t let him take the field unless his broken rib and lacerated kidney show drastic improvement.

Vikings To Stick With Mike Zimmer, Rick Spielman

January 3rd, 2020 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings won’t be on the hunt for a new head coach or a GM. On Friday, Vikings owner Mark Wilf backed Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman in a press release and ensured their status for 2020: 

“We value Mike and Rick’s leadership and we have every intent of Mike continuing as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Rick leading our football operations, next year and beyond.”

The Vikings finished the year 10-6, good enough for a Wild Card spot in the NFC. They enter this weekend’s game against the Saints as underdogs – particularly with a thinned-out secondary to guard Michael Thomas & Co. – but Zimmer and Spielman will return, regardless of the outcome.

It’s worth noting that the contracts for Zimmer and Spielman will expire after the 2020 season. An extension would truly solidify their standing in Minnesota. Otherwise, they’ll be lame ducks heading into next year.

Zimmer, 63, has led the Vikings to three playoff appearances and two divisional crowns over five seasons. In 2017, the Vikings reached the NFC Championship Game where they were stopped by the Eagles. Last year, the Vikings fell short of expectations with a 8-7-1 finish, and they waffled at times in 2019, but they still believe Zimmer is the best man for the job.

Spielman, 57, spent six years as the team’s vice president of player personnel before being promoted to GM in 2012.

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