2020 January - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks Audition Alex Collins, Roc Thomas

January 2nd, 2020 at 12:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Even after signing Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin, the Seahawks’ search for running back help continues. This week, they auditioned RBs Alex Collins and Roc Thomas.

In their season finale against the 49ers, the Seahawks eased Lynch and Turbin into their new roles. Lynch saw time on 23 snaps and Turbin played on just eight special teams snaps. Meanwhile, rookie Travis Homer carried the brunt of the load with 50 of 75 offensive snaps. The Seahawks ultimately came up short, losing 26-21 to their divisional rivals.

It’s not clear whether the Seahawks are to sign Collins and Thomas in advance of their Wild Card game, or if they’re simply keeping their emergency lists up to date. Collins, a fifth-round pick of the team back in 2016, has been out of football throughout 2019. Ditto for Thomas, who hasn’t played since his five-game stint with the Vikings last year.

The Seahawks and their new-look backfield will face the Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia.

Cowboys Considering New Role For Jason Garrett?

January 2nd, 2020 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Could Jason Garrett return to the Cowboys in a different role? That’s what some members of the organization are wondering as Garrett gets set to meet with team brass (once again) on Thursday, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

Garrett will chat with Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones on Thursday, his third face-to-face with the duo since the end of the season. Many have speculated that Garrett could be dismissed after failing to get the Cowboys into the playoffs. Now, it sounds like Garrett could be offered some sort of an alternative to being fired outright.

Garrett has been with the Cowboys for ten years, but this contract – which expires on January 14th – may be his last. Throughout the year, the buzz was that Garrett needed to get the Cowboys to the NFC championship game to keep his job. The team’s .500 finish, of course, came up short.

If Garrett is ousted – or moved to some other position – the job figures to hold appeal for just about every head coaching candidate out there. Baylor’s Matt Rhule, who has been selective in the past, might have the Cowboys on his NFL short-list. Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman and former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer may also be on the radar.

Colts GM: “Jury’s Still Out” On Jacoby Brissett

January 2nd, 2020 at 9:58am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts aren’t sold on Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback. Brissett has one more year to go on his contract, but GM Chris Ballard says “the jury’s still out” on the 27-year-old.

“That’s why we did a short-term deal with Jacoby,” said Ballard. “Jacoby did some good things. I don’t want to just look at the second half of the season and say he didn’t, because Jacoby did some good things. I think as a whole, not just the quarterback position, but our passing game has to improve. Unequivocally. That has to get better. You have to be able to throw the ball to win in this league.”

This all jibes with a December report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport – the Colts, armed with the No. 13 overall pick in the draft, could look for a new signal caller. One can’t help but wonder if their QB search could lead them back to old friend Andrew Luck, but Ballard did his best to downplay that possibility when speaking with reporters on Thursday.

“Andrew’s retired,” Ballard said. “Do I talk to Andrew? Yes, I do. Haven’t talked to him in a few weeks, I’m sure he’s been busy being a father. But Andrew’s retired, and I think we all need to accept that. That’s where he’s at. He’s retired.”

After being thrust into the starting QB role, Brissett completed 60.9% of his throws in 2019 for 2,942 yards. He also threw for 18 touchdowns against just six interceptions and advanced the ball on the ground a bit as well. Brissett averaged 4.1 yards on 56 rushing attempts in 2019, scored four rushing touchdowns, and picked up 20 first downs with his feet.

Colts Won’t Re-Sign Eric Ebron

January 2nd, 2020 at 9:49am CST by Zachary Links

Eric Ebron won’t be back with the Colts in 2020. When asked about the tight end, GM Chris Ballard told reporters that the team will “probably move on” from Ebron.

Ebron, a former first-round pick, struggled early on in his career with the Lions. But, when he joined the Colts in 2018, things were looking up. The tight end had fewer drops en route to a 14-touchdown season with 66 catches for 750 yards and a whopping 13 TDs.

This year, without quarterback Andrew Luck, Ebron was far less productive. The 26-year-old (27 in April) had just 31 grabs for 375 yards and three scores before landing on IR in late November with an ankle injury.

Then, the two sides clashed. The Colts said they were not aware of Ebron having any sort of serious ankle issue. Ebron fired back and issued a statement saying that the team was aware of his severe pain since the beginning of the season.

The Colts, apparently, aren’t interested in mending fences. Ebron will look for work elsewhere when he hits the open market in March.

Browns Have “Strong Interest” In Urban Meyer

January 2nd, 2020 at 9:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have “strong interest” in former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports (on Twitter) hears. Meyer retired from coaching one year ago today, citing health issues, but he has been connected to multiple NFL teams in recent months.

The Cowboys, Redskins, and Browns have all been linked to Meyer. The Redskins job, of course, is already spoken for – former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera inked a deal with the club before the New Year. The Cowboys, meanwhile, still have Jason Garrett as their head coach, as of this writing.

The Browns are casting a wide net in their coaching search but, as far as we know, they have yet to schedule an interview with Meyer, who is currently employed by FOX Sports (as is Feldman). Publicly, Meyer has downplayed the possibility of a return to coaching, but it sure sounds like he wants to make a jump to the pros.

The Browns’ head coaching search will be run by Paul DePodesta, the former baseball exec who serves as the Browns’ chief strategy officer. Today, they’ll chat with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and they might also meet with offensive assistants Mike McDaniel and Mike LaFleur.

Patriots Grant Giants Permission To Interview Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge

January 2nd, 2020 at 9:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have granted the Giants permission to interview assistants Josh McDaniels and Joe Judge for their head coaching vacancy, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. They’ve also given their blessing to the Browns and Panthers to speak with McDaniels, McBride hears.

Both men will have to wait until next week to interview as candidates coaching in Wild Card games are not permitted to interview next week. But, after the Patriots face the Titans on Saturday night, they’ll have a busy schedule ahead of them.

McDaniels, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, famously left the Colts at the altar following the 2017 season. Two years later, teams are still intrigued by what he can bring to the table, though they may be concerned about a potential flip-flop. For his part, McDaniels believes that teams will still be willing to consider him for HC positions.

As the Broncos’ head coach in 2009 and (most of ) 2010, McDaniels coached Denver to an 11-17 mark. Judge, the Patriots’ special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach, joined the Pats in 2012 after a three-year stint at Alabama.

NFC East Rumors: Giants, Cooper, Jenkins

January 1st, 2020 at 9:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Baylor’s Matt Rhule is rumored to the be the Giants‘ preferred candidate, and although he turned down the Jets last year, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv notes the native New Yorker is expected to consider leaving the college ranks to coach the Giants. This and the soon-to-be-available Cowboys job might be the only ones Rhule would presently consider, per Vacchiano. Rhule, who spent 2012 as the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach, has drawn interest from the Panthers and Browns as well. The 44-year-old college coach plans to go on vacation soon after Wednesday night’s Sugar Bowl, but Vacchiano adds the Giants are expected to meet with him before he departs for said trip.

Mike McCarthy, however, may have the best shot at competing with Rhule for the job, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. The former Super Bowl-winning Packers coach is believed to have gained steam, per Vacchiano. McCarthy is scheduled to meet with the Giants on Friday. He’s set to interview with the Browns on Thursday and has already met with the Panthers twice.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

In Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, the Cowboys have two of the league’s top free agents. Prescott is certainly not going anywhere and, despite the prospect of the team using its franchise tag on its quarterback, Cooper is not expected to reach the market, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). Cooper continues to indicate Dallas is where he wants to be. The lack of a new collective bargaining agreement helps the Cowboys on this front, as they could use both their franchise and transition tags if no CBA is in place by March 10. However, to fully avoid the risk of losing one of these key players, the Cowboys would need to reach an extension with one of them before the March 10 franchise tag deadline. A wide receiver franchise tag is expected to cost just more than $18MM; a transition tag would come in at nearly $16MM.
Leonard Williams told Dave Gettleman he wants to stay with the Giants, according to the GM (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). (Williams, however, has said he will hit free agency if the Giants don’t give him “top-tier money.”) The Giants made the strange move of trading two mid-round draft picks for the contract-year defensive end, and Gettleman said he wanted to get an up-close look at Williams in the Giants’ system. Of course, the Giants will likely have a new defensive system soon once a new head coach arrives.
Giants center Jon Halapio suffered another severe injury this season — a torn Achilles in Week 17 — but the team is expected to tender him in restricted free agency, per Dunleavy. Halapio suffered a broken leg in September 2018 but returned to start a career-high 15 games this season. The 28-year-old snapper is not expected to be ready until at least training camp. He underwent surgery Tuesday.
The Eagles‘ longtime safety tandem of Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod may break up in March, with the latter a free agent. But Jenkins is a rumored extension candidate, and Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com expects a re-up that would make Jenkins one of the NFL’s highest-paid safeties to occur soon (Twitter link). Jenkins, 32, would be a 2021 free agent. The Eagles have been busy with major extensions lately, coming to terms with Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson during the season.

Latest On Cowboys, Jason Garrett

January 1st, 2020 at 8:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having bypassed Black Monday, and now Tuesday and most of Wednesday, the Cowboys have yet to fire Jason Garrett. The Cowboys are a bit behind on the coaching carousel as a result, but that does not appear to be a concern for the organization at this point.

However, this process may finally be headed toward a resolution. Garrett will meet with Jerry and Stephen Jones on Thursday, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. This will be the sides’ third meeting since the team’s season concluded.

Although the optics of this situation paint the Cowboys as being less certain on their decision than the Giants or Browns were on theirs, Moore adds that there are no expectations Garrett will be brought back for an 11th season. His contract expires Jan. 14 and is not expected to be renewed.

Garrett was believed to have needed to pilot the Cowboys to the NFC championship game to keep his job. With Dallas missing the playoffs after their spree of offseason extensions, there does not appear to be a way the longtime HC will keep his job. But the methodical pace here is certainly unusual in an era when firings on Week 17 Sunday occur annually.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Cook, Bears

January 1st, 2020 at 7:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having dealt with back trouble for two years, Matthew Stafford missed half of this season with fractures in his back. He will not undergo surgery and expects to be back in time for the start of the Lions‘ offseason program in April. Last season, Stafford played through a transverse process fracture in his back. This will be OC Darrell Bevell‘s second year in Detroit, so Stafford’s participation in the upcoming offseason program will not be as critical as last season’s attendance. Still, Detroit’s soon-to-be 32-year-old passer appears on the way back.

“Oh yeah, I’ll be good to go,” Stafford said, via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. “I feel really good, which is good. I’ve had quite a bit of rest, obviously. I think I’ll be feeling really, really good pretty darn soon, to tell you the truth.”

Shifting first to one of the division’s teams still playing, here is the latest out of the NFC North:

The Vikings‘ plan to sit Dalvin Cook (shoulder, chest) for the final two regular-season games looks to have paid off. Minnesota’s Pro Bowl back took part in a full practice Wednesday, putting him in line to suit up for the Vikings’ first-round game against the Saints. Alexander Mattison (ankle) was also a full participant, giving Minnesota a good chance of having the best version of its backfield in action Sunday in New Orleans.
The Bears quickly identified their next offensive line coach. A day after firing previous O-line instructor Harry Hiestand, Chicago will hire Juan Castillo to replace him, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Castillo’s most recent role was with Buffalo, where he served as the Bills’ O-line coach from 2017-18, but he was on the Eagles’ staff for each of Andy Reid’s 14 years in Philadelphia. Nagy broke into coaching during those years, spending time on Reid’s final five Philly staffs. The Bears ranked 29th in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards metric, with their offensive front frequently struggling to open running lanes.
Back to the Lions, they have starting guard Graham Glasgow set for free agency. The team moved Glasgow back to guard after he’d started at center in 2018, but this season’s Lions featured a three-guard rotation. That may or may not impact Glasgow’s offseason decision; he was non-committal about a desire to stay in Detroit. “It’s been a long year and I’d like to feel like — I’d like to kind of feel like I’m wanted, sort of,” Glasgow said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “So, yeah. It’s been — it’s just been a long year. And ideally, I’d like to — we kind of need to talk about it.” Glasgow started 58 games with the Lions from 2016-19 and graded well, in the view of Pro Football Focus, this past season. With the guard market gravitating toward sellers in recent years, Glasgow could be in for a nice payday in March.

Latest On Browns’ HC Search

January 1st, 2020 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following their Thursday interview with Mike McCarthy, Browns brass will head to Santa Clara, Calif., to meet with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link).

Saleh’s interview has now been scheduled for Saturday. The third-year San Francisco DC has never interviewed for a head coaching post and is thus far not connected to the other two coaching vacancies. However, one way the Browns may be considering going is a staff featuring multiple 49ers assistants.

Cleveland is also interested in 49ers offensive assistants Mike McDaniel and Mike LaFleur, each a Kyle Shanahan lieutenant at multiple stops. Saleh appears to be the San Francisco candidate the Browns are zeroing in on, but if the team hires the fiery DC, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that either LaFleur or McDaniel would then be a candidate to become the Browns’ offensive coordinator. HC interviews with McDaniel and LaFleur are believed to be on the docket, though it’s not known yet when they will occur.

Both were with Shanahan in Cleveland in 2014. Shanahan spent one season as the Browns’ OC and since took LaFleur and McDaniel to Atlanta and San Francisco. They serve as the 49ers’ pass- and run-game coordinators, respectively.

Shanahan blocked Mike LaFleur from joining brother Matt in Green Bay last year but let assistant Rich Scangarello defect to Denver because the Broncos were offering play-calling responsibilities. With Saleh being a defensive-minded coach, the Browns would then hand over their play-calling reins to whomever they hire as OC.