HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Cowboys Make Staff Changes

February 8th, 2020 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

In announcing their coaching staff, the Cowboys revealed more new names coming to join Mike McCarthy in his first season.

Although this offseason featured a few ex-Cowboys assistants going to New York to follow Jason Garrett, McCarthy hired former Giants staffer Lunda Wells to be his tight ends coach. Wells joins assistant offensive line coach Jeff Blasko and first-year coach Scott Tolzien as the latest additions to McCarthy’s first Dallas staff.

However, the most notable move may be a holdover changing roles. Doug Nussmeier will move from tight ends coach to leading the Cowboys’ quarterbacks.

This marks a notable promotion for the two-year tight ends coach, but this new position will mark a return to the kind of responsibilities the longtime college assistant enjoyed. Nussmeier served as QBs coach and offensive coordinator at several major college programs — Washington, Alabama, Michigan and Florida among them — from 2009-17. In between, he served as the Rams’ QBs coach under Scott Linehan from 2006-07. Linehan helped bring Nussmeier to Dallas before the 2018 season.

The Cowboys retained Kellen Moore as their OC, and Nussmeier’s role with the franchise grew last year after the team transitioned from Linehan to Moore in that job. Nussmeier was also a candidate to be Dallas’ OC. His rise within the organization continues, with McCarthy tabbing Moore and Nussmeier to be his top voices on the offensive side of the ball. Nussmeier, 49, will replace Jon Kitna as QBs coach.

Set to move into Nussmeier’s previous role, Wells spent the past eight seasons with the Giants — seven of those coaching Big Blue’s offensive line or tight ends. Blasko worked under James Campen in Cleveland last year. Blasko worked with McCarthy in Green Bay.

Given starts with the Packers and Colts, prior to a stay in the Alliance of American Football, Tolzien will transition to coaching. The 32-year-old ex-quarterback spent three seasons with McCarthy in Green Bay before moving to Indianapolis to be one of Andrew Luck‘s backups in 2016.

Eagles Eyeing Demarcus Robinson

February 8th, 2020 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

After letting some of their regulars walk in free agency last year, the Chiefs have more auxiliary performers set to hit the market in March. A historic payment to Patrick Mahomes and a possible Chris Jones franchise tag will force the Super Bowl champions to prioritize come free agency.

Kendall Fuller, Emmanuel Ogbah, Bashaud Breeland and Demarcus Robinson are among Kansas City’s notable non-Jones UFAs. Robinson appears to have a suitor with a greater receiver need than the Chiefs, who still have Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman under contract.

The Eagles are interested in the four-year veteran wideout, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. They brought Robinson in for one of their 2016 pre-draft visits, but the Florida prospect went to the Chiefs in that year’s fourth round. Considering the Chiefs’ front-burner issues, Robinson’s second contract looks likely to come from another team.

During Hill’s injury-related absence early in the season, Robinson became a key Mahomes target. Although the 25-year-old receiver caught 32 passes for a career-high 449 yards, he delivered his most notable audition during a six-reception, 172-yard, two-touchdown day in Oakland. During Mahomes’ two years as the Chiefs’ starter, Robinson totaled 54 catches and eight touchdowns.

After injuries to DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor, the Eagles deployed a skeleton-crew receiving corps during the season’s stretch run. Both Jackson and Jeffery are likely to return, thanks to big 2020 guarantees. Agholor will probably depart, per McLane. The Eagles figure to be targeting wideouts in the draft as well, but it appears they will consider Robinson on a mid-level pact. Doug Pederson was already in Philadelphia by the time Robinson arrived in Kansas City, but bringing in a longtime Andy Reid weapon would be a logical fit for the ex-Chiefs OC.

Latest On Dak Prescott, Cowboys FAs

February 8th, 2020 at 12:47pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard earlier this week that negotiations between the Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott could ultimately lead to a franchise tag. However, Stephen Jones clarified that the organization is still focused on completing a long-term deal before Prescott hits unrestricted free agency in March.

“We want to get this done,” Jones told Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Dallas Star-Telegram. “Things are fixing to heat up. We want to put every foot forward and try to grind this out and get a deal done.

“I know he wants to get his contract in the rear view mirror and we want it too. We want him to be treated well, financially and respectfully. We are going to have a real urgency to get this done.”

There’s been optimism surrounding an extension for months, but the report from earlier this week cautioned that a deal wasn’t imminent. We heard back in January that the two sides were close to an agreement, with the Cowboys reportedly willing to give Prescott a contract worth $33MM per season. Hill Jr. notes that the quarterback is seeking a deal that would jump Russell Wilson‘s league-leading $35MM AAV.

“I don’t want to get into the details, but we have offered him significant money,” Jones said. “The money we have offered Dak no matter how you look at it would put him as a top five quarterback in the NFL. That is the way we feel about him. He is one of the best.”

Jones added that the team’s priority is signing their franchise quarterback, and they haven’t discussed contracts with any of their other free agents, including wideout Amari Cooper and pass-rusher Robert Quinn. Hill Jr. tweets that the organization also hasn’t decided whether they’ll bring back tight end Jason Witten or linebacker Sean Lee. We learned this morning that Lee wasn’t going to retire.

Latest On Browns Coaching Staff

February 8th, 2020 at 12:15pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns finally hired Joe Woods as their defensive coordinator this week, and the organization is now switching focus to other parts of their coaching staff. Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal reports (via Twitter) that the Browns have hired Jason Tarver as their linebackers coach. Meanwhile, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that T.C. McCartney has joined the staff as an offensive assistant.

Tarver spent three years as the Raiders defensive coordinator between 2012 and 2014, and he spent the past two years in the same role with Vanderbilt. He lost that gig following a disappointing 2019 campaign. In Cleveland, Tarver will be coaching the linebackers, a role he held with the 49ers, Stanford, and Vanderbilt.

While McCartney was canned as Broncos QBs coach following the 2019 season, he earned praise for his work with quarterback Drew Lock. He’ll likely take on a quarterbacks-centric role in Cleveland, where he’ll be coaching under new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. McCartney previously worked for the Browns, serving as an offensive quality control coach under OC Kyle Shanahan in 2014.

The Browns have completely revamped their coaching staff and front office this offseason. The team hired former Eagles’ VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry to be their GM and EVP of Football Operations, and they hired Kevin Stefanski as head coach, Woods as defensive coordinator, and Van Pelt as offensive coordinator. The team has also hired several notable names for assistant roles, including Dolphins OC Chad O’Shea as their WRs coach and former Redskins head coach Bill Callahan as OLs coach.

This Date In Transactions History: First NFL Draft

February 8th, 2020 at 10:48am CST by Ben Levine

If you’ve read any of our “This Day in Transactions History” entries, you’ve probably realized that the transactions are somewhat recent. Well, thanks to NFL.com analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gil Brandt (on Twitter), we’re going to go back all the way to 1936.

On this date 84 years ago, the first NFL Draft took place. The event was held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philly, with 81 selections being made over nine rounds. The draft ultimately produced four Hall of Famers: offensive tackle Joe Stydahar (1.6 by the Bears), fullback Alphonse “Tuffy” Leemans (2.18 by the Giants), tight end Wayne Millner (8.65 by the Boston Redskins), and offensive guard Dan Fortmann (9.78 by the Chicago Bears).

However, the most amusing anecdote from the 1936 NFL Draft revolved around the first-overall pick. After winning the inaugural Heisman Trophy following a standout campaign at the University of Chicago, running back Jay Berwanger was selected as the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. However, Berwanger was demanding around $1K per game. The Eagles weren’t confident that they could meet those monetary demands, so they ended up trading the halfback to the Bears for offensive tackle Art Buss.

Berwanger didn’t immediately sign with Chicago, but that decision didn’t have much to do with money; rather, the athlete wanted to maintain his amateur status so he could compete in the decathlon at the 1936 Olympics. After being eliminated from Olympics contention, it was back to negotiating, with Berwanger requesting $15K. Bears owner George Halas‘ top offer was $13.5K, and the two sides refused to find common ground.

Berwanger ended up walking away from the NFL, joining the University of Chicago coaching staff before spending time as a sportswriter. Unfortunately, he never made an NFL appearance, emphasizing that these stubborn financial disputes have basically been occurring throughout the league’s history.

Cowboys LB Sean Lee Won’t Retire

February 8th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Ben Levine

Linebacker Sean Lee just completed his 10th NFL season, but the veteran has no plans to hang up his cleats. Lee told SI.com’s Mike Fisher that he’s uncertain if he’ll land back in Dallas, but he made it clear that he won’t be retiring.

“I have not explored that yet,” Lee said. “I’m focusing on playing as of now.”

When asked about his future with the Cowboys and new head coach Mike McCarthy, the 33-year-old couldn’t commit.

“I’m still deciding,” Lee said. “I’m waiting to kind of explore what some of my options are…I love it in Dallas and I love the Cowboys. I hope it works out, for sure.”

Despite the 2019 campaign being his 10th season in the league (and his ninth healthy season), the veteran managed to appear in a career-high 16 games (to go along with 13 starts). Lee finished the campaign having compiled 86 tackles (the fifth time he’s had at least 80 tackles), one sack, four passes defended, and one interception.

The 2010 second-round pick has spent his entire career in Dallas, and he’s set to hit free agency for the first time since the 2013 offseason. Lee has battled a number of injuries throughout his career, and he’s flirted with retirement in the past. Based on his comments, it sounds like the linebacker is committed to returning for at least one more season.

Michigan State Requested To Interview 49ers DC Robert Saleh

February 7th, 2020 at 9:18pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Michigan State has a head coaching vacancy after Mark Dantonio abruptly resigned, and they reached out to one high profile NFL assistant to gauge his interest in the job. The Spartans requested to interview 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for their job, sources told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 

Unfortunately for Michigan State, Saleh turned them down, and he’ll be staying in San Francisco for at least one more season. Saleh rose to prominence this season as he coordinated the 49ers’ elite defense. Saleh is a Michigan native and he got his coaching start as a defensive assistant at Michigan State, so their interest makes a lot of sense. After several years in the college ranks, he made the jump to the NFL as an intern with the Texans in 2005.

He most recently served as linebackers coach in Jacksonville before Kyle Shanahan hired him away to be his DC. Saleh received a lot of head coaching buzz this NFL cycle, and he interviewed with the Browns for their job. He was reportedly one of two finalists before Cleveland ended up going with Kevin Stefanski. Not surprisingly, Pelissero’s NFL Network colleague Ian Rapoport tweets that “will be among the top head coaching candidates” in next year’s cycle.

Eagles Hire Darren Sproles, Brent Celek For Personnel Roles

February 7th, 2020 at 8:05pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Eagles added former pass-rusher Connor Barwin to their front office last month, and now they’re adding two other high profile former players. Philadelphia is hiring former running back Darren Sproles and former tight end Brent Celek, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Bowen adds that they both got the title of personnel consultant. Sproles announced back in December that he’d be retiring after the year. The legendary pass-catching back spent the last six seasons of his career with the Eagles, and finished his career fifth all-time in all-purpose yards. Celek was an Eagle all the way through, spending all 11 seasons of his pro career in Philly from 2007-17. He retired after winning Super Bowl LII with the team.

The Eagles also made some other staffing moves, hiring strength and conditioning coach Ted Rath away from the Rams to be their new director of sports performance. Rath gained some fame as Sean McVay’s ‘get-back’ coach, and was later charged with sexual battery before being acquitted. A source told Bowen that the team did their due diligence, and felt comfortable with Rath’s explanation and acquittal.

Philly also promoted exec Jeremiah Washburn to the role of player personnel director. Interestingly, he’ll also serve in a coaching role as a “senior defensive assistant.” As Bowen points out, it’s a bit of an unusual arrangement for someone to have a scouting and coaching role at the same time. They also rounded out their offensive coaching staff, hiring Aaron Moorehead as receivers coach. He previously had been the receivers coach at Vanderbilt. The Eagles announced yesterday they wouldn’t hire an offensive coordinator.

Antonio Brown On End Of Steelers Tenure, Arrest, Mental Health

February 7th, 2020 at 6:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

To say the past year has been a tumultuous one for Antonio Brown would be a massive understatement. The embattled receiver has been on a very bumpy path, and he recently gave his first interview to local Pittsburgh media since leaving the Steelers to clarify some things. Brown went on 93.7 with hosts Chris Mack and Colin Dunlap, and Adam Bittner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette transcribed his comments.

Throughout the interview Brown struck a much more conciliatory and restrained tone than he often has on social media. He took the time to apologize to the Steelers and even to his former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Yes, you read that right. “I apologize to those guys for the distractions. The unwanted attention I probably caused those guys. To the fans and organization,” Brown said. “So I’m forever grateful and indebted to the organization. Mr. Rooney. Mike Tomlin. Kevin Colbert. Ben Roethlisberger. You know I started my career with those guys. A lot of beautiful moments. A lot of amazing things. So it’s not all bad,” he continued.

Brown was a surprising inactive in Week 17 of 2018, and things rapidly deteriorated from there. There were a lot of reports about what happened for Brown to get benched, including one that he threw a football at Roethlisberger in practice that week. Brown didn’t explain exactly what went down, but he did seem to take issue with the reporting. “For me, the last game, I had some adversity, but it was just time to move on. To do something more positive. I just was emotionally drained and just frustrated about how everything went down. A lot of stuff go down and people don’t know what really happens. People just write about it and make assumptions. But people don’t know the truth of what the emotions and what players really go through.”

Brown also seemed to reveal that the reason he wanted out of Pittsburgh was because he didn’t think they were serious enough about winning a championship. “I just think we had a lot of things that were important to individuals, but it wasn’t really important to do the big thing, which was win the Super Bowl. So for me, I’m getting to the point where I’m older in my career, and the things that were important to me were winning,” he explained. “At the point I was at, I was just felt like ‘Man, guys on the team wasn’t really ready push to go get what was important, so for me it was all about getting that next carry and being able to be a winner.”

Speaking on his recent arrest and court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, Brown downplayed it and said he doesn’t have any mental health issues. “I’m pretty good man. Those guys put me in a crazy check, and I don’t even know why they did that. But I just think mental health is really important.” Brown also suggested that not playing football this season was responsible for most of his erratic behavior. “I don’t really have anger. I just think I’m really bored. You know, football keeps a lot of my focus. And not being able to have that thing that took my energy, that put my focus toward allowed me to be bored and react to things I wouldn’t normally react to.”

The full comments are worth a read, as Brown also talked about his relationship with former teammates like JuJu Smith-Schuster. Brown clearly wants to keep playing football, but obviously he’s got a lot to sort out first.

Garrett Celek Retires From NFL

February 7th, 2020 at 4:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It looks like Garrett Celek is hanging up his cleats. The 49ers tight end announced his retirement from the NFL in an Instagram post Friday afternoon.

Celek entered the league back in 2012, and spent all eight years of his career with San Francisco. One of the longest-tenured members of the organization, he became a fan favorite and was a leader in the locker room. He inked a four-year deal worth $10.20MM back in 2016, which just expired after the Super Bowl. An undrafted free agent from Michigan State, he made the 53-man roster as a fourth tight end his rookie year and steadily earned more playing time. He never had a massive role as a receiver but was always a key contributor as a blocker, and he did have some decent pass-catching years.

In 2016 and 2017 he had at least 336 yards. His best season as a receiver was in 2016, when he reeled in 29 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. He missed some significant time due to injuries throughout the course of his career, and was placed on injured reserve after appearing in only five games this season. The younger brother of former Eagles tight end Brent Celek, he carved out a heck of a career for an UDFA. All of us here at PFR wish him the best in retirement.

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