2021 January - Pro Football Rumors

Lions Add Dom Capers To Defensive Staff

January 29th, 2021 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Friday afternoon brought Dom Capers closer to hitting for the NFC North cycle. The former Packers DC and Vikings assistant will be a part of Dan Campbell‘s Lions staff next season.

The Vikings and the former head coach parted ways at season’s end. Capers spent nine seasons as Green Bay’s DC but has bounced around in recent years, serving in a senior defensive assistant-type role in Jacksonville and Minnesota. He will be a senior defensive assistant in Detroit as well, per the Lions.

While the 70-year-old Capers has not been with the Bears in his 30-plus-year NFL career, he has served as head coach for the Panthers and Texans — helming each as expansion teams — and was a defensive coordinator with the Steelers, Jaguars and Dolphins prior to his lengthy Green Bay stop.

He will join Aaron Glenn‘s defensive staff in Detroit. Glenn was with the Texans for most of Capers’ stay in Houston, serving as a starting cornerback from 2002-04. Capers served as Houston’s HC from 2002-05. With Glenn a first-time DC, the Lions adding one of the NFL’s most experienced coaches — and one who is familiar with the current NFC North makeup — makes sense.

Rams In Play For Matthew Stafford?

January 29th, 2021 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Add a team to the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes. The Rams, who have done well to distance themselves from Jared Goff recently, are exploring a deal for the Lions passer.

The Rams are looking into possibilities of a Stafford move, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds Stafford views the team as a contender for a potential trade (Twitter link).

Any Rams dissatisfaction with Goff would be secondary to the current Los Angeles starter’s contract, however. The guarantees in Goff’s four-year, $134MM deal go through 2022. The team does not have an easy out on that contract until 2023, with a 2020 Goff restructure putting more money on future years of this deal. The Rams would be tagged with a staggering $65MM if they released Goff; trading the inconsistent passer would cost the team $22MM.

Sean McVay and GM Les Snead have made comments indicating Goff’s status is less than secure, pointing to the Rams exploring a replacement. As of now, they plan to hold a competition between Goff and backup John Wolford.

A deal to an NFC team would be less likely than the Lions sending Stafford to the AFC, where there are also teams that make sense for the 32-year-old quarterback. The Patriots, Colts and Broncos add up as AFC Stafford suitors, and a recent report indicated the Lions can expect to collect a first-round pick for the 12-year veteran. The Rams do not have a first-round pick this year, having sent it to the Jaguars for Jalen Ramsey. Nevertheless, it appears the Rams are one of the 10-12 teams that have contacted the Lions about Stafford.

There is a newly formed connection between the Rams and Lions, however. The Lions just hired former Rams college scouting director Brad Holmes as their GM, with ex-Rams pro scouting director Ray Agnew now in place as Lions assistant GM. Still, the Rams’ top pick in this year’s draft comes at No. 57. The team has not made a first-round pick since trading up for Goff in 2016.

Packers, DC Mike Pettine To Part Ways

January 29th, 2021 at 4:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Pettine will not return for a fourth season as Packers defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The veteran coach’s contract expired at season’s end.

The former Browns HC turned down an extension last year and is a free agent. Pettine worked under both Mike McCarthy and Matt LaFleur in Green Bay but failed to elevate the Packers into a consistent defensive unit during his stay.

The Packers are coming off an NFC championship game loss that featured a game-swinging Buccaneers end-of-half touchdown. Tampa Bay booked a ticket to Super Bowl LV on the strength of the 18-point lead it built in Green Bay, and Scotty Miller‘s 39-yard score with 1 second remaining in the first half led to the Bucs amassing that wide margin early in the third quarter. LaFleur criticized Pettine’s end-of-half play call after the loss. Overall, the Packers ranked 13th in scoring defense this past season. DVOA was less kind to Pettine’s troops, slotting them 17th overall.

Green Bay used first-round picks on three defenders from 2018-19 — Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary, Darnell Savage — and gave lucrative deals to pass rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith in free agency. However, the 49ers bulldozed Pettine’s unit in the 2019 NFC championship game and the Bucs ran up a big lead in this year’s NFC title tilt. While Alexander broke out under Pettine’s watch and intercepted two passes in Sunday’s loss, the Packers will have a new defensive play-caller next season.

This move comes shortly after the Packers fired special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga. LaFleur’s staff will soon have two new coordinators, despite the Packers having gone 26-6 over the past two seasons.

Texans, Lovie Smith Finalize DC Deal

January 29th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans will move forward with former Bears and Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith as their defensive coordinator. The sides agreed to terms on a deal Friday afternoon, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

This was the expected move, and it will allow Smith to return to the NFL for the first time since the Bucs fired him following the 2015 season. Smith spent the past five seasons as head coach at the University of Illinois. He has been in Houston since Wednesday, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson.

Smith, 62, and new Texans HC David Culley have not coached together in the pros before, but the former obviously brings many years of experience leading defenses. Smith has been a head coach or defensive coordinator at the NFL level in 15 seasons. He last served as a team’s DC with the Rams, doing so from 2001-03.

Although Smith was HC with Tampa Bay for two seasons, he is best known for his run in Chicago. The Bears built a dominant defense under Smith in the mid-2000s, riding that unit’s talents to Super Bowl XLI. Chicago ranked outside the top 20 in scoring defense in the two years prior to Smith’s arrival; the Bears were a top-three unit in 2005 and ’06 and finished as such four times during Smith’s nine-season tenure. Smith also was present for a dramatic Rams rise, overseeing the St. Louis defense’s climb from last in scoring defense in 2000 to seventh during the team’s 2001 Super Bowl season.

Smith’s Bucs defenses were not as successful. Each ranked outside the top 20. His five-season run at Illinois also ended with a 2020 firing. The Fighting Illini did not post a winning season under Smith, who is 89-87 as an NFL HC.

The Texans ranked 30th in defensive DVOA last season. Houston’s defense has struggled for a bit now, declining rapidly over the past two seasons. It is uncertain how much help the Texans’ new defensive play-caller will receive, however, with the team lacking first- and second-round draft picks (for now) and having future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt as a trade candidate.

49ers To Add Cory Undlin To Staff

January 29th, 2021 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Patricia‘s firing led to his recently hired defensive coordinator relocating for a second time in a year. But Cory Undlin will receive another chance in San Francisco.

The 49ers are hiring the 2020 Lions DC, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). He will join fellow ex-coordinator James Bettcher on DeMeco Ryans‘ defensive staff. Undlin will work as San Francisco’s secondary coach, per Yates.

Undlin, 49, spent five seasons as the Eagles’ defensive backs coach but received an upward-mobility opportunity last year. The Lions hired Undlin to replace Paul Pasqualoni but did not improve on defense. While Detroit’s defense ranked last in DVOA, dropping from back-to-back No. 28 finishes under Pasqualoni, it rarely had its full secondary intact and was without top pass rusher Trey Flowers for most of the season.

Prior to Undlin’s move to Philly, he was on John Fox‘s Broncos staff as a DBs coach. He preceded former 49ers assistant Joe Woods in that role. Undlin has been an NFL assistant since 2004.

The 49ers are also hiring Butch Barry as assistant offensive line coach, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes. Barry, who was on the Packers’ staff this past season, has bounced between the college and pro levels in recent years. He headed up the Miami Hurricanes’ O-line in 2019 and spent the previous four seasons as the Buccaneers’ assistant OL coach.

Bills Waive CB E.J. Gaines

January 29th, 2021 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

E.J. Gaines has not played in a regular-season game since the 2018 season, and it appears the veteran cornerback will need to relocate again in order to return to action in 2021.

The Bills waived Gaines on Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Gaines passed on this season via a COVID-19 opt-out decision in July. While this caused his contract to toll to 2021, the Bills signed him to a veteran-minimum deal and will not take a notable financial hit because of this move.

Originally a 2014 Rams draft choice out of Mizzou, Gaines played for Buffalo in 2017. The former sixth-round pick started all 11 games he played that season. After playing in Cleveland in 2018, Gaines re-signed with the Bills in 2019. The Bills reached an injury settlement with Gaines in 2019 but brought him back again year later.

Colts Expected To Hire Press Taylor

January 29th, 2021 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of Doug Pederson‘s top lieutenants will receive another chance in a similar offensive system. Former Eagles OC Frank Reich will add Press Taylor to his Colts staff, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.

This move continues a Philadelphia-Indianapolis pipeline, only it will see a staffer going west this time. The Eagles just hired Colts OC Nick Sirianni as head coach, Jonathan Gannon as defensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo as passing-game coordinator and Jason Michael as tight ends coach. Each was with the Colts last season. Now, Reich will bring over a former coworker to help his offensive staff.

Sirianni did not opt to retain Taylor for 2021. The Eagles’ passing attack encountered major struggles this past season, which came after Pederson promoted Taylor to the team’s passing-game coordinator. The Eagles ranked either 31st or 32nd in the NFL in passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt and interceptions thrown this season.

Taylor, 33, had been with the Eagles since 2013. That tenure overlapped with Reich’s Philly stay. Along with new OC Marcus Brady and QBs coach Scott Milanovich, this duo will preside over a Colts offense again entering the offseason with a quarterback issue.

Ravens Sign TE Nick Boyle To Extension

January 29th, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens have agreed to another extension with Nick Boyle. The veteran tight end had a season left on the 2019 deal he signed, but he is now locked up through the 2023 season.

Boyle’s new two-year extension is worth $13MM, with $10.5MM of that being fully guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While this represents a show of faith the blocking tight end will re-emerge as a productive player after a severe knee injury ended his season midway through, the move will create some near-future cap space for the Ravens.

On his previous three-year, $18MM extension, Boyle was set to earn a $5.5MM base salary in 2021. That number will drop to $1.5MM, with the tight end’s cap figure being reduced by $2MM as well, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets. Boyle, 27, will be attached to $5MM and $6MM salaries in 2022 and ’23, respectively.

Boyle topped out at 31 catches for 321 yards in 16 games in 2019. He has scored four touchdowns over the past two seasons — the only four of his career. This move figures to precede contract talks with Mark Andrews, who has one season left on his rookie deal. The Ravens want to extend their top receiving tight end.

Titans Promote Shane Bowen To DC

January 29th, 2021 at 12:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans promoted outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen to defensive coordinator, per a club announcement. Between Bowen and newly-minted offensive coordinator Todd Downing, the Titans’ staff is mostly set.

Last year, it was rumored that Bowen would get bumped up to defensive coordinator following Dean Pees‘ retirement. That didn’t happen, however, as head coach Mike Vrabel kept control over the defense. This year, the longtime NFL linebacker reconsidered his position and promoted Bowen.

“Shane will move into the dedicated role of coordinator, with [special teams assistant Ryan Crow] taking over the outside linebackers this year, and I am looking forward to him growing in that role,” Vrabel said. “We are going to work hard to improve that side of the ball through better coaching, improving our system and our players. I like the group we have on the defensive staff and I am confident that we will improve.”

Before landing on Bowen, the Titans offered Pees an opportunity to return to his old job. Pees declined, however, choosing to instead make his return with the Falcons.

Texans GM: “Zero Interest” In Deshaun Watson Trade

January 29th, 2021 at 12:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Deshaun Watson wants out. The Texans won’t blink. On Friday, Texans GM Nick Caserio and new head coach David Culley reiterated their desire to keep the quarterback in Houston.

“Organizationally, we want to reiterate our commitment to Deshaun Watson,” said Caserio, pre-empting the slew of questions to come about Watson (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). “We have zero interest in trading the player..We have a great plan and vision for him. We look forward to spending more time with him.”

Caserio believes that “honest” and “forthright” communication can mend fences between the Texans and their star quarterback. Culley agreed as he backed up the GM with an even more confident declaration.

“He is a Houston Texan. I want him to be a Houston Texan,” said Culley (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). “The reason I’m in this position today is because I know he’s going to be a Houston Texan.”

Watson is interested in going to the Dolphins or the Jets with a slight preference towards the Jets…or the Dolphins, depending on who you ask. The Panthers have also jumped in, less than one year after signing Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year, $63MM deal. The Jets and Dolphins could line up especially well for a trade, given their wealth of draft capital. And, with the Dolphins, the Texans could try for a Tua Tagovailoa trade.

But, despite all of the possibilities — and Watson’s strong desire to get out of town — the Texans say he’s staying put.