HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/21

January 9th, 2021 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest NFL minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Signed to reserve/futures deal: QB/WR Joe Webb

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Rams To Start QB John Wolford

January 9th, 2021 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

John Wolford will make his second career start today. The Rams will turn to their backup again, with Jared Goff active and serving as an emergency backup, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports tweets.

Goff underwent thumb surgery last week. Although the longtime Rams starter went through warmups, Sean McVay confirmed Wolford will make a second straight start.

Having previously never missed a start due to injury, Goff played after suffering the thumb injury in Seattle two weeks ago. He did not play well and then sat in Week 17. Wolford accounted for nearly 300 yards against Arizona last week, rushing for 56 on six carries.

A Wake Forest alum, Wolford began his pro career as a Jets UDFA in 2018. His most notable pre-Rams action came with the Alliance of American Football, however. When the AAF folded midway through its inaugural season, Wolford signed with the Rams in April 2019. He spent last season behind Goff and Blake Bortles. Despite the Rams signing Bortles off the Broncos’ practice squad, Wolford will start in Los Angeles’ playoff opener.

Denzel Ward To Miss Wild-Card Game

January 9th, 2021 at 2:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns’ uphill battle in their first playoff game in 18 years became steeper Saturday. The team announced it will be without top cornerback Denzel Ward in Pittsburgh.

Ward will remain on the Browns’ reserve/COVID-19 list. So will fellow starting cornerback Kevin Johnson, who also tested positive last week. Both missing last week limited a Browns secondary in a game when Mason Rudolph threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns.

Based on his timeline, coronavirus protocols would have allowed Ward to suit up against the Steelers. But this would have required Ward being asymptomatic and passing the necessary tests. The third-year corner has not hit the necessary checkpoints, which will leave the Browns shorthanded Sunday night. The NFL found some COVID-19 spread within the Browns but did not move to postpone the AFC North playoff matchup.

However, the Browns will have some players back for their Steelers tilt. The team activated safety Ronnie Harrison, linebacker Malcolm Smith and tight end Harrison Bryant from its virus list. Harrison tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, but the NFL deemed it a false positive, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. Browns corner Terrance Mitchell was held out of practice Friday after testing positive, per Cabot, but that has also since been deemed a false positive.

The returns of Harrison, Smith and Bryant leave Ward, Johnson, Joel Bitonio and KhaDarel Hodge on Cleveland’s COVID list. Several coaches, however, will miss the game. Kevin Stefanski, offensive line coach Bill Callahan, assistant O-line coach Scott Peters, tight ends coach Drew Petzing and DBs coach Jeff Howard are out Sunday night. After coaching the Browns’ wide receivers last week, first-year Cleveland assistant Callie Brownson will coach tight ends this week, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets.

Bills Set To Discuss Josh Allen Extension

January 9th, 2021 at 1:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

With his third regular season complete, Josh Allen is now eligible for what stands to be a monster extension. Despite an uncertain salary cap future, the Bills may be ready to check this key item off their to-do list this year.

The Bills are expected to approach Allen about an extension in the spring or summer, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). Although a cap reduction is expected to occur for just the second time, Allen sits in prime position to become one of the highest-paid American athletes.

Allen’s 2020 season changed his career trajectory. The Bills saw their quarterback morph from an erratic passer into an MVP candidate, giving the franchise a true cornerstone quarterback for the first time since Jim Kelly‘s retirement. And after Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson finalized extensions last year, a new market emerged for superstar quarterbacks.

Allen has not been as consistent as the two 2017 draftees, but his dominant 2020 season — 45 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 yards accounted for — and value to the Bills will point to a deal that eclipses Watson’s $39MM-per-year contract. That pact serves as the ceiling for traditional NFL accords, with Mahomes’ $45MM-AAV deal remaining an outlier due to its 10-year length. As far as traditional QB contracts go, Watson is the only player earning more than $35MM annually.

With the 24-year-old passer under team control through 2022 — via the fifth-year option the Bills will exercise by May — the team will have some time to complete this process. But finalizing an extension in 2021 would stand to save the franchise some money, given where the quarterback market could be headed as the NFL’s long-term cap growth becomes a clearer reality.

Jets Interview Joe Brady For HC Opening

January 9th, 2021 at 12:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Add another name to the list of Jets head coach candidates. The team announced today that they’ve completed their interview with Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Brady, 31, made a name for himself in 2019 when he served as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, helping guide quarterback Joe Burrows, wideout Justin Jefferson, and the Tigers to a record-breaking offensive campaign. That coaching performance led to him becoming a popular name among NFL teams, and he was ultimately hired as the Panthers offensive coordinator last January.

Despite inconsistent quarterback play from Teddy Bridgewater and only three appearances from star running back Christian McCaffrey, Brady still earned praise during his first year in Carolina. Four offensive players ultimately eclipsed 1,000 yards during the 2020 campaign (D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, and Mike Davis).

After proving that he belonged in the NFL, Brady has become a hot name on the head coaching circuit. The Texans, Falcons, and Chargers have interviewed or will interview Brady for their HC vacancies.

A number of names have emerged in New York as potential replacements for former Jets head coach Adam Gase. The team recently interviewed former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and former Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are also among those on the organization’s radar.

Lions, Falcons Expected To Interview Todd Bowles For HC Vacancies

January 9th, 2021 at 11:48am CST by Ben Levine

Todd Bowles will apparently be a popular name on the head-coach circuit. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the Lions requested an interview with the Buccaneers defensive coordinator. The interview hasn’t been scheduled as the two sides await the outcome of Tampa Bay’s playoff game tonight. Garafolo notes that Bowles is also expected to meet with the Falcons about their head coach opening.

Following his stint as HC of the NYJ, Bowles caught on as the defensive coordinator down in Tampa Bay in 2019. His first season in the role saw the unit rank sixth in defensive efficiency, and the team improved to fifth in the same metric in 2020. This year’s squad also ranked top-1o in takeaways, sacks, points allowed per game, and yards allowed per game (all despite having only one Pro Bowl defender in Jason Pierre-Paul). Of course, Bowles defensive prowess isn’t in question; he previously led stellar units in Arizona, and his Jets defenses weren’t all that bad. What was bad was his record as head coach; in four years with the Jets, Bowles had only 24 wins (and that included a 10-win campaign in 2015).

Both the Lions and Falcons are searching for new head coaches following in-season firings to Matt Patricia and Dan Quinn (respectively). Both teams have interviewed Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy and Titans OC Arthur Smith, and they’re both considering their interim coaches (Darrell Bevell and Raheem Morris, respectively). Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald has also emerged as a candidate for both jobs.

For Tampa Bay, it’s sounding like the coaching staff could be seeking a new defensive coordinator once their season has come to an end. Greg Auman of The Athletic opines (on Twitter) that defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers or linebackers coach Larry Foote could take over in Bowles’ stead, although Auman also cautions that either of those coaches could join Bowles’ staff if he’s hired elsewhere.

Cowboys To Interview Joe Whitt Jr. For DC

January 9th, 2021 at 11:16am CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys have a vacancy at defensive coordinator after firing Mike Nolan yesterday, and we’ve now got word on a potential candidate for the opening. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Dallas will interview Falcons coach Joe Whitt Jr. on Sunday. Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets that the interview will take place virtually.

[RELATED: Cowboys Fire Mike Nolan]

Whitt Jr. worked alongside Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy for years in Green Bay, serving as a defensive quality control coach, cornerbacks coach, and (eventually) the defensive passing game coordinator. After spending more than a decade with the organization, Whitt Jr. was let go by Green Bay following McCarthy’s firing, and he landed in Cleveland as their secondary coach and pass game coordinator. After helping the Browns finish top-10 in passing defense during the 2019 campaign, he landed the same gig in Atlanta for the 2020 season.

The Cowboys will be looking to right the ship following a disappointing 2020 campaign where the defense ranked 28th in scoring, 23rd in DVOA, and 31st against the run. As our own Sam Robinson noted, the 218 points the Cowboys allowed through their first six games tied for the third-worst mark in NFL history, and the 473 points Nolan’s defense ceded during the year doubled as the most in the franchise’s 61-year history.

Predictably, Nolan was let go by the organization yesterday after only one year at the helm, with the team also moving on from defensive line coach Jim Tomsula. McCarthy will surely be looking to improve his defense before Jerry Jones runs out of patience with him, as well.

Latest On Broncos GM Search

January 9th, 2021 at 9:11am CST by Ben Levine

It’s going to be a busy day for the Broncos, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the organization will be interviewing three general manager candidates on Saturday. The list of interviewees includes Patriots assistant director of player personnel Dave Ziegler, Saints vice president of pro personnel Terry Fontenot, and Broncos director of college scouting Brian Stark.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard Ziegler connected to Denver’s GM vacancy. We learned earlier this week that the Broncos had requested an interview from New England, and the Patriots apparently consented (despite losing Monti Ossenfort last year and Nick Caserio this year). The 43-year-old Ziegler has risen from the scouting level to director of pro personnel to his current post. The Patriots promoted Ziegler to assistant player personnel director last year.

Promoted from Saints pro scouting director to assistant GM earlier this year, Fontenot has been with New Orleans for 16 years. The 40-year-old was connected to the Jets GM vacancy last offseason, and he’s emerged as a candidate for the Falcons, Lions, and Jaguars gigs in 2021.

Stark appears to be the top internal candidate for the opening. Stark is currently serving as Denver’s director of college scouting, with Mike Klis of 9News in Denver tweeting that the executive “is well-respected in NFL” and considered a “rising football exec” among Broncos brass. Prior to his stint in Denver, Stark served as an offensive coordinator at Yale University.

As our 2021 NFL General Manager Search Tracker shows, this will increase Denver’s search to five candidates, as Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly and Vikings assistant GM George Paton have also been connected to the job. The Broncos are clearly evaluating all of their options as they search for a GM for the first time in 10 years. Earlier this month, John Elway gave up personnel control of the Broncos and moved to the role of President of Football Operations.

QB Dwayne Haskins To Meet With Panthers

January 9th, 2021 at 8:51am CST by Ben Levine

Dwayne Haskins will have his first visit since being unceremoniously cut by Washington last month. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the former first-round quarterback will meet with the Panthers on Monday. We had previously heard of Carolina’s interest, but there was no word on potential visits.

Rapoport describes the meeting as “a fact-finding mission for both sides.” As Joe Person of The Athletic observes on Twitter, the timing is a bit interesting for the Panthers, as the team is currently operating without a general manager. While Matt Rhule previously said he doesn’t want control over personnel decisions, Person believes the head coach may be pushing for this move. Rhule has known Haskins since the quarterback was in high school, and Haskins’ college coach, Ryan Day, previously coached alongside Rhule at Temple.

Further, the Panthers have some question marks at quarterback, so the organization may simply be doing their homework on low-risk acquisitions (Rapoport notes that teams would “likely only pay Haskins the minimum”). Teddy Bridgewater didn’t complete his final appearance of the 2020 season, and Rhule declared that the veteran would need to have a “tremendous offseason” (via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra) in order to definitively retain his gig.

Before getting cut, Haskins was averaging 6.3 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 16 games and 13 starts for Washington. After getting waived, Haskins mutually parted ways with agent David Mulugheta, and he’s since caught on with Goal Line Football agency.

Vikings, Dom Capers To Part Ways

January 8th, 2021 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings and Dom Capers will part ways after a one-season partnership. Capers’ contract will be allowed to expire, with the Vikings announcing he will not be back in 2021.

Minnesota brought the former head coach and longtime Green Bay defensive coordinator in as a senior defensive assistant last year. While roster turnover and injuries gutted Minnesota’s defense, the unit ranked as by far the worst in Mike Zimmer‘s seven-year tenure.

Cuts of Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph preceded free agency defections of Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and Everson Griffen. An injury sidelined Danielle Hunter for the entire 2020 season, and Anthony Barr was lost for most of it. The Vikings traded Yannick Ngakoue soon after as well. The new-look defense ended the year 29th in points allowed and 27th in total defense, though DVOA respected the undermanned unit’s work a bit more (18th).

Capers, 70, spent the 2019 season as a senior defensive assistant in Jacksonville. He came to a Vikings team that had parted ways with defensive coordinator George Edwards and installed Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer — Mike’s son — as co-DCs. The former head coach for multiple expansion teams — the Panthers and Texans — Capers has been an NFL coach since 1986. His most recent role of note was as Packers DC from 2009-17.

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