HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21

January 2nd, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
  • Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Promoted: DB John Brannon

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Jaguars Expected To Fire Doug Marrone, Target Urban Meyer

January 2nd, 2021 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

After coaching a depleted team that ended up losing 14 straight games — and securing the 2021 No. 1 overall pick — Doug Marrone is expected to be fired. The Jaguars are planning to end Marrone’s four-plus-season tenure after Week 17, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

Although the Jags have not made a final decision, Marrone narrowly avoided an ouster after the 2019 season. The team has since fired GM Dave Caldwell, and seeing a coach hang onto his job after a 14-game losing streak would obviously be quite unusual.

The team appears to be moving fast on Marrone’s replacement, eyeing Urban Meyer. The former Florida and Ohio State coach has already begun lining up a staff, according to Rapoport, who adds the ex-national champion expects to land the Jacksonville job.

At least two teams have reached out to Meyer about a head coaching role; the Jaguars certainly appear to be one of the two. Meyer, who has a history of spurning interest or leaving posts abruptly, has not committed to coaching in 2021, Rapoport adds.

Two of Meyer’s three national championships came in north Florida, when he led the Gators to titles in 2006 and ’08. This would make Jacksonville a logical landing spot. A greater interest has emerged in the Jaguars job due to the expected arrival of Clemson phenom Trevor Lawrence. Meyer has landed on other NFL teams’ radars in the past, but this time his interest in the pros appears genuine. Meyer, 56, stepped down multiple times at Florida and left his Ohio State post — at which he claimed a third national championship — in 2019.

If Meyer again ends up declining a path to the pros, the Jaguars have another option in mind. In this scenario, the Jags, per Rapoport (on Twitter), would target Meyer’s Ohio State successor — Ryan Day. Unlike Meyer, Day has NFL experience. He served as QBs coach for the 2015 Eagles and 2016 49ers. Both those gigs came under Chip Kelly, and those respective organizations cleaned house after each of those campaigns. Day, 41, has been at Ohio State since 2017, rising to their head coaching position in 2019. Day will coach Ohio State in the upcoming national championship game.

Marrone’s first full Jacksonville season went better than just about anyone could have expected. The Blake Bortles-quarterbacked team ventured to the AFC championship game, upsetting the Steelers in Round 2. The Jags nearly pulled off a bigger upset but squandered a late lead against the Patriots. Everything went downhill from there. After an ill-fated Bortles extension backfired, the Jags did not come close to competing for a playoff spot again under Marrone.

The team fired executive VP Tom Coughlin before last season ended, and while ownership kept the Caldwell-Marrone duo in place, the Jaguars purged most of the players from their 2017 squad from the roster. Even after trading the likes of Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue, the Jags placed many of their new starters on IR. This helped key the 14-game skid that ended up securing the franchise the No. 1 overall pick. Jacksonville holds two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, and a new coach will be in charge of attempting to resurrect a franchise that has not made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since the 1990s.

Cowboys Activate G Zack Martin From IR

January 2nd, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having re-emerged from 3-9 to remain in contention for the NFC East title, the Cowboys could have their perennial All-Pro guard back if they make the playoffs.

The team activated Zack Martin off IR on Saturday, after reopening his 21-day activation window earlier this week. But the seventh-year standout is not yet ready to return. Martin will not travel with the Cowboys for their Week 17 game against the Giants, but Jerry Jones said a postseason return is in play.

“In the future, we could push it and it would give us a dramatic upgrade and it really is the reason for a real optimistic thought about what happens if we could get in the playoffs,” Jones said during an interview with 105.3 The Fan (via the Dallas Morning News). “It’s a real, valid, tangible thing to hang your hat on.”

Martin has missed the past four games with a calf injury, one that was set to end his season. But the Cowboys will carry the six-time Pro Bowler on their active roster for Week 17 and perhaps beyond. A four-time first-team All-Pro, Martin has seen time at tackle this season as well. The Cowboys are already down Tyron Smith and La’el Collins for the season, but Martin’s return would be an obvious boon for their chances at a playoff upset — if they are to qualify.

The team has won three straight games to move into this position. A Cowboys win over the Giants and an Eagles win over Washington would secure Dallas an unlikely NFC East title.

Alex Smith Expected To Start In Week 17

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

Washington’s prospects of securing its first playoff berth since 2015 are set to improve. The team is planning to start Alex Smith on Sunday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Smith managed two limited practices this week, but Rapoport notes the 16th-year quarterback is feeling fine going into Washington’s win-and-in Week 17 assignment. Ron Rivera said Smith was close to playing last week. That not coming to pass ended up inducing an organizational shakeup.

Dwayne Haskins is no longer with the franchise, with Washington dropping its Week 16 starter and 2019 first-round pick the morning after he was benched. Haskins is now a free agent. A Washington roster that housed Haskins, Case Keenum and an injured Smith last year is down to just Smith, who underwent 17 surgeries to repair a broken right leg and is attempting to surmount a right calf injury. Taylor Heinicke, who replaced Haskins last week, stands to be Smith’s backup Sunday.

Nearly a lock for Comeback Player of the Year acclaim, Smith has started five games this season. Washington is 4-1 in those contests and 2-8 with Haskins or Kyle Allen starting. Smith, 36, has thrown four touchdown passes and six interceptions while averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. He will, however, face an Eagles defense that will be missing Fletcher Cox and Derek Barnett. Now-eliminated Philly also ruled out Miles Sanders, Dallas Goedert and DeSean Jackson.

Eagles Expected To Retain Doug Pederson

January 2nd, 2021 at 2:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles’ disappointing season will not impede Doug Pederson from making it to a sixth year with the franchise. Pederson is expected to stay on as Eagles HC next season, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com report.

Philadelphia’s three-season playoff run crash-landing into a 4-10-1 showing, headlined by Carson Wentz‘s demotion, put Pederson’s job in jeopardy. But the Super Bowl-winning coach will have a chance to dig the team out of this hole.

While the Eagles will have a new defensive coordinator, with Jim Schwartz set to depart, their offensive point man will attempt to pick up the pieces. Pederson, 52, does have a meeting with Jeffrey Lurie set for Tuesday, however, per ESPN. It sounds like more changes are coming to Philly’s staff as well.

After the Eagles lost each of their starting wide receivers late last season, the team’s Pederson-Wentz setup still lifted the squad to the NFC East title — beating a much healthier Cowboys team to secure it — and played Seattle close in the playoffs despite Wentz’s injury. However, the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in Round 2 — a decision that reportedly affected Wentz’s confidence — and inserted him into their starting lineup after Wentz could not curtail his poor play. Wentz has expressed disappointment in how Pederson handled the benching, but as of mid-December, the Eagles were not planning to trade their recently extended quarterback. It would cost them more than $40MM to do so.

Pederson oversaw one of the most surprising playoff runs in modern NFL history three years ago, lifting the Eagles to three playoff upsets (by point spread) and doing so with Nick Foles. Pederson and then-OC Frank Reich reorganized Philly’s offense after Wentz’s injury, and Foles earned Super Bowl LII MVP honors. However, Reich’s departure for Indianapolis stung Philadelphia’s offense. Pederson has made changes to his offensive staff since, firing Reich’s replacement — Mike Groh — after last season and not hiring a new OC this year.

The Eagles, who suffered a rash of injuries at wideout and on their once-top-tier offensive line, have dropped from 11th to 26th in points scored this season. Even with this surprising season, Pederson is 42-36-1 during his Eagles tenure.

It will be interesting to see if non-Schwartz big-picture changes take place in Philly. The team has consistently been able to add pieces each offseason under Howie Roseman, helping lead to the Super Bowl title. But the team is projected to be well north of the to-be-determined 2021 salary cap, which will make it difficult for the Eagles to upgrade through free agency in March. But as of now, the Pederson-Roseman power structure looks to remain in place.

Joe Haden Tests Positive For COVID-19

January 2nd, 2021 at 1:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers look to be without another key defender to start the playoffs. Joe Haden tested positive for COVID-19, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports.

Already down Bud Dupree and Devin Bush for the season’s remainder, the Steelers now face the prospect of playing without their most proven cornerback to start the playoffs. Haden is out for Week 17 against the Browns and, due to the 10-day isolation period required after a positive coronavirus test, the 11th-year cornerback would not be able to return for the Steelers’ wild-card game.

Shortly after the Browns released Haden in 2017, the former first-round pick bounced back with the Steelers. He has signed two Pittsburgh contracts and returned to the Pro Bowl. Haden’s arrival helped key a Steelers late-2010s defensive resurgence, and the AFC North champions have relied on that unit this season. But the team will not be close to full strength defensively when it opens the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 3 or No. 2 seed next week.

Haden’s three-year Steelers extension runs through next season, though the 31-year-old defender’s cap number spikes from $9.6MM to $15.6MM in 2021. He has started 56 games since signing with the Steelers, including 14 this season. On 79 targets this season, Haden has allowed a 50.6 completion percentage; Pro Football Focus grades him 45th overall among corners.

In addition to Haden being out for a game the Steelers are not exactly going all-out to win, the team will sit T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Maurkice Pouncey. The Steelers declared Ben Roethlisberger out earlier this week.

Washington Extends C Chase Roullier

January 2nd, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ahead of the final game of Chase Roullier‘s rookie contract, Washington finalized a deal to keep its center long-term. Roullier is now signed through the 2024 season.

The team announced the fourth-year center’s four-year extension Saturday. He joins right tackle Morgan Moses as WFT blockers signed to veteran deals beyond 2021. Roullier’s deal is worth $40.5MM, $19.5MM of which being guaranteed at signing, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).

Moving into Washington’s starting lineup midway through his rookie season, Roullier took over for previous pivot Spencer Long. Washington found Long in Round 3; the franchise nabbed Roullier in the 2017 sixth round. Roullier has started 52 games, including 15 this season.

This season, Roullier took a step forward. Blocking for four quarterbacks, Roullier has graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 overall center — a noticeable jump from his previous work. This level jump certainly instilled faith in Washington’s new regime. Moses is signed through the 2022 slate. It will now be interesting to see how the Ron Rivera-led operation handles Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, who is finishing up a season on the franchise tag.

Eagles DC Jim Schwartz Sitting Out 2021 Season

January 2nd, 2021 at 12:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Jim Schwartz is stepping away from football, at least temporarily. Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports that the Eagles defensive coordinator will let his contract expire at the end of the season and will “take a year off from coaching.”

According to Pelissero, the Eagles had approached the 54-year-old about an extension. However, after undergoing hip and eye surgeries, Schwartz believed this was a good time to take a break. While the report notes that Schwartz “will contemplate retirement,” it also sounds like he’s keeping his options open for future opportunities.

Schwartz got his first NFL opportunity in 1993 when he served as a scout on Bill Belichick‘s staff in Cleveland. Following a stint with the Ravens, Schwartz ended up catching on in Tennessee. After starting as a defensive assistant, he made his way up to linebackers coach and eventually defensive coordinator, a role he held for eight seasons.

Schwartz got a crack at head coaching in 2009 when he was hired by the Lions. He finished with an ugly 29-51 record during his five seasons in Detroit, although he did make the postseason with third-year quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2011. He was fired by the Lions following the 2013 campaign, and he was subsequently signed as the defensive coordinator in Buffalo. The Bills had a top-five defense during that 2014 season, but he wasn’t retained when Rex Ryan took over as head coach following the campaign.

Schwartz was hired as Philly’s defensive coordinator in 2016. The veteran coach played a major role in turning around a porous defense, and he earned a Super Bowl ring after guiding the defense in 2017.

This Date In Transactions History: Bengals Sign HC Marvin Lewis To Two-Year Extension

January 2nd, 2021 at 11:07am CST by Ben Levine

On this date in 2018, Cincinnati fans weren’t too high on Marvin Lewis. The Bengals head coach had just missed the postseason for the second-straight season, but it’s not like anyone would have had much faith in the team had they found a way to sneak into the playoffs. After all, Lewis had (and still has) his infamous 0-7 playoff record, with the head coach guiding the organization to first-round exits every year between the 2011 and 2015 campaigns.

So, with the team having only won 13 combined games between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, it only seemed natural to move on from Lewis, right? Nah. Instead, on January 2nd, 2018, the Bengals signed Lewis to a two-year extension that would last through the 2019 campaign. As an aside, Lewis had traditionally inked one-year extensions with the organization, so the two-year pact was met with plenty of ire.

A Bleacher Report article said the extension was a “commitment to mediocrity,” while Will Brinson of CBS Sports described the move as “stunning.” If you want a take on fan reactions, you can check out the comments section of our own article.

Lewis and the organization didn’t do much to calm fans’ nerves when discussing the extension. The coach acknowledged that he probably would have been fired in any other city (per USA Today), while Bengals President Mike Brown admitted that the team had recently “fallen short of our expectations.”

“My job is to win a World Championship,” Lewis said in a statement that day. “We have a talented roster full of veteran leaders and emerging young stars, and I am committed to making the necessary improvements to put this team in the best position to win.”

Critics of the extension were punching air through the five weeks of the 2018 season. With Lewis serving as the second longest-tenured head coach in the NFL (behind Bill Belichick), the Bengals held the top spot in the AFC North with a 4-1 record, and they entered their bye week at 5-3. Then the wheels fell off. The Bengals dropped five consecutive contests and finished the season with a 6-10 record. Raise your hand if you know what happened next. The Bengals and Lewis decided to mutually part ways with a year remaining on the coach’s contract.

Cincinnati bottomed out in 2019 with new head coach Zac Taylor at the helm, allowing them to snag Joe Burrow with the top pick. Lewis hasn’t really committed to returning to the NFL, but he’s still been connected to a number of openings. Over the past few years, Lewis has been linked to head coaching gigs in Washington and Dallas, and he interviewed for the lead position with the Texans in late December. The 62-year-old has been on the Arizona State coaching staff for the past two seasons.

When the extensions was signed three years ago today, Lewis and the Bengals organization probably weren’t envisioning their present-day status. Everyone else? I think we all saw this coming.

WR Kenny Stills Expected To Sign With Bills

January 2nd, 2021 at 10:14am CST by Ben Levine

After auditioning for the Bills earlier this week, veteran wideout Kenny Stills will be joining the team. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that Stills is planning to sign with Buffalo. The receiver will start undergoing COVID-19 testing, and “the team hopes he can start practicing as soon as next week.”

A part of the Laremy Tunsil/Dolphins trade, Stills was solid during his first season in Houston, and he appeared in both of the Texans playoff contests. However, the 28-year-old was cut by the Texans back in November after hauling in only 11 receptions in his 10 appearances. Between the 2016 and 2019 campaigns, Stills averaged 44 receptions for 672 yards and six touchdowns per season, so there’s a good chance he still has something left in the tank.

While John Brown is set to return to the lineup following a lengthy absence, fellow Bills wideout Cole Beasley suffered a knee injury during the Bills’ Week 16 win over the Patriots. Head coach Sean McDermott described the injury as “week-to-week” (per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques), and the wideout has already been ruled out for tomorrow’s regular season finale.

McDermott also said the team’s interest in Stills wasn’t related to the Beasley injury, meaning the veteran addition could end up playing a role alongside Brown, Beasley, and top receiver Stefon Diggs. Wideout Gabriel Davis and return man Andre Roberts seem to also have secure roles in Buffalo, but the Stills signing could end up pushing the likes of Isaiah McKenzie off the roster.

Load More Posts