HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Eric Bieniemy: HC Opportunity Is ‘Going To Happen’ At ‘Right Time’

June 28th, 2021 at 3:50pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There was a lot of talk about Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy this offseason, and how he was left without a head coaching opportunity once again. Bieniemy has become a subject of hot debate in recent offseasons, but one man who isn’t sweating over the wait is Bieniemy himself.

The Andy Reid disciple got interview requests from all seven teams with openings this past cycle, but didn’t get one of the jobs yet again. But the Kansas City assistant isn’t getting caught up in the chatter, telling Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports in a recent interview that he’s just fine with how everything has played out.

“I am blessed and fortunate to be working with a Hall of Fame head coach. On top of that, the quarterback ain’t bad, either” he declared. That might be an understatement. “And we’ve had a great deal of success since we’ve been here. So I’m not complaining at all. Would I like to be a head coach? Yes I would. But you know what, it’s going to happen, at the right place, with the right people, at the right time.”

It’s a mature, and wise, sentiment from the man in charge of one of the most prolific units in recent league history. He’s still only 51, fairly spry by NFL head coaching standards, and doesn’t need to rush into a bad situation.

“At the end of the day like I always tell folks, I don’t allow anything to dictate my outcome or my future,” Bieniemy said. “So the only thing we can do, alright, is to continue going back to work and to continue chopping wood.”

The couple of frustrating years notwithstanding, Bieniemy seems confident he’ll become the next member of the Reid head coaching tree before too long. He’ll almost certainly be a top candidate on the coaching carousel come next January.

 

Royce Freeman On Broncos’ Roster Bubble?

June 28th, 2021 at 2:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Broncos waived DaeSean Hamilton last month, and it appears another high profile member of their 2018 draft class could be out the door before finishing his rookie deal as well.

Royce Freeman is on Denver’s roster bubble and could find himself let go at final cuts, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post writes. The 71st pick of the 2018 draft, Freeman’s career arc so far is a good reminder of the easy come, easy go nature of the NFL. The Oregon product received a ton of buzz during his rookie training camp, and he was named the team’s starting running back before the 2018 season.

He ended up playing in 14 games and starting eight that year, finishing with 130 carries for 521 yards and five touchdowns. He again played a sizable role in 2019, rushing 132 times for 496 yards and adding 43 receptions for another 256 yards.

He quickly fell into Vic Fangio’s doghouse though, and didn’t play a ton last year behind Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay. Even though Lindsay is gone now, O’Halloran notes they just drafted Javonte Williams in the second round and signed Mike Boone in free agency.

Boone got $1.6MM guaranteed from Denver, so he likely isn’t going anywhere. O’Halloran writes Freeman will need to use the preseason to convince new GM George Paton to keep him as a fourth running back, or else he’ll be looking for a new team. Freeman turned 25 in February.

Lamar Jackson Still Without Agent, Mom Partnering On Extension Talks With Ravens

June 28th, 2021 at 12:55pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Just about everybody involved agrees the Ravens and Lamar Jackson are going to get an extension done at some point in the near future. Just recently Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh called it a “done deal” and said Jackson is “going to get paid.”

For his part, the star quarterback has said he doesn’t care whether it gets done this year or next, and all seems well. But the negotiations leading up to this extension are going to be very interesting, in part because Jackson is still operating without an agent, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link via the Pat McAfee show).

Jackson’s mother is his business partner and is serving as his de-facto agent in this process, Rapoport says. They used the same setup to negotiate his rookie deal and that went through without a hitch, although obviously this is a different animal.

Jackson is “seeing the same sort of eyebrows raised from the agent community and from players as well because his mother is doing it,” Rapsheet reports. “The stakes are incredibly high because if you lock yourself into a bad deal you’d be costing yourself tens of millions of dollars.”

Rapoport also notes that the Ravens are often good at getting team-friendly deals done, making this negotiation particularly “fascinating.”

Jackson, and his mother, will surely be looking for a payday in line with the league’s other top passers. Dak Prescott got four-years, $160MM from the Cowboys back in March, which will be an interesting baseline to compare Jackson’s new deal against.

Of course the NFL is different from other leagues, where it’s not just the top-line dollar amount that matters most, but rather the structure of guarantees and other important accounting details. There’s no reason to believe Jackson and his family don’t know what they’re doing, but the unusual setup will ensure his deal is highly scrutinized whenever it comes.

Latest On Brandon Jacobs’ Comeback Bid

June 28th, 2021 at 11:44am CST by Sam Robinson

Last month, Brandon Jacobs surfaced in NFL news for the first time in many years. The former Giants running back said he was training to return to the league — as a defensive end. This comeback bid may have legs.

While Jacobs has not played since the 2013 season and is a week away from turning 39, he said interest has emerged regarding his effort to return to football. Jacobs said three teams have spoken to his agent about bringing him to training camp, according to Keyon Jeff of The Houma Courier.

“I don’t want to throw names out there just yet because I was told not to, but it’ll be a shock,” Jacobs said of a potential landing spot. “If I don’t get an opportunity, it’s fine. I’m currently coaching high school football and running a youth program, which I’m perfectly content with doing the rest of my life.”

The odds are obviously against this comeback, and the one Jacobs’ Giants RB1 predecessor — Tiki Barber — attempted in 2011 did not go far. But Tim Tebow is attempting to complete a similar odyssey, aiming to return to an active roster after having not played since the 2012 season. The quarterback-turned-tight end is 33, however. A workout would certainly need to commence in order for Jacobs to convince a team to sign him.

Jacobs said he is around his former playing weight, approximately 260 pounds, and has been training for multiple months with the purpose of returning to the game. Jacobs’ 6-foot-4 frame did present a daunting tackling task for defenders during a career that included two 1,000-yard seasons and 60 rushing touchdowns. And the two-time Super Bowl champ said one of the reasons he chose Auburn over LSU as a recruit was Nick Saban’s preference he play defensive end instead of running back. While a return to the NFL stands as unlikely, Jacobs landing a training camp gig would certainly make for an interesting storyline.

Demaryius Thomas Announces Retirement

June 28th, 2021 at 10:34am CST by Sam Robinson

Although Demaryius Thomas did not play last season, the Pro Bowl wide receiver said during the 2020 offseason he did not intend to retire. The decorated pass catcher has changed his mind a year later.

Thomas announced Monday he will walk away after a 10-year career (video link). The former first-round pick played for the Broncos, Texans, and Jets — with a short stopover with the Patriots — from 2010-19. While the 33-year-old receiver donned four uniforms, he will be remembered primarily for his work in Denver.

Despite coming out of a run-heavy system at Georgia Tech, the 6-foot-3 wideout became one of the NFL’s top receivers in the 2010s. Thomas made four Pro Bowls while with the Broncos and operated as the team’s No. 1 receiver throughout Peyton Manning‘s time in Denver. Thomas reeled off five straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2012-16, and that period doubled as the second-highest peak in Broncos franchise history.

Shortly after trading Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins, the Broncos drafted Thomas in the 2010 first round. Injuries slowed the big-bodied target to start his career, but he did not miss a game for six full seasons after starting the 2011 slate late because of an offseason Achilles tear. Thomas proved essential for Denver’s unorthodox Tim Tebow-directed attack in 2011, and his 80-yard walk-off touchdown — to cap a 204-yard performance — against the Steelers in the wild-card round doubles as one of this era’s signature plays.

Following Manning’s 2012 arrival, Thomas played a centerpiece role for a Broncos team that earned three No. 1 seeds in four years. He teamed with Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas on a talented pass-catching corps in 2013, when the Manning-piloted offense set the NFL single-season scoring record (606 points) en route to Super Bowl XLVIII. Thomas led that team in receiving and caught a career-high 14 touchdown passes. In 2014, he posted a career-most 1,619 yards. This drove the Broncos to give him a five-year, $70MM extension — which occurred within minutes of Dez Bryant‘s identical deal at the 2015 franchise tag deadline. That season, which featured a noticeable Manning decline, Thomas’ 1,304 receiving yards paced the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos.

Thomas played four seasons on that deal, finishing it out in Houston. The Broncos ended Thomas’ eight-plus-year tenure at the 2018 trade deadline, sending him to the Texans. Later that season, Thomas suffered another Achilles tear — which preceded his release from Houston. Thomas finished his career with former Broncos OC Adam Gase, playing an auxiliary role for the 2019 Jets. Thomas’ 9,055 receiving yards and 60 touchdown receptions rank second in Broncos history — behind only Rod Smith.

Dolphins Hesitant On New Howard Deal

June 28th, 2021 at 9:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Flores described Xavien Howard‘s minicamp holdout as a unique situation, and the veteran cornerback is believed to be entrenched in his pursuit of a new contract. The Dolphins do not appear eager to meet his demand.

Howard’s camp approached the Dolphins to communicate the five-year veteran’s desire for a new contract that at least pays him more than teammate Byron Jones, but the team is hesitant to redo the All-Pro’s deal, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com notes. This pause stems from the franchise having given Howard a then-cornerback-record contract two years ago. Four years remain on Howard’s five-year, $75.25MM pact.

The Dolphins paying Howard again so soon would certainly set an unusual precedent, and although the NFL’s first 10-INT player in 13 seasons has proven to be a consistent ballhawk, he has battled both injuries and an off-field issue. A domestic battery charge against Howard ended up being dropped, but the Dolphins dealt with that issue cropping up after a 2019 season in which the veteran corner missed 11 games. Howard also missed nine games as a rookie and four in 2018. Of course, in that 12-game 2018 season, Howard led the NFL with seven INTs.

Following Howard’s $15.1MM-per-year extension, the cornerback market moved for the first time in many years. Jones, Tre’Davious White, Marlon Humphrey and Jalen Ramsey signed for more than Howard in 2020; Ramsey’s $20MM-AAV accord leads all corners. The Dolphins gave Jones a five-year, $82.5MM pact last March. Jones’ deal came with $46MM fully guaranteed, which leads all NFL corners. Howard signed for $27.2MM fully guaranteed, which is ninth at the position.

Miami could opt to restructure Howard’s deal to provide additional bonus money now, or the team could piece together an incentive package for its top turnover producer. During Flores’ final year with the Patriots, the team agreed to incentive compromises with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Also in 2018, the Broncos gave Chris Harris an incentive package. In 2019, after Denver signed Kareem Jackson to make him the team’s highest-paid DB, the team gave Harris a raise. But this involved a contract that was set to expire at season’s end, so only part of Harris’ previous situation applies to Howard’s.

The Dolphins have discussed Howard in trades over the past year but set a high asking price for him. It will be interesting to see if they end up revisiting trade talks, in the event Howard does not show for training camp. The CBA limits his options for a holdout at that point of the calendar.

This Date In Transactions History: Chiefs’ Tamba Hali Retires

June 27th, 2021 at 9:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Today marks the three year anniversary of Tamba Hali‘s retirement. The linebacker’s 12-year run with the Chiefs ended earlier that offseason, when the team released him outright. A few months later, he decided against starting over with a new club. 

“I just need to continue to work out and do my music,” Hali said. “I don’t want to focus too much on football. I don’t see myself getting back into football. I see myself being involved with the Chiefs somehow, maybe as a specialist being able to teach the guys. I don’t want to lie to myself. I think the time has come.”

Hali began his 2017 season the PUP list and didn’t do much upon his return. The Liberian linebacker appeared in just five games, made zero starts, and did not record a sack. Clearly, that wasn’t in line with his usual work.

Hali left the Chiefs as the team’s No. 2 all-time sacker, behind only Derrick Thomas. The 2006 first-round pick went on to earn five consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2011-15, notching many of his 89.5 sacks during that stretch. In reality, he should have been a Pro Bowler in 2010, too – that’s when he set a new personal watermark with 14.5 QB takedowns. Unfortunately, his 2016 season wasn’t quite as memorable — Hali nabbed just 3.5 sacks and started only twice.

The 6’3″ edge rusher admitted that he was tempted to return — he was still only 34 and just 10.5 sacks shy of an even 100 sacks. Still, he said he was content with his overall body of work. With that, Hali took to the studio and started training jiu-jitsu under the instruction of Rener Gracie. Now, after rolling around with the likes of Lyoto Machida, Hali has a purple belt to go with the rest of his accolades.

5 Key Stories: 6/20/21 – 6/27/21

June 27th, 2021 at 2:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Been busy? Let’s get you caught up with a look back at some of the NFL’s biggest stories from the past week:

  • The drama between Aaron Rodgers and the Packers continues. Lately, there’s been speculation that the quarterback could opt out of the season, saving him millions in fines should he choose to skip 2021. However, that’s not likely to happen. The deadline for Rodgers and the rest of the NFL players will come this week, on July 2.
  • The Jets made a serious upgrade to their offensive line this week, signing longtime Washington starter Morgan Moses to man the right tackle position. Ron Rivera & Co. chose cap room over having the veteran, but the Jets got him at a reasonable rate — it’s a one-year, $3.6MM deal with incentives that can take him up to $5.3MM. According to Pro Football Focus, 2020 might have been Moses’ best year yet — he placed top-20 for tackles, up from so-so scores across 2017-2019. Barring any surprises, he’ll start at RT across from Mekhi Becton with George Fant and Chuma Edoga coming off the bench.
  • The Steelers also continued their offensive line shakeup, parting ways with longtime guard David DeCastro. In his place, they signed former Pro Bowler Trai Turner. Turner, 28, comes to Pittsburgh with 89 career starts, making him the most senior member of the offensive line. The Steelers saved about $8MM by cutting DeCastro and spent ~$3MM to ink Turner. DeCastro, by his own admission, is still struggling with a chronic ankle issue. If Turner is healthy, it’s a clear win for the Steelers — they’ll have upgraded their interior while pocketing about $5MM in savings.
  • Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard hasn’t backed down from his contract demands. He’s “dug in,” per one report, even though he has four years to go on his contract. Last year, Howard graded out as the second-best corner in the league, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. Meanwhile, his $15MM AAV places him as just the sixth-highest paid cornerback in football, one spot behind teammate Byron Jones.
  • The Browns also have some business to take care of with Baker Mayfield, but they’ve yet to exchange figures. For what it’s worth, both sides are preaching patience. Besides, Mayfield would be comfortable waiting — fellow draft classmates Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson could be on the verge of $40MM/year extensions, raising the roof on his own asking price.

PFR Originals: Patriots, Bucs, Broncos

June 27th, 2021 at 2:17pm CST by Zachary Links

In case you missed it, here’s a look back at some of our recent originals:

Vikings S Harrison Smith On Contract Situation

June 27th, 2021 at 12:12pm CST by Rory Parks

Vikings safety Harrison Smith is entering the final year of the five-year, $51.25MM extension he signed in July 2016. There have been no public reports of contract talks between Smith and the Vikes, and reading between the lines of recent comments Smith made to reporters, it doesn’t sound like substantive discussions have taken place.

“I don’t have a solid answer for you, but obviously I’ve been here going on 10 [seasons] and would love to be here in the future,” Smith said (via Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune). “Going to look at those things and see what we can do. That’s about it right now.”

2020 was a difficult year for the Minnesota defense. The team was among the league’s worst in terms of points allowed per game and net yards per pass attempt, and Smith frequently had to cover for his less experienced teammates in the secondary. The Vikings made a concerted effort to address their deficiencies in that regard, adding veterans Patrick Peterson, Mackensie Alexander, Bashaud Breeland, and Xavier Woods to the defensive backfield.

Despite the influx of new pieces, the hope is that the full traditional offseason program of 2021 will allow those pieces to gel in a way that just wasn’t possible last year in the COVID-marred landscape. However, all of the new free agent acquisitions are working on one-year deals, and given Smith’s current status as a free agent-to-be, the Vikings could be looking at another major secondary overhaul in 2022.

An extension for Smith would help to add some stability to that outlook, but it’s not as though stability is the only thing that Smith offers. Though he is now 32 and saw his streak of five consecutive Pro Bowl nods come to an end last year, he still managed to intercept five passes, which tied a career-high mark. His tackle numbers (89 total takedowns) were in line with what they have been throughout his career, and he continues to be an advanced metrics darling, having graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 14th-best safety out of 94 qualifiers.

The safety market dipped considerably after Smith inked his big-money deal, but it is once again on the rise. Although the Notre Dame product might not get the $15MM+ AAV that currently tops the market, another typical season should put him in line for a multi-year pact with an eight-figure annual average.

Whether such a deal comes from the Vikings or another club remains to be seen. After all, Minnesota was open to trading Smith at last year’s deadline, though rival clubs were not keen to part with draft capital to acquire his services.

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