HEADLINES

Year: 2024

Jason Garrett In Lead For Duke HC Job?

December 10th, 2021 at 6:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:30pm: It turns out Garrett will not win out for this position. Duke is set to hire Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko as head coach, Yahoo.com’s Pete Thamel tweets.

2:00pm: After having David Cutcliffe in place for 14 years as head coach, Duke may well be zeroing in on a longtime NFL staffer to lead its program. Jason Garrett is viewed as the frontrunner to land the Blue Devils’ head coaching gig, ESPN’s Suzy Kolber tweets.

The recently dismissed Giants offensive coordinator has been connected to the ACC position this week, moving quickly after an in-season firing. This would be Garrett’s first college coaching job. Garrett, 55, played collegiately at Princeton and Columbia in the 1980s.

A quarterback in the NFL and CFL from 1989-2004, Garrett caught on with the Dolphins as an assistant in 2005. He became the Cowboys’ OC within two years and then landed Dallas’ HC job on a full-time basis in 2011. That tenure lasted nine seasons, with Garrett going 85-67.

While Garrett’s role became scrutinized, he led the Cowboys to three divisional-round berths from 2014-18. The ex-Cowboys QB oversaw Tony Romo and Dak Prescott‘s development, though the team was frequently criticized for underachieving during Garrett’s later years.

Garrett interviewed for the Chargers’ HC job last year but stayed on in his Giants play-calling post for a second season in 2021. A John Mara preference to join Joe Judge‘s staff in 2020, Garrett did not last through his second season with Judge. Former Buccaneers and Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken, currently Georgia’s OC, is among the other names who have been connected to the position, according to Steve Wiseman of the Raleigh News and Observer.

AFC Rumors: Jags, Judon, Raiders, Browns

December 10th, 2021 at 6:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Less than a year into the Jaguars‘ Urban Meyer–Trent Baalke partnership, the two power brokers may not be seeing eye to eye. Some tension has surfaced between the new coworkers, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. This is certainly not the first sign of trouble for the Meyer regime in Jacksonville. A host of controversies and/or scrutinized decisions have emerged this year, peaking with the first-year NFL HC’s decision not to fly back to Jacksonville with the team earlier this season, and the Jags are now 2-10. They have seen their offense, led by prized QB prospect Trevor Lawrence, struggle for most of the season. The Jaguars are averaging just 10.6 points per game over their six contests since their bye week, inviting speculation about assistants’ job security. Baalke, the ex-49ers GM whom the Jags named to the same position shortly after tabbing Meyer to lead their latest rebuild, might not be on solid ground either. While Meyer being a one-and-done is far from certain, the former national championship-winning coach’s first season has gone about as badly as possible.

Here is the latest from around the AFC:

  • The Patriots’ Matt Judon deal has become one of the best from this past free agency period, with the ex-Ravens edge rusher having amassed a career-high 12.5 sacks. Deviating from its usual lower-key free agency strategy, New England moved quickly to land Judon on a four-year, $54.5MM accord. Prior to this agreement, Judon gave the Ravens a chance to match it, La Canfora writes. Judon had told teammates he did not want to leave Baltimore, JLC adds, though he had said in February everything would have to line up for him to stay. The Ravens, who have let several edge rushers walk to recoup compensatory picks, opted to retool at the position again. After letting let both Judon and Yannick Ngakoue leave, the Ravens drafted Odafe Oweh in Round 1 and signed Justin Houston on a low-cost deal.
  • Jaguars tight ends coach Tyler Bowen is set to become Virginia Tech’s offensive coordinator, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com reports. Bowen, 32, is in his first season with the Jags. He had previously worked with new Hokies HC Brent Pry at Penn State, being a Nittany Lions assistant from 2018-20.
  • The Raiders figure to have several new staffers next year, with GM Mike Mayock and interim HC Rich Bisaccia far from assured they will be back. But the team will not be parting with Marcel Reece. The former Oakland fullback will be staying on as a senior adviser to Mark Davis, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Reece, who played for the Raiders for nine seasons (2008-16), has been in his current role since 2020. He figures to play a role in the franchise’s coaching search as well.
  • A.J. Cole joined Daniel Carlson in signing extensions to keep the Raiders’ current kicking corps intact long-term. The young punter signed a four-year deal worth $12.4MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Cole, who will receive $5.9MM guaranteed, is now one of the NFL’s five highest-paid punters.
  • Greg Newsome suffered a concussion on the final play of Browns practice Friday, Jeff Schudel of the Lorain Morning Journal tweets. Cleveland’s first-round pick is out for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. The Browns do have an experienced option to elevate into their starting lineup, with Greedy Williams having been a regular starter as a rookie in 2019. Pro Football Focus grades Williams, who has played 45% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps, as a top-20 corner this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/10/21

December 10th, 2021 at 5:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Football Team

Texans Likely To Retain David Culley In 2022

December 10th, 2021 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Three AFC teams have been outscored by at least 140 points this season, but the Texans lead the pack (and the NFL) with a minus-159 point differential. David Culley‘s debut is tracking toward finishing with the worst margin of defeat in franchise history.

That said, the Texans — at the start of a potentially long rebuild and navigating a complex Deshaun Watson situation — were expected to be one of the NFL’s worst teams. And they are likely to bring back their head coach for a second season, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (ESPN+ link).

[RELATED: Texans To Start Davis Mills]

Culley, 66, was an unexpected hire due to his age and lack of connection to other teams during this past HC hiring period. Only the Texans interviewed the ex-Ravens wide receivers coach. Houston GM Nick Caserio then proceeded to fill the roster with numerous midlevel free agents, some of whom have since been traded or cut, on short-term deals. Culley was also tasked with an awkward transition from Watson, who requested a trade before 22 criminal and civil suits alleging sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct emerged.

Houston’s job would not exactly be appealing were it to become available again in 2022, so keeping Culley — who was given a five-year contract in January — makes sense. That said, Caserio might have another plan in mind ahead of the next phase of the team’s rebuild. The first-year GM has eyed one unnamed coach since before accepting the Texans job, Albert Breer of SI.com adds. Given the rumors of Caserio and Josh McDaniels being a package deal elsewhere in previous offseasons, the longtime Patriots OC would certainly be a reasonable guess as the ex-New England exec’s preference for a longer-term option.

If the Texans can unload Watson before the draft, that would do well to accelerate their rebuild. The team still has a shot at the 2022 No. 1 overall pick, but the Lions (1-11-1) still lead the way with five weeks to go. Joining the Jaguars at 2-10, the Texans landing a top-five choice is a near-certainty. Because of trades by the previous Houston regime, the team did not have first- or second-round picks in the 2021 draft.

Buccaneers Activate Richard Sherman

December 10th, 2021 at 3:04pm CST by Ben Levine

FRIDAY: Sherman is set to make his return in Week 14. Two days after opening his IR-return window, the Bucs activated the 11th-year veteran cornerback. He has not played since Week 6, joining Davis and Murphy-Bunting in missing a sizable chunk of Tampa Bay’s season. All three are set to be in uniform when the defending champions face the Bills on Sunday.

WEDNESDAY: Richard Sherman‘s return is imminent. The Buccaneers designated the cornerback to return from IR today.

Sherman suffered a grade 2 calf sprain back in mid-November, leading to his placement on injured reserve. With today’s move, the Buccaneers will now have 21 days to activate the defensive back to their active roster.

Sherman joined the Buccaneers in late September, and he made his debut for Tampa Bay in Week 4. He started each of his three games for Tampa Bay, collecting 11 tackles and one fumble recovery. The 33-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during Week 6, and he was expected to return to the field for Tampa’s Week 10 game against Washington. However, the veteran suffered an injury prior to the game, sidelining him for an extra few weeks.

The Buccaneers have dealt with their fair share of cornerbacks injuries this season. Starters Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis were sidelined for months, but the duo have since returned to the lineup. With Sherman back, the team’s cornerbacks corps should be fully healthy. In fact, head coach Bruce Arians suggested that Sherman could end up playing some safety for the squad down the stretch.

“That’s the beauty of having Sherm here is he’s a veteran player who can play a lot of positions,” Arians said this week (via The Athletic). “We’re looking this week to see if that’s a fit for us.”

Raiders’ Richie Incognito Not Expected To Play This Season

December 10th, 2021 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Richie Incognito remains a Raider, but the veteran guard has not played since September 2020. It does not look like the would-be Las Vegas starter will suit up at all this season.

Rich Bisaccia said Friday it is unlikely the 38-year-old blocker returns from injury before season’s end, via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed (on Twitter). Incognito has been on the Raiders’ IR list since late September, this time with a calf injury.

A foot injury led to Incognito missing 14 games last season. He underwent surgery and ended up being released amid the Raiders’ March overhaul of their veteran-laden offensive line. However, the team brought back the controversial O-lineman on a lower-cost deal. Incognito was expected to return as a starter this season, but the ensuing calf issue scuttled those plans.

Re-signed to a $2.1MM deal, Incognito is not signed beyond 2021. Given his recent run of injuries, the prospect of the former Pro Bowler suiting up for another NFL game is in doubt. A Pro Bowler with the Dolphins and Bills during the 2010s, Incognito caught on with the Raiders in 2019 — after missing a second full season in 2018 — and played well. He has started all 164 regular-season games he’s played as a pro.

The Raiders lost both Incognito and his 2020 replacement, Denzelle Good, to injuries. Good suffered a torn ACL in Las Vegas’ opener. Second-year man John Simpson and first-round rookie Alex Leatherwood, converted quickly from right tackle, have been the team’s primary guard starters this season.

Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton To Enter NFL Draft

December 10th, 2021 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Kyle Hamilton is going pro. On Friday, the Notre Dame safety confirmed that he will forgo the rest of his eligibility to enter the 2022 NFL Draft. 

[RELATED: Arkansas WR Treylon Burks Declares For NFL Draft]

Hamilton, long been pegged as a potential Top 10 pick, will also skip the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State in order to protect his pro career. The 6’4″ safety has been lauded for his range, versatility, and advanced football IQ. Even scouts who have kept a watchful eye on him tend to forget that he’s still only 20 years of age and won’t turn 21 until March.

Hamilton posted 34 tackles, three interceptions, and four passes defensed in just seven games. He should impress even more at the combine when he displays his reported 40-inch vertical leap.

Along with Hamilton, Notre Dame will also lose running back Kyren Williams to the draft. Williams impressed with over 1,000 rushing yards this season and 4.9 yards-per-carry on average. He also added 42 grabs for 359 yards and three receiving TDs for good measure.

Texans To Start Davis Mills

December 10th, 2021 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

Davis Mills will start the rest of the way for the Texans, head coach David Culley announced on Friday (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). That means Tyrod Taylor will serve as the backup quarterback starting this week, when the Texans host the Seahawks. 

It’s been a trying week for Taylor, who hyperextended his left wrist last Sunday against the Colts. Even though that’s his non-throwing arm, handoffs and snaps proved to be challenging. Taylor exited in the third quarter after going 5-of-13 for 45 yards and one interception. Mills, meanwhile, completed 6-of-14 of his throws for 49 yards. None of those passes achieved much in the end — the Texans lost 31-0, dropping them to 2-10 on the year.

Mills has made six starts for the Texans this year, filling in for Taylor when he was on IR. To date, he’s got a 65.5% completion percentage with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. Unless he really shines in the coming weeks, he’s unlikely to return as the Texans’ starter in 2022. If the season ended today, the Texans would own the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, behind the No. 1 Lions and No. 2 Jaguars — ample ammo to select, or trade down for, one of this year’s top QBs.

Taylor, meanwhile, will be a free agent when his one-year deal expires in March. His pact could have been worth up to $12.5MM via incentives, but the final tally will wind up closer to his base of $5.5MM.

Browns To Sign Dustin Colquitt

December 10th, 2021 at 8:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have agreed to sign veteran punter Dustin Colquitt (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Colquitt, cut by the Falcons earlier this week, will be eligible to play on Sunday against the Ravens.

[RELATED: Browns GM On Potential Mayfield Extension]

Colquitt, 39, is best known for his time in Kansas City. The Chiefs used a third-round pick on the punter back in in 2005 and he went on to play 15 seasons in KC. The second-generation NFL punter and older brother of Britton Colquitt, Dustin made the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2016 and finished his first Chiefs stint in Super Bowl LIV.

The Tennessee product punted in five games with the Steelers and one game with the Jaguars in 2020. This year, he saw time in six games for the Falcons with an average of 47.7 yards per punt, the highest single season mark of his career.

The Browns’ Week 12 loss to the Ravens dropped them to 6-6 on the year. They’ll have a chance at redemption — and improving their playoff odds – when they welcome them to Cleveland this weekend.

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