HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Bengals Place DT Larry Ogunjobi On IR

January 17th, 2022 at 12:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

After ending a decades-long playoff drought, the Bengals learned they will be without a key piece to their defense as they prepare for their Divisional Round matchup. Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi has been placed on Injured Reserve with a right foot injury, ending his season (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 

The news is a big blow to the Bengals, as Ogunjobi was having a very productive first season in Cincinnati. In 16 games, he recorded 49 total tackles and seven sacks. After four seasons with the Browns, the 27-year-old signed a one year, $6.2MM deal in March as part of a major defensive overhaul in the Queen City. The investment in Ogunjobi – along with the likes of Trey Hendrickson and Chidobe Awuzie – certainly paid off, as the Bengals won the AFC North for the first time since 2015.

The Bengals will be hard-pressed to replace Ogunjobi’s 68% snap share on defense. Look for D.J. Reader and B.J. Hill to take on an even bigger role; Josh Tupou could be an option to take on more snaps as well. Regardless of who plays on the interior of the d-line for the Bengals, they will be facing a stiff challenge on Saturday. Their opponent, the top-seeded Titans, are expected to have superstar running back Derrick Henry back for the game. The Bengals’ ability to contain Henry will be a huge factor in deciding if they can move on to their first AFC title game since 1988 – something that became much harder, given today’s news.

 

 

Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott Has Partially Torn PCL, Won’t Have Surgery

January 17th, 2022 at 11:17am CST by Adam La Rose

One day after another disappointing playoff exit marked the end to the Cowboys’ season, it was revealed exactly what had been ailing their top running back. Ezekiel Elliott had been playing much of the season with a partially torn PCL, although he will not require offseason surgery, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. 

The injury took place in Week 4 against the Panthers, but he was able to play through it without missing any of the team’s games. He looked to be off to a great start in 2022 at that point, having scored four touchdowns and averaging more than five yards per carry. He had another big day the following week against the Giants – 21 carries for 110 yards and another touchdown – but seemed to be increasingly bothered by the injury beyond that. The team considered resting him for a game or two in November, but decided against it. Wearing a brace for the final five games of the regular season, as well as last night’s loss to the 49ers, the 26-year-old never topped 87 rushing yards from Week 6 onwards.

In the playoff game itself, Elliott totalled just 31 yards on 12 carries, and caught only one of four targets for no gain. When asked about the injury that clearly slowed him down, he said “I just partially tore my PCL this year”. He added that “it was an injury that wasn’t going to get worse”, which is why he played through it for almost an entire season. He concluded by saying “I feel like everyone else in that locker room would have done the same”.

The fact that Elliott was far from 100% makes it curious that backup Tony Pollard was as uninvolved as he was on Sunday. While he was able to resume his usual kick-retuning duties, Pollard had a total of six touches for a combined 26 yards. At this point, the team can only hope they are each healthy for the start of next year, as their offseason has now begun earlier than expected.

Brian Flores, Deshaun Watson Looking To Team Up; NYG A Potential Destination?

January 17th, 2022 at 10:19am CST by Adam La Rose

More news is coming out regarding one of the worst-kept secrets in the NFL. Quarterback Deshaun Watson and top head coaching candidate Brian Flores are looking to team up with each other in 2022, as first reported by insider Jordan Schultz (via Twitter). 

That has since been confirmed by Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, who further details how the Giants may be a key suitor for the pair. He notes that “Flores wants his next shot at being a head coach to be with a stud quarterback”, something that would be a stark contrast to the inconsistent play of Tua Tagovailoa in Miami. While the Giants already have Daniel Jones at the top of their depth chart, he will be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2022, and will carry a manageable – and partially tradeable – cap hit of $8.3MM.

Dunleavy adds that “most of the first seven candidates interviewed to be Giants general manager have Flores on their short list” and that the Brooklyn native “has his eye on the Giants, too”. It is worth remembering, on the other hand, that Flores is a member of the same Bill Belichick coaching tree as the recently-dismissed Joe Judge, something that may discourage the hiring of another ‘disciplinarian’ mold of head coach. Furthermore, it is “unclear” that New York would be willing to bring in Watson, given the unresolved legal challenges he is still facing. Dunleavy notes the “misguided” handling of a domestic violence arrest of kicker Josh Brown in 2016 as reason for pause.

Ultimately, then, “the easiest destination for a Watson-Flores pairing seems to be Houston”, one of the teams that has already interviewed Flores for their HC vacancy. Of course, Watson staying with the Texans would require him to repeal the trade request he made prior to the sexual misconduct allegations that kept him out of the lineup all season. As of now, the team still intends to trade the 26-year-old before the new league year begins in March. That may add some urgency to the Giants’ GM search, as they will not begin interviewing coaching candidates until that process is complete, meaning the Flores and Watson situations may already be resolved one way or another before the Giants have filled their vacancies.

In any event, it appears the ultimate destination for one of the league’s best quarterbacks and a top head coaching candidate will be determined in the near future.

 

Latest Candidates, Priorities In Vikings’ Coach, GM Searches

January 17th, 2022 at 9:12am CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings are one of eight teams in search of a new head coach, and one of three (soon to be four, counting the Steelers) in need of a new general manager. New details have emerged regarding the worsening culture in the organization, and the emphasis being placed on better communication in the process to replace Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman. As the search comes into better focus, the order in which hires will be made has been confirmed, and another name has been linked to the head coaching vacancy. 

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, one of the main reasons Zimmer and Spielman were let go was to allow for a “culture shift”. She notes that there seemed to be a growing disconnect between players and the coaching staff, and that working towards mending that relationship will be key in trying to get the team back into the postseason. One damning comment came from veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, who said “I don’t think a fear-based organization is the way to go”.

Cronin notes that an internal search committee has been formed to select the new general manager. Made up of members from a diverse range of backgrounds and skillsets – one of which is “the people and culture department, which includes diversity and inclusion” – they will choose the new GM, who in turn “will have input in the head coach [selection]” according to a tweet from the writer. Owner Mark Wilf has emphasized multiple times the need for strong leaders and communicators to lead the franchise going forward.

Part of the emphasis being placed so much on culture and communication stems from the apparent growth in tensions within the team as Zimmer’s tenure wound down. It had become “clear that for some, there was a need for a new voice”, something that many in the organization feel will be a positive step for the team. It has become known that “some coaches felt internally that the offensive staff was at times pitted against the defensive staff”, something which may have contributed to the high amount of turnover of offensive coordinators in Minnesota during Zimmer’s tenure.

Meanwhile, Cronin’s ESPN colleague Jeremy Fowler tweets that the Vikings have done research on Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glen, and that he is therefore a name to keep an eye on if the team’s list of candidates grows in the coming days. Regardless of who the new HC and GM will be, it is clear they will be charged with making more than just schematic or personnel changes if they are to bring the franchise back to being a Super Bowl contender.

 

Pats’ McDaniels Not Getting Interview Requests?

January 16th, 2022 at 10:26pm CST by Ely Allen

In an article for NBC Sports, Mike Florio divulged that a source with knowledge of the situation informed him that Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hasn’t received requests to be interviewed by any of the eight teams currently looking for a new head coach. This development has surprised the Patriots, but they expect the situation to change soon. 

McDaniels is a long time Patriots’ staffer, first joining the organization in 2001 as a personnel assistant. After a year, McDaniels worked with the team as a defensive assistant for two years before switching to the offensive side of the coaching staff. After one season as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach, McDaniels was promoted to offensive coordinator, developing the Patriots’ offense into the juggernaut that broke several NFL records in the 2007 season. His coaching success led to much speculation that he could be a top candidate for head coaching jobs, but he pulled his name out of the ring before the Patriots even finished their playoff run.

When McDaniels was able to lead a Patriots team quarterbacked by Matt Cassel to an 11-5 record, following a season-ending injury to Tom Brady in Week 1 of the 2008 season, the Broncos saw fit to name McDaniels as their new head coach for the 2009 NFL season. McDaniels’s tenure in Denver started with a six-game win-streak before losing eight of the next ten games to finish the season 8-8. After a 3-9 start to the 2010 season, and multiple controversies from his handling of difficult players, Denver decided they’d seen enough and fired McDaniels after Week 13. McDaniels spent a year as the offensive coordinator of the Rams, under Steve Spagnuolo, before returning to New England following Spagnuolo’s firing.

McDaniels has stayed in Foxborough ever since. He’s continued to draw head coaching interest here and there, even accepting the head coach position for the Indianapolis Colts in February of 2018 before backing out of his commitment on the same day to stay in New England, prompting his long-time agent, Bob LaMonte, to sever ties with McDaniels.

McDaniels’s handling and development of rookie quarterback Mac Jones has led to some speculation that one of the two teams that have both 1) a head coaching vacancy and 2) a young quarterback might show immediate interest in the 45-year old coordinator. Can Bill Polian overlook his lack of a good relationship with McDaniels and advise that the Bears bring him in to mentor Justin Fields? Will McDaniels decide that he can handle working for Trent Baalke and agree to take Trevor Lawrence under his wing? Keep track of McDaniels and other candidates in our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

AFC East Rumors: Jets, Cunningham, McCourty, Dolphins

January 16th, 2022 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets wasted no time in 2019 when wide receiver Braxton Berrios was waived by the Patriots just prior to the 2019 NFL season. The fourth-year player from the University of Miami was tabbed early in his Jets’ tenure as Jamison Crowder‘s back up in the slot, but Rich Cimini, of ESPN, details how Berrios’s effectiveness running and returning the ball could net him a bigger contract than his fellow slot receivers.

The first-team All Pro return man hits free agency this offseason and it’ll be interesting to see how those talks play out.

Here are a few more notes on the AFC East, starting with another item out of the Tri-State area:

  • Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has recognized the Eagles’ director of player personnel, Ian Cunningham, as a potential future general manager. The Jets, specifically, have tried twice to bring him on, as he and Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas are both products of the Ozzie Newsome tree from their time with the Ravens.
  • As the Patriots’ season came to an end with last night’s blow out loss to the Bills, ESPN’s Mike Reiss brings forth the question of Devin McCourty‘s future. The New England mainstay has been a lynchpin of the Patriots’ defense for 12 years. But, at age 34 with an expiring contract, what does the future hold for the Boston-based twin.
  • Cornerback Xavien Howard put enough pressure on the Dolphins in August that they restructured his contract with a few rewarding incentives. Howard made sure to cash out. Howard added to his salary $1MM for making the Pro Bowl and another $1MM for playing at least 90% of Miami’s defensive snaps. Barry Jackson, of the Miami Herald, details the situation in his Sports Buzz column.

Vikings Complete Ossenfort Interview Today

January 16th, 2022 at 7:13pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings announced today that they completed their interview of Titans’ director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort to fill their open general manager position.

The 43-year old actually began his NFL career in Minnesota, starting off as a training camp intern for the Vikings in 2001. The next season, Ossenfort joined the Texans’ organization as a pro personnel department intern. He spent the following season in New England as a personnel assistant before returning to Houston in the role of pro and college scouting assistant. He was promoted after a year to the position of college scout for the Texans. Ossenfort returned to New England the next year and stayed there until two seasons ago, spending his last six years with the Patriots as their director of college scouting. He’s been in his current position as the Titans’ director of player personnel since then.

Ossenfort is the first one of several candidates to interview for the Vikings’ job and he interviewed for the Giants’ and Bears’ positions on Friday and Saturday respectively. To stay up to date on all the different candidates for the open general manager jobs, follow along with our 2022 NFL General Manager Search Tracker.

Cardinals Open Roster Spot For J.J. Watt

January 16th, 2022 at 5:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have released cornerback Breon Borders, per a club announcement. This will enable the Cardinals to activate star defensive lineman J.J. Watt in time for Monday night’s game against the Rams. 

[RELATED: Cardinals’ Hopkins Ruled Out] 

Once again, Watt has beaten his recovery timetable to return for the postseason. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was once thought to be done for the year, thanks to labrum, bicep, and rotator cuff tears. But, somehow, he’s good to go for tomorrow night as the Cardinals look to improve from 38 points allowed against the Seahawks in Week 18.

There’s no doubt that the Cardinals — 7-0 with Watt in the lineup and 4-6 without him — are a better team with the future Hall of Famer playing opposite of Chandler Jones. And, in his limited sample, Pro Football Focus had Watt rated as a top-10 interior defensive lineman this season.

Watt, 32, registered five tackles for loss and ten QB hits in his seven regular season games this year. More of the same will go a long way towards breaking the Cardinals’ playoff win drought, though, on the other side of the ball, they’ll be without star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

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