HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Packers Preparing To Put Franchise Tag On Davante Adams

January 2nd, 2022 at 11:12am CST by Rory Parks

Packers wide receiver Davante Adams recently discussed his future with the team, a future that may include the franchise tag. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears from several sources that Green Bay is indeed preparing to use the tag — a tool the club has not utilized since 2010 — on its star wideout.

Adams, 29, is playing out the final year of the four-year, $58MM extension he signed in December 2017. That proved to be a terrific investment for the Packers, and given the success that Adams has enjoyed over the life of that contract, he is now setting his sights even higher. He wants to be the highest-paid receiver in football, which, in terms of AAV, would mean a deal worth upwards of $27MM per season. The franchise tag, meanwhile, will cost about $20MM.

Once the season is over, Green Bay will have a great deal of work to do just to get under the salary cap, and carrying a $20MM charge on the books for an Adams tag will be challenging. A long-term contract would of course help to limit Adams’ 2022 cap hit, but it will be interesting to see if Adams even wants such a contract from the Packers at this point. Though he said that the club’s plans vis-a-vis Aaron Rodgers will not be the “end-all, be-all” in terms of his own future in Wisconsin, he did concede that Rodgers’ status will be a key consideration for him. And if the Packers move on from their franchise signal-caller — Rapoport suggests that there will be a resolution in that regard fairly early in the offseason — Adams may not want to stick around for the long haul.

Indeed, after Adams broke off contract talks in July, he did not, according to Rapoport, try to reopen them (even though he was reportedly happy to consider any pitches the team wished to make). If the Packers are willing to give him the record-breaking deal he wants, he might be hard-pressed to turn it down, regardless of what the club’s QB situation looks like. But if Green Bay parts way with Rodgers and does not break the bank for Adams, the Fresno State product might risk a statistical downturn in 2022 in the hopes of hitting the open market in 2023.

Rapoport also passes along an update on Rodgers. He confirms that retaining their three-time MVP is the Packers’ top priority, and the front office is hopeful that the regular conversations it has had with him has gotten the relationship to a point where Rodgers will want to stay (video link).

Latest On Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll

January 2nd, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Sam Robinson

After an offseason in which Russell Wilson‘s long-term Seattle future suddenly became cloudy, the 10th-year quarterback suffered his first major injury. And he has not played to his usual standards upon return. The Seahawks will finish below .500 for the first time in his tenure.

Wilson is signed through 2023, though the events of this past offseason figure to put him back in trade rumors fairly soon. The decorated passer made an interesting comment regarding his Seattle status ahead of Week 17 as well.

“I know you guys asked Bobby [Wagner] about ‘Could this be your last game?’ this and that and all that. I know for me personally, I hope it’s not my last game,” Wilson said of the prospect Sunday is his last home game as a Seahawk, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. “But at the same time, I know it won’t be my last game in NFL. So I’m just focused on the day and getting better today. And so that’s my focus. That’s my goal. I love this city, and I love this moment. I love these guys.”

Wilson, 33, offered this response unprompted, closing out 2021 with more uncertainty in Seattle. The Seahawks have some leverage with Wilson, having signed him to a four-year, $140MM extension in 2019. Wilson also holds a no-trade clause. Unlike Aaron Rodgers, Wilson did not stage a holdout this year. But the Seahawks are 5-10 and, barring a major trade, will not have a first-round pick in April.

Wagner’s comment about his Seahawks future centered around his $20.35MM cap number in the final year of his contract. The team is, however, projected to hold more than $55MM in cap space — a top-10 figure leaguewide. But, after the Seahawks entered this past offseason after a 12-4 season, they have bigger questions about their future a year later.

Pete Carroll‘s status may be somewhat in question, given this disappointing season coming after a slew of Wilson offseason headlines, but the 12th-year Seattle HC signed an extension barely a year ago. Carroll is locked up through 2025. The 70-year-old coach is also not viewed as ready to step away on his own accord, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. While this is Carroll’s first 10-loss season at any level since his first Jets slate in 1994, Breer adds ownership is not pleased with where the Seahawks football operation stands presently.

After Wilson listed the Raiders, Bears, Cowboys and Saints as teams he would approve a trade to, the Broncos, Giants and Saints appeared on a new list of sorts during the season. Wilson did call the initial report including these new teams a non-story. Nevertheless, how the Seahawks proceed will easily be one of the most fascinating situations to monitor entering 2022.

Indeed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says there is a “leaguewide feeling” that Wilson and Carroll will not be together next year. That’s not particularly surprising in light of everything we have heard so far, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, Schefter’s report — which includes somewhat vague language — could be interpreted as a renewed attempt by Wilson’s camp to force Seattle’s hand. After all, it was Schefter to whom Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, released the statement last year that Wilson would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a handful of teams, which is what precipitated the Bears’ efforts to acquire the seven-time Pro Bowler and the rampant chatter about his future.

One way or another, Florio believes the ‘Hawks will make a decision on Carroll before deciding how to handle the Wilson situation.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Vic Fangio Facing Uncertain Future With Broncos

January 2nd, 2022 at 9:28am CST by Rory Parks

Thanks to COVID-19, the Broncos will be without seven starters for their Week 17 battle against the Chargers this afternoon, a reality that could make it more difficult for head coach Vic Fangio to stick around for a fourth season. As Troy Renck of Denver 7 observes, Fangio may need to win the final two games of the 2021 campaign to keep his job (video link).

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that Fangio’s status is indeed up in the air, and in addition to a strong showing over the next two games, GM George Paton might require his head coach to lay out a compelling strategy to improve the team’s offense. Obviously, Paton himself will have a significant say in that, as Denver could once again be in the market for a high-profile quarterback like Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson. But after Fangio’s refusal to pull play-calling duties from OC Pat Shurmur caused some locker room tension earlier this year, Paton would undoubtedly like some reassurance that any QB he acquires will be well-positioned to succeed.

Paton and Fangio do have a strong working relationship, and we heard earlier this year that the first-year GM is not necessarily looking to bring in his own leader. He is, however, doing his due diligence. Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, team brass has had internal discussions about the possibility of moving on from Fangio and has done background work on potential HC candidates. Fangio’s staffers, meanwhile, are preparing to seek new employment.

If Fangio does get the ax, he may not be without work for long. As La Canfora writes in a separate piece, the 63-year-old defensive guru will be high atop the wish lists of clubs in need of a DC, especially if such a club hires a first-year, offensive-minded head coach. That coach would love to have Fangio aboard not only for his defensive acumen, but because he could be entrusted to run half of the team while the HC focuses on building relationships and developing the offense.

It was Fangio’s work as the Bears’ defensive coordinator that landed him the Broncos’ HC job to begin with. He also served in that capacity with the Panthers, Colts, Texans, and 49ers.

Ravens To Start Tyler Huntley In Week 17

January 2nd, 2022 at 8:21am CST by Ely Allen

Jan. 2: Huntley is expected to get the nod for the Ravens as they seek to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Rams, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Five Thirty Eight gives Baltimore just a 22% chance of qualifying for the postseason, and the club needs its backup passer to continue his run of quality play and pull out an unexpected victory.

Dec. 31: The Ravens’ playoff hopes are currently on life-support and no one knows that better than star quarterback Lamar Jackson. A report from Jamison Hensley, ESPN’s Ravens reporter, that Jackson once again did not participate for the portion of practice open to the media is not encouraging to Ravens’ fans. The versatile playmaker has missed the team’s last two games after leaving early in a Week 14 loss in Cleveland due to injury. Jackson sparked hope when he returned to the practice field Wednesday, albeit with a noticeable limp, but his absences yesterday and today are seen as a critical step back.

Jackson has often received criticism for a style of play that pundits believe would lead to injury. Despite their worries, the Ravens’ last two games were the only games Jackson has missed due to injury in his entire four-year career.

As a rookie in 2018, despite being a first-round pick, Jackson was not expected to start right away. The plan was always for Jackson to sit and develop behind former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Jackson still appeared in plays here and there for Baltimore, appearing in a Week 1 blowout of the Bills in garbage-time and running gadget plays wherein he would run the ball or just play as a decoy. A hip injury to Flacco in a Week 9 loss to the Steelers forced the Ravens’ hand and Jackson took the reins in Week 10 and never looked back. Jackson’s rookie year was a bit of patchwork with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg never planning to rely on Jackson. Jackson ran those gadgets plays and an offense designed for Joe Flacco en route to a 6-1 finish leading the Ravens to an AFC North title.

Jackson’s sophomore year went slightly better. The replacement of Mornhinweg with current offensive coordinator Greg Roman and an entire offseason to design and practice an offense built around Jackson’s talents led to the best season of the young quarterback’s career. In Jackson’s starts, the Ravens went 13-2 with Jackson completing 66% of his passes for 3,127 yards and throwing 36 touchdowns to only 6 interceptions. He, of course, used his talent as a runner to add 1,206 yards on 176 carries for 7 more touchdowns. Jackson did miss a game in this MVP season, though. He sat out the Ravens’ Week 17 win against Pittsburgh as Baltimore had already secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs and was resting most of their starters.

Jackson’s third season showed the quarterback come back down to earth a bit. The stats were not quite as gaudy, but the reigning MVP continued to collect wins. He did take one big step forward in 2020, silencing a narrative about his inability to win in the playoffs, beating a Titans team that had beaten them in the regular season. Jackson missed another game this season as he spent Week 12 on the COVID-19/reserve list.

So despite a charged narrative of Jackson’s inability to play his flashy style of football and stay healthy, up until the thirteenth week of his fourth NFL season, Jackson had missed one game as he rested for the playoffs, one game on the COVID-19 list, and one game in 2021 due to a non-COVID illness. When Jackson finally did get injured, much to the pundits chagrin, it was on a passing play. As Jackson performed a standard roll-out, he was chased from behind by Browns’ rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. As Jackson released the ball, Owusu-Koramoah dove at the quarterback’s ankles, a play prohibited in the NFL’s definition of the Roughing the Passer rule, landing on both ankles and causing the sprain that has been described as a possible bone bruise.

In Jackson’s absence, Tyler Huntley, an undrafted free agent in 2020, has performed admirably leading the Ravens to a near-comeback in Cleveland and losing by one point to the NFC-leading Packers on a failed 2-point conversion play. When Huntley entered COVID-19 protocols just before a game in Cincinnati, the Ravens turned to journeyman Josh Johnson who put up an impressive performance, but was unable to keep up as Joe Burrow sliced-and-diced an ailing Baltimore secondary.

Even if Jackson is able to return, the injuries have certainly crippled the Ravens’ once-vaunted defense. The teams’ two star cornerbacks and free safety are on IR and, like the rest of the league, they’ve struggled keeping their healthy players off the COVID-19/reserve list as the omicron variant tears through the league. Jackson has also been in quite a slump this season throwing only 8 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in his last 7 games before getting injured.

The Ravens have lots to overcome to earn some wins as the regular season comes to a close, but they also may need help getting into the playoffs. Baltimore currently does not control their own destiny, meaning there are situations in which the Ravens win their final two games and miss the playoffs, even while there are still scenarios wherein the Ravens win their division. The Ravens can win the division simply by winning their final two games against the Rams and Steelers, while the Bengals lose their final two games against the Chiefs and at the Browns. If Baltimore loses one of their final two games, they’ll need help around the league to continue their season as a wild card team.

Regardless of the situations outside of Baltimore and how they play out, it’s hard to imagine the Ravens making much noise if their best player isn’t the one taking snaps. As of right now, though, things are trending toward Huntley starting yet another game against an NFC division-leader.

Latest On 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo

January 2nd, 2022 at 7:48am CST by Zachary Links

Jan. 2: Lance will indeed get the second start of his career, as Garoppolo will miss the Niners’ Week 17 contest against the Texans and will require offseason surgery on his injured thumb, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. That does not preclude Garoppolo from suiting up for the club’s Week 18 bout with the Rams, though if San Francisco should qualify for the playoffs today — which will happen if it defeats Houston and New Orleans loses to Carolina — Lance would presumably start the regular season finale as well.

The surgery should not have much of an impact on Garoppolo’s trade market this offseason, but his sustaining an injury at a critical juncture underscores why the 49ers made the bold move to acquire Lance in the first place and why they plan to trade Garoppolo in the coming months.

Dec. 31: The 49ers have listed Jimmy Garoppolo as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Texans, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets. But, for what it’s worth, head coach Kyle Shanahan says he’s still “holding out hope” for Garoppolo being able to start.

[RELATED: 49ers Plan To Trade Jimmy Garoppolo In Offseason]

Garoppolo is dealing with a Grade 3 sprain, rather than a fracture, according to Shanahan. That at least gives the quarterback some chance of suiting up as the Niners push for a postseason berth.

“I’ve been told he does not need surgery right now,” said Shanahan (Twitter link via Cam Inman of the East Bay Times). “To clear that up, (sprain) is way it was worded to me, he has a Grade III sprain. Reason they never mentioned to me a fracture it doesn’t have much to do with the sprain; it pulled off a fleck of the bone.”

Garoppolo suffered the injury during the second quarter of Thursday’s game, a 20-17 loss to the Titans. If he can’t go this week, rookie Trey Lance will be in line for his start No. 2, his first since Week 5.

So far this year, Garoppolo gone 8-6 in 14 starts, completing 68% of his throws for 3,494 yards and 19 touchdowns against ten interceptions. Lance, meanwhile, went 15-of-29 for 192 yards and one INT in his start, a low-scoring loss to the Cardinals.

The Niners control their own destiny in the Wild Card race, so wins over the Texans and Rams would punch their ticket to the playoffs.

Former Broncos, Giants, Falcons HC Dan Reeves Dies At 77

January 1st, 2022 at 8:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Reeves, who coached the Broncos, Giants and Falcons during a decorated career that saw him win more than 200 games, died Saturday at age 77.

A former Cowboys running back and assistant coach, Reeves appeared in nine Super Bowls as a player or coach. He is the 10th-winningest coach in NFL history, winning 191 regular-season games (to go along with 10 playoff contests) from 1981-2003. While Reeves was best known as a coach for his 12 seasons in Denver, he later won Coach of the Year honors with the Giants and Falcons.

“The football world lost a heckuva coach and man today in Dan Reeves,” Broncos executive and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway said Saturday (via Twitter). “Dan was a winner and I owe a lot to him. My heart goes out to Pam [Reeves] and the entire Reeves family.”

Following an eight-year career as a Cowboys running back, Reeves worked as the team’s offensive coordinator for four seasons. The Cowboys advanced to two Super Bowls during those years and won Super Bowl XII. The Broncos hired Reeves as their head coach in 1981. In his third season, Elway arrived. The two led the Broncos to three Super Bowls in the 1980s; they lost each time. The Reeves-Elway combo had Denver in the 1991 AFC championship game as well, but the Broncos parted ways with their longtime coach after the 1992 season.

Reeves coached the Giants for four years (1993-96) and the Falcons for seven (1997-2003). The 1993 Giants finished 11-5, narrowly losing out on home-field advantage in those playoffs. Reeves earned his first Coach of the Year honor for his debut season in New York and collected his second such award five years later, coaching the Falcons to a 14-2 season and the franchise’s first Super Bowl. The Broncos, in Elway’s final game, defeated the Falcons. The Georgia native’s final acts as a head coach came during Michael Vick‘s initial NFL seasons, including a 2002 slate when Vick powered Atlanta to the divisional round.

Of the seven retired coaches ahead of Reeves on the NFL’s all-time wins list, just one (Marty Schottenheimer) is not in the Hall of Fame. Reeves has yet to be inducted.

QB Sam Howell Declares For Draft

January 1st, 2022 at 7:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2022 quarterback class has long been viewed as a downgrade from recent years, but positional need will see teams jockey over certain prospects. Sam Howell may be one of those, and the North Carolina QB confirmed he will be part of the April prospect pool.

Howell said Saturday he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2022 draft (Twitter link). Unlike several top prospects who declared for the draft early, Howell did play in his team’s bowl game. The Tar Heels lost the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to South Carolina on Thursday.

While Howell will be one of the top passers available in April, his stock has dipped a bit after the Tar Heels’ 6-7 season. Going into his junior season, Howell checked in as a top-10 prospect and the No. 1 quarterback available in the upcoming class, per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. In December, Brugler dropped Howell to this draft’s third-best QB. Howell sits fifth among QBs on Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest rankings — behind Kenny Pickett (Pitt), Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati), Matt Corral (Ole Miss) and Malik Willis (Liberty). ESPN’s Todd McShay has Howell going late in the first round. Pre-draft visits and workouts figure to be critical for the 6-foot-1 prospect.

Howell jumped onto draft radars after throwing 38 touchdown passes as a freshman in 2019. He averaged 10.3 yards per attempt as a sophomore but threw a career-low 24 TD passes this season and averaged 8.8 yards per attempt. The Tar Heels did lose some NFL talent this year, seeing its 1,000-1,000 backfield (Javonte Williams, Michael Carter) and receiver draftees Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome depart.

Bruce Arians Clears COVID-19 Protocols

January 1st, 2022 at 7:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bruce Arians will be on the sidelines for the Buccaneers on Sunday in New Jersey. The defending Super Bowl champions’ head coach cleared COVID-19 protocols Saturday, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com notes.

A three-time cancer survivor, Arians contracted COVID-19 earlier this week. Arians, 69, is fully vaccinated and experienced mild symptoms, Laine adds. Assistant head coach Harold Goodwin served as the Bucs’ acting HC this week. Wide receivers coach Kevin Garver cleared virus protocols as well Saturday.

The Bucs saw a few other starters test positive this week, but the NFL changing its protocols once again has made it easier for players to return after submitting positive tests. Mike Evans, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean are back on Tampa Bay’s active roster. Evans is questionable for Week 17 due to a hamstring injury. Both Dean and Murphy-Bunting traveled separately to New Jersey due to their late activations.

While the Bucs will at least have their head coach and key corners back, they will be without top pass rushers Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul due to injury. Tampa Bay also has Leonard Fournette and Lavonte David on IR. Antonio Brown is questionable to face the Jets after aggravating an ankle injury in practice. Brown has not practiced since tweaking his ankle Wednesday.

Lions’ Goff Doubtful For Game Against Seahawks

January 1st, 2022 at 5:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell told reporters yesterday that quarterback Jared Goff is doubtful to play this Sunday in Seattle. A lingering knee injury is looking more and more likely to hold Goff out of his second straight game.

It looks like Campbell is going to be cautious in handling Goff’s return to avoid further harm to the quarterback. With the end of the season approaching, and the Lions long disqualified from postseason contention, we may have already seen Goff’s season finale in Detroit’s Week 15 upset of the Cardinals.

In his first season with the Lions, Goff was able to reproduce much of the statistical output from his lesser years in LA, but without the team success. Goff has averaged 231.3 passing yards per game, slightly under his 2017 season average of 253.6 yards per game. He threw 17 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, displaying the same discipline and accuracy he showed as a Ram. It seems the drastic drop of talent around him made for a difficult transition for the sixth-year veteran in terms of winning football games.

In his absence, Tim Boyle is expected to make his second-straight start and his third start of the 2021 NFL season. In his previous two starts, Boyle was able to keep the Lions largely competitive in a three-point loss to the Browns and a four-point loss to the Falcons. Boyle has relied on short and easy completions to move the offense. He’s completed an impressive 39 of 57 pass attempts (68%), but has only totaled 264 passing yards in two games. He’s also struggled to keep possession, throwing 3 picks to only 1 touchdown.

Boyle is expected to face off against a Seahawks’ defense that ranks last in the NFC in passing yards allowed, so it appears something has to bend. Either Seattle will provide a stout passing defensive performance uncharacteristic of this year or Boyle will have a career day for his statistical production.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/22

January 1st, 2022 at 5:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The first taxi squad moves of 2022:

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: K Matt McCrane

Tennessee Titans

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