HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Eagles To Add Steelers’ Brandon Hunt To Front Office

May 27th, 2022 at 1:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Andy Weidl became the fourth Eagles executive to become an assistant general manager elsewhere this offseason, the NFC East franchise plans to hire one of the other finalists for the Steelers’ GM job.

Longtime Steelers exec Brandon Hunt is expected to become part of Howie Roseman‘s Eagles staff, Geoff Mosher of InsidetheBirds.com tweets. Hunt interviewed for a high-ranking Eagles position earlier this month and, after the Steelers opted to promote Omar Khan to GM, the former was believed to be looking into outside options.

Pittsburgh’s pro scouting director, Hunt had been with the team in a full-time capacity since 2010. However, a few teams sought meetings with the veteran scouting staffer. The Raiders interviewed Hunt for their GM job, and the Bills joined the Eagles in interviewing him for a top lieutenant post. Hunt met with Buffalo about an assistant GM vacancy.

While Philly is promoting Jon Ferrari to assistant GM, the team is open to having multiple staffers in that role. It is unknown if Hunt will work alongside Ferrari directly under Roseman, but it is clear he will be one of the Eagles’ new top staffers. This will be a scouting position, per Mosher. Most recently, Hunt played a pivotal role in the then-Kevin Colbert-led franchise adding Joe Haden as a late-summer free agent in 2017 and trading for Minkah Fitzpatrick two years later.

Weidl joined Hunt, Khan and three other execs in receiving second interviews for the Steelers’ GM gig. Now Pittsburgh’s assistant GM under Khan, Weidl followed Brandon Brown (Giants), Ian Cunningham (Bears) and Catherine Raiche (Browns) in leaving Philly to become a No. 2 staffer with another team.

Chiefs’ Orlando Brown Jr. Seeking Top-Of-The-Market Extension?

May 27th, 2022 at 12:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Amidst a number of changes on offense this offseason, one of the top priorities for the Chiefs is signing left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a long-term extension. Doing so could be complicated by a number of factors, including, primarily, his contract demands. 

On that point, Armando Salguero of Outkick.com reports that Brown “wants to become the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL”. He adds that the 26-year-old is currently in the process of hiring a new agent, and that the matter of reaching the top of the tackle market (both in terms of annual compensation and guaranteed money) has been brought up at least once during that process.

The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Brown this offseason, to no surprise. If a deal can’t be reached by mid-July, he will earn $16.7MM as a result, but getting the former third-rounder under contract for the foreseeable future has always been the goal for Kansas City. “He’s still working to get an agent, is what he’s doing” said head coach Andy Reid. “Once he gets that taken care of, we’ll be able to roll.”

Brown was drafted in 2018, the organization he grew up around during his father’s playing career. Seeking to play on the blindside – rather than at right tackle, where he spent most of his Ravens tenure – however, he requested a trade to a team which would allow him to do so. He manned the left tackle spot in Kansas City this year, earning his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

That level of performance, coupled with his age, led to the $20MM-per-year mark being listed as a starting point when it was reported that contract negotiations were set to begin. The only tackles currently at that level of compensation are Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil. As Salguero writes, $25MM per annum and $50MM in guarantees “will be in the conversation” – which makes this situation one to watch for the Chiefs and any number of other offensive linemen around the league.

Latest On Eagles LG Isaac Seumalo

May 27th, 2022 at 12:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

As June 1 approaches, a number of names will be making headlines as potential cut candidates. One such player is Eagles offensive linemen Isaac Seumalo, whom Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network reports could find himself on the open market soon. 

As Kaye writes, “there stands a chance” that the 28-year-old could be let go shortly. Seumalo has been with the Eagles for his entire career, after the team drafted him in 2016. He has made 64 appearances, including 43 starts, over the course of his NFL tenure. That stretch only includes one season in which he was available for a full season, however.

Seumalo has struggled to stay on the field since 2019. This past campaign, he suffered a Lisfranc injury in Week 3 which ultimately ended his season. One year prior, he was only able to play in nine games. That raises the question of whether or not the team will allow him to see out the final year of his contract.

The former third-rounder signed a three-year deal in 2019, although the Eagles added three void years to the end of the contract. He is due $5.65MM in salary, but, since none of it is guaranteed, the team could save that much by cutting him at the start of the month. Doing so would incur a dead cap charge of just over $2MM. If they decide to keep him, he will carry a cap hit of $7.67MM.

As Kaye notes, the Eagles have a number of options to choose from, should they decide to cut bait with Seumalo. Landon Dickerson impressed as a rookie, and the team also has Jack Driscoll as an option at guard. While Dickerson and Seumalo were also seen at times as successors to center Jason Kelce, that title now belongs to 2022 draftee Cam Jurgens. If the Hawaiian is indeed released, Kaye also predicts a mid-level veteran signing to take place to compete with the team’s younger linemen.

Latest On Jameis Winston

May 27th, 2022 at 10:07am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints’ offense will look much different at the beginning of the 2022 season than it did at the end of last year’s campaign. One of the most important of those differences is the expected return of a healthy Jameis Winston in time for the start of the year. 

The 28-year-old has been in attendance at New Orleans’ OTAs this week, as noted by the Athletic’s Katherine Terrell (subscription required). The primary reason for doing so, of course, is to continue his ongoing rehab from the knee injury which ended his season in October.

The progress he has made on that front led to optimism that he would be available to start Week 1 this season. Winston himself has maintained that he would be back on the field before training camp, which he has now been able to do. His presence has been marked by incremental improvements in mobility.

“The biggest thing about my specific injury was the meniscus’ he said, noting that the ACL and MCL repair “was a pretty simple procedure. But the meniscus repair has been the biggest limiter for me right now, in terms of moving, rolling out, in terms of certain movements that I’m not able to do just because of the timetable of the recovery.”

Winston is currently wearing a brace which, Terrell reports, he intends to continue using throughout the season. If he continues progressing as he has so far, he should be in line for his first season as the undisputed No.1 QB for the Saints, which will open the door to a resumption of his relatively impressive play at the start of last year. Doing so would become easier, of course, if the team also gets receiver Michael Thomas back from injury, which they expect to take place by training camp. Overall, Winston’s current status could point to a marked improvement in the team’s passing game relative to last season’s performance.

Titans Eyeing Another WR Addition?

May 27th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Adam La Rose

The receiver room has seen plenty of turnover in Tennessee this offseason. Despite the changes already made, more could be on the way in the near future. 

According to Jim Wyatt of TennesseTitans.com, there is a strong chance of “another addition before the season at receiver”. The top of the depth chart at this time last season consisted of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, of course, but that led to mixed results on the field.

Despite having the worst statistical season of his three-year career, Brown easily led the team in receiving yards with 869. Jones, meanwhile, was only able to suit up for ten contests and likewise had a career-worst season. Overall, the team ranked 23rd in the league in the passing game; as the AFC’s top seed, however, they were obviously able to enjoy a high degree of success without an efficient aerial attack.

Not surprisingly, given his injury troubles and lack of production, Jones was released in March. That left the team looking – for the second straight offseason – for a new compliment to Brown, after seeing Corey Davis depart in free agency one year earlier. Days later, they traded for Robert Woods with the aim of accomplishing that very goal.

Woods had become expendable for the Rams, given their signing of Allen Robinson and potential reunion with Odell Beckham Jr. However, when he makes his Titans debut, he won’t be doing so alongside Brown, as the team envisioned when they acquired him. After it became clear a new contract couldn’t be agreed upon with the latter, he was traded to the Eagles in exchange for a first round pick during Day 1 of the draft.

With that selection, the Titans added Treylon Burks. One of the most unique receiving prospects in this year’s class, he should have a clear path to playing time alongside Woods and returnee Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Other than Beckham, remaining free agents include Will Fuller, T.Y. Hilton and Cole Beasley. Any of those could provide a short-term boost to the passing game as the Titans look to integrate new receiving pieces into their offense.

Cardinals, RB Darrel Williams Agree To Deal

May 26th, 2022 at 9:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals re-signed James Conner but let Chase Edmonds walk in free agency. They are bringing in another change-of-pace option in the backfield.

Former Chiefs running back Darrel Williams agreed to terms with the Cardinals, according to multiple reports. He will bring considerable experience to a backfield that lacks it behind Conner. Williams visited the Cards in early April, and the team circled back to the longtime Chief.

A four-year Chiefs contributor, Williams made the first seven starts of his career in 2021. After beginning his career behind the likes of Kareem Hunt, Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy, Darrel Williams saw extended run during Clyde Edwards-Helaire‘s IR stay last season. Williams eclipsed his three-year career rushing yardage total last season, amassing 558 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. The former UDFA added 47 catches for 452 yards and two more TDs — one of which a deep grab in tight coverage against the Raiders — through the air.

While Williams does not have eye-popping numbers, the low carry total he compiled in Kansas City stands to work in his favor. He took just 237 handoffs in four Chiefs seasons. Edwards-Helaire was back by the Chiefs’ postseason, which unfolded with Williams seeing just one carry. Williams, 27, was also not a prolific ballhandler in college. He finished with 321 totes in four LSU seasons, playing alongside Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice.

Edmonds, who signed with the Dolphins, operated as Arizona’s off-the-bench option behind Kenyan Drake in 2020 and Conner last season. The Cards have 2021 seventh-round pick Eno Benjamin and rookie sixth-rounder Keaontay Ingram (USC) as their younger backups to Conner, who has a long history of injuries. The team also added UDFA backs T.J. Pledger (Utah) and Ronnie Rivers (Fresno State).

Latest On Raiders, Colin Kaepernick

May 26th, 2022 at 8:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Colin Kaepernick‘s Raiders workout occurred Wednesday, and although Josh McDaniels did not address how the high-profile free agent performed, some indications have emerged that the one-time Super Bowl starter accounted himself well.

The former 49ers quarterback displayed good arm strength and conditioning, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport also notes the 34-year-old passer impressed at his Las Vegas audition (video link), adding the door for a potential Kaepernick-Raiders agreement is open. Another source was high on Kaepernick’s arm strength and fitness, via USA Today’s Josina Anderson, while also pointing out the difference between a Raiders-organized workout and an independent session was noticeable at points (Twitter links).

Two other teams are believed to have shown some interest in Kaepernick this offseason, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio offers. It will be interesting to see if another workout takes place. Prior to the Raiders’ invite, Kaepernick had not been a fixture on the NFL radar in years. Kaepernick met with the Seahawks in 2017 and threw in front of a handful of NFL personnel at a Georgia workout he reorganized at the 11th hour two years later. Otherwise, it has been quiet for the the player who has not played in a game since New Year’s Day 2017.

Exiled from the league after his protests of racial injustice during the national anthem created one of the biggest controversies in NFL history, which also led to the league settling with Kaepernick and Eric Reid on a collusion lawsuit, Kaepernick is obviously short on time to make an NFL comeback. Mark Davis has signed off on a deal, if his football staff views Kaepernick as a fit.

The Raiders used Marcus Mariota as Derek Carr‘s backup over the past two seasons, and the former Titans talent was featured in occasional sub-packages aimed to take advantage of his mobility. (Mariota is now with the Falcons.) As of now, it is not believed the Raiders would have such a plan for Kaepernick. They view him as a potential Carr backup option and not a player who would be used in specialty packages, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore.

Although Kaepernick displayed electric running ability as a young player, peaking with one of the NFL’s great playoff rushing performances in a 49ers rout of the Packers in the 2012 divisional round, his being away from the game for so long would stand to impact his athleticism. It also might be too early to speculate on a prospective role, given the unique circumstances surrounding the University of Nevada alum.

Currently, Las Vegas rosters Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens behind Carr. The Raiders also have rookie UDFA Chase Garbers (Cal) on their offseason roster. Stidham, who has attempted 48 career passes in eight games as a backup, played three seasons in McDaniels’ Patriots offense. He did not see any time in 2021. Mullens has far more experience, having made 17 starts in four seasons despite a being a former UDFA. He started a game for the Browns last season, with Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum out due to COVID-19. Carr has been one of the NFL’s most durable quarterbacks during his career, missing just three games (counting the Raiders’ 2016 wild-card playoff loss) in eight seasons.

NFL Changes Timeline For HC Interviews

May 26th, 2022 at 7:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Head coach-needy teams will wait longer to meet with candidates next year. The NFL has pushed back the window for interviews.

Teams cannot meet with HC candidates until after the wild-card round concludes. This only applies to candidates employed by teams, since the change is being made to accommodate assistants preparing for HC interviews and playoff games.

With the exception of the Raiders and Saints, every team that hired a new head coach this year met with candidates ahead of wild-card weekend. The competition committee received feedback the process felt rushed, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, though teams have been free to interview coaches ahead of the wild-card round for years.

Six teams being eliminated during wild-card weekend will allow certain assistants the benefit of not having to prepare for interviews and a divisional-round game concurrently. This change will still leave the assistants on the teams still alive by the second round — often the more appealing candidates — in time crunches.

Pushing the hiring period back until after the conference championship round would give another wave of assistants separate windows to prepare for playoff opponents and interviews, though teams eager to assemble their staffs would be against this. Still, this week’s change will allow sought-after assistants to avoid bouncing between interviews and postseason preparation immediately after the regular season ends.

Falcons Waive DL John Cominsky

May 26th, 2022 at 6:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

A rotational defensive lineman with the Falcons, John Cominsky hit the waiver wire Thursday. The Falcons moved on from the former fourth-round pick.

The team will create nearly $1MM in cap space by jettisoning Cominsky, who was going into the final year of his rookie contract. He will hit free agency if unclaimed in the next 24 hours. Atlanta, however, used some of its available space by signing running back Jeremy McNichols earlier Thursday.

Cominsky, 26, emerged out of Charleston (West Virginia) in 2019. His most notable season came in 2020, when he saw action on 44% of Atlanta’s defensive plays. The 285-pound defender registered a sack and three tackles for loss that year. Last season, the Falcons’ Dean Pees-headed defensive staff only used Cominsky in four games and on just 13 defensive plays.

The Falcons have some questions about how their non-Grady Jarrett front seven will look, with even Deion Jones‘ status up in the air. The team used a second-round pick on Marlon Davidson in 2020, but he started just one game last season. Eleven-game starter Tyeler Davison is no longer with the team; the Falcons released him in March. This would seemingly clear a path for Davidson. The team did not use a draft choice on a pure D-lineman, though it did add two edge rushers (Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone) on Day 2.

Load More Posts