HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Giants Notes: Jones, Love, McKinney

February 5th, 2023 at 10:42am CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this week, we heard that the Giants had not yet engaged in contract talks with quarterback Daniel Jones, who is set to hit free agency in March. The contract statuses of Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, another impending FA, have been intertwined for some time, and while the cost of a nonexclusive franchise tag for Barkley (~$10MM) is much lower than it is for Jones (~$32MM), tagging Barkley would considerably reduce the club’s leverage in its negotiations with Jones, because Jones would then have the power to reject any offer and hit the open market.

As such, it makes sense that GM Joe Schoen has resumed discussions with Barkley and may want to get that matter settled before turning his attention to his signal-caller, whose surprisingly strong 2022 has him in an enviable financial position. Previous reports indicated that New York would be eyeing a $35MM/year contract for the Dave Gettleman draftee, and in speaking with six current or former high-ranking NFL execs, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post says that number sounds about right.

All six experts suggested that a new contract for Jones would feature an AAV between $30MM and $40MM. Of course, guarantees and cash flow are better indicators of the value of an NFL contract than the yearly average, but Jones is in good shape in that regard as well. Dunleavy’s sources suggest that Jones could be in line for $70MM in full guarantees and up to $100MM in total guarantees.

The Brian Daboll/Schoen partnership led to a playoff berth much sooner than many anticipated, and whether or not New York builds on its 2022 success will depend in large part on how it resolves the Jones and Barkley situations. Indeed, the Giants have plenty of other needs, including wide receiver, and even assuming they retain their QB1 and RB1, they will still need to maximize their cap flexibility to prevent regression from a roster that generally overperformed last year.

In addition to outside acquisitions, Schoen has current players not named Jones or Barkley that he may want to take care of. One of those players is safety Julian Love, who saw a massive spike in playing time in the fourth and final year of his rookie deal and who paced Big Blue with 124 tackles. Player and team talked contract during the Giants’ bye week, and Schoen recently reiterated his desire to keep Love in the fold. Per Connor Hughes of SNY.tv, the bye week discussions were fruitful, and it sounds as if a new deal could be on the horizon (Twitter link).

Fellow safety Xavier McKinney missed a chunk of time in 2022 due to a hand injury suffered in an ATV accident, but he has now accrued three years of service time and is therefore eligible for an extension. As Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets, McKinney recently retained super-agent David Mulugheta, who represents some of the highest-profile safeties in the game. With so many other irons in the fire, it remains to be seen if Schoen will commence contract talks with McKinney in the coming weeks, but whenever it does happen, McKinney will be in good hands.

Jeffery Simmons Wants To Remain With Titans

February 5th, 2023 at 9:27am CST by Rory Parks

Titans DL Jeffery Simmons just finished his second consecutive Pro Bowl campaign, and he has positioned himself well for a lucrative contract extension. Because Tennessee exercised the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, Simmons is under club control through 2023, but it sounds as if player and team are interested in a longer arrangement.

In speaking with reporters at this weekend’s Pro Bowl festivities, Simmons said that he recently sat down with new Titans GM Ran Carthon. While Carthon did not make any promises, he told Simmons that a new contract for the Mississippi State product is a priority, and the relationship between the two men is apparently in good shape (via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website).

“We had a great talk, and him saying I am one of his priorities, that meant a lot,” Simmons said. “I feel like he is the person for this job. There’s not much I can say especially with talk of the contract – my (agent) is handling that. But whenever we get to that point – I feel very confident that I’ll be here in Tennessee, and I want to be in Tennessee. So, we’ll see how that goes.”

While the Titans ended the 2022 season on a seven-game losing streak that knocked them out of the postseason hunt, Simmons held up his end of the bargain. In 15 games, he tallied 7.5 sacks and 54 total tackles and once again fared well in the eyes of advanced metrics. Pro Football Focus assigned him a stellar 81.1 overall grade for his work — a top-10 figure among interior defenders — with strong marks for his efforts against both the run and pass.

It therefore makes sense that Carthon would want to keep Simmons as the anchor of Tennessee’s defensive front for the foreseeable future, though that will be a costly proposition. Spotrac presently suggests that Simmons merits a four-year deal worth over $86MM, which would represent a $21MM+ per year payout. That type of contract would put Simmons near the top of the interior defender market, behind only future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald‘s $31.6MM AAV.

Interestingly, it appears that Simmons has now secured representation. Reports last summer concerning Simmons’ “hold-in” — which both Simmons and the Titans said was unrelated to his contract status — indicated that he was operating without an agent. Now, however, Spotrac lists Paul DeRousselle as his agent.

If a new contract does not come to fruition, Simmons will earn $10.6MM in 2023.

Panthers GM Scott Fitterer To Have Final Say Over 53-Man Roster

February 5th, 2023 at 8:39am CST by Rory Parks

In his introductory press conference, new Panthers head coach Frank Reich shed some light on how the team will operate with respect to personnel decisions. Per Reich, GM Scott Fitterer will have final say over Carolina’s 53-man roster (Twitter link via Albert Breer of SI.com).

Reich was clear that this delineation of power is a “paper” one, meaning that he and Fitterer will collaborate on roster construction and staffing decisions. He said, “Scott will have control of the 53. I’ll have control of who’s active, who’s not active. But, ultimately, that’s on paper. In reality, this is 100 percent collaborative. I can already tell that with Scott. We’re gonna work side by side. We’re gonna tirelessly work where we’re gonna have the same vision” (via Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire).

Still, given that former head coach Matt Rhule had full control over the Panthers’ roster and was sometimes reluctant to change his stance on roster-related matters, a new approach could be a welcome change. That is especially true for Fitterer, who took the general manager title upon joining the Panthers in 2021 but who did not get the same chance to exercise his personnel muscles as most other GMs around the league.

Seeing the writing on the wall, Fitterer reportedly began distancing himself from Rhule during the 2021 season, and after Rhule was fired, owner David Tepper was quick to voice his support for his GM. Now, the former Seahawks exec will have more control over his own fate as he and Reich attempt to build on the progress that Carolina showed under interim HC Steve Wilks during the final 12 games of the 2022 campaign.

The Fitterer-Reich partnership is presently seeking a new offensive and defensive coordinator, and the duo will soon be tasked with identifying and acquiring a franchise quarterback. Fitterer and assistant GM Dan Morgan spent much of the fall scouting the top four quarterbacks in the 2023 class — Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson — in person, and while some of those passers will be gone by the time Carolina is on the clock with the No. 9 overall pick, the team could consider a trade up.

The Panthers could explore a reunion with Sam Darnold as a bridge option, and it is unclear how Reich feels about 2022 draftee Matt Corral, who is ticketed for a backup role on the 2023 depth chart. One way or another, the upcoming quarterback decision will likely play a major role in the long-term job security of both Fitterer and Reich.

In related news, Reich’s daughter, Hannah Reich Fairman, recently addressed the controversy that her hire as a member of the Panthers’ marketing department engendered. In a now-deleted tweet, Fairman announced on January 8 — the last day of the regular season — that she had accepted the job, which led some to believe that she was hired either to entice Reich to accept the HC post or as part of a pre-arranged deal with Reich. If that were the case, then that would obviously create concerns about the team’s interview process and Rooney Rule compliance.

However, Fairman recently said that she applied for the job while Reich was still employed by the Colts, so the Panthers can credibly argue that her hire was made entirely independently of her father’s (Twitter link via Sheena Quick of FOX 1340). There is no indication that the league is planning an investigation of the matter.

Colts Could Name HC After Super Bowl

February 4th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Another day, another Colts interview. This time around, it’s Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, who is interviewing for Indy’s head coaching position today. The organization’s head coaching search may not be concluding any time soon, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes (on Twitter) that the Colts might not name a head coach until after the Super Bowl.

[RELATED: Poll: Who Will Become Next Colts HC?]

Considering the breadth of Indy’s head coaching search, it’s not a huge surprise that the process may take at least another week. The Colts initially interviewed a league-high 13 candidates for the position, and a good portion of those individuals ended up moving on to the second round. We heard earlier this week that the organization was considering a third round of interviews, although Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star says a third wave “is far from set in stone.” Erickson also points out that a team hasn’t conducted a third round of HC interviews in nearly four decades, meaning Indy’s search could be bordering on unprecedented.

“Be patient and take your time, and make sure we have a thorough interview with everybody,” GM Chris Ballard previously said of the search (via Erickson). “I don’t care if it takes until mid-February to hire the head coach. It’s about getting it right.”

It was assumed that the process was taking so long thanks in part to Jim Irsay‘s insertion into the second round of interviews; the team owner wasn’t involved in the initial wave of meetings. Albert Breer of TheMMQB tweets that Irsay has spent one-on-one time with the current candidates, and the current round has been described as “creative” and long, with some interviews lasting up to 12 hours.

As our 2023 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, there are currently 10 candidates who have either conducted a second interview or been mentioned as a finalist. This doesn’t include Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who has decided to stay in Dallas.

Colts’ Jonathan Taylor Underwent Ankle Surgery

February 4th, 2023 at 9:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the attention surrounding the Colts at the moment relates to their ongoing head coaching search. Plenty of questions remain to be answered with respect to their roster, however, including their top offensive playmaker’s health heading into 2023.

[RELATED: Colts’ HC Search May Last Until After Super Bowl]

Running back Jonathan Taylor was limited to 11 games played in 2022, the first season of his career in which he missed time due to injury. He finished the campaign on IR with an ankle injury, and put up underwhelming numbers in a year where nothing went right for the Colts. There is positive news for him on the injury front, though.

The 24-year-old underwent ankle surgery in January, as detailed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The procedure – a arthroscopic debridement, specifically – was performed by Dr. Robert Anderson, and was described by Taylor as being “extremely successful” at cleaning out his ankle. The ailment had been affecting him since Week 4, but his outlook is looking better as a result of the surgery.

“That thing had a bunch of junk in there from a bunch of years,” the Wisconsin alum said of his ankle. “Just finally had to clean it out and make sure I’m good to go. We finally had the time to get it right, make sure I’m 100% ready to rock. That’s all you can ask.”

Taylor entered this past season with massive expectations, having led the league in rushing yards in 2021. In part due to the lingering ankle issues, along with the Colts’ overall struggles on offense, however, he was held to 861 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Those figures, along with his 4.5 yards per carry average, were career lows, and could put a damper on his potential value on a new deal.

Eligible for an extension this offseason, Taylor is likely to once again operate as the focal point of the Colts’ run game in 2023, but the team could be weary of committing to a big-money deal given his underwhelming campaign. His market value could also fluctuate significantly given the plethora of high-profile backs set to hit the open market (or sign long-term deals of their own with their respective teams). Regardless of what happens from a financial standpoint, Taylor added that he expects to be fully recovered in time for training camp, which will be a welcomed development in Indianapolis.

Panthers Request DC Interview With Ejiro Evero; Latest On Broncos Candidacy

February 4th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

7:40pm: With Evero no longer a member of the Broncos’ staff, Denver does not have the power to block a lateral move such as one which would see him head to Carolina. An interview with the Panthers at an unknown date has been set up, per Troy Renck of Denver7. To little surprise, he adds that Evero “expects to get” either that DC position, or the one in Minnesota to which he has also been very closely linked. In any case, it will likely not take long before his next NFL gig is in place.

1:58pm: Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero continues to draw considerable interest around the NFL despite the uncertainty regarding his future in Denver. In addition to the Vikings, the Panthers are interested in hiring him via a lateral move.

Carolina has requested a DC interview with Evero, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). That news comes less than one month after the Panthers met with the 42-year-old for their head coaching vacancy, which has since been filled by Frank Reich. Despite not landing a HC role so far in the 2023 cycle, Evero is expected to lead an NFL staff in the very near future.

Not long after Reich’s appointment, it came out that the Panthers were eying Vic Fangio for their DC position. The latter eventually chose to head to Miami instead, though, leaving them to turn elsewhere in their search. It comes as little surprise they have their eyes on Evero, who drew notable praise for his work with Denver’s defense in 2022, his first campaign in the Mile High City. Whether he stays there for the upcoming sesason or not remains to be seen, however.

The Broncos have not yet given the Vikings permission to interview Evero as their Ed Donatell replacement, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). He adds that Evero would be Minnesota’s preferred choice if a sit-down were to be arranged, though that may be unlikely. It was reported earlier this week that the Broncos wish to keep Evero in place as a top assistant under new head coach Sean Payton; Breer notes that the pair have spoken to discuss their (potential) future together.

In a follow-up, Breer also tweets that the Rams could be a team to keep an eye on should they find themselves in need of a new DC. Raheem Morris is one of many candidates remaining for the Colts’ HC position, so the possibility remains that he winds up in Indianapolis in the near future. Evero would represent a logical replacement candidate for Morris, since he spent five years in Los Angeles prior to his arrival in Denver this past year.

Amidst all this uncertainty, the Broncos have requested DC interviews of their own with Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai and Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores. That leaves much to be answered with respect to Evero’s immediate future, but if he does end up outside of Denver in 2023, he will have no shortage of suitors.

Lou Anarumo, Mike Kafka Set For Second Cardinals HC Interviews

February 4th, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

The first known finalists for Arizona’s head coaching vacancy have emerged. The Cardinals are set to meet for a second time with Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka (Twitter links via Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).

Anarumo, 56, has been in Cincinnati since 2019, a spot which gave him his second career DC opportunity. His role in helping the Bengals emerge as AFC heavyweights over the past two seasons has increasingly been brought to the attention of the NFL community, as the 2023 coaching cycle continues. Anarumo’s unit surrendered the sixth-fewest points in the regular season in 2022, earning him and Bengals OC Brian Callahan interviews with the Cardinals this past week.

Most of the candidates named in Arizona’s search to date have a background on the defensive side of the ball. The Cardinals fielded the league’s second-worst scoring defense in 2022, and its roster turnover this offseason will include future Hall of Fame edge rusher J.J. Watt not returning. Immediately following the announcement of Kliff Kingsbury‘s firing, DC Vance Joseph was mentioned as a serious candidate to replace him. Several external candidates have been interviewed since, however, including Anarumo. The latter will meet virtually with new general manager Monti Ossenfort on Friday, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter link).

No timetable is yet known for Kafka’s interview, though it too will take place via Zoom. The 35-year-old took on an OC position for the first time in 2022, when he joined Brian Daboll‘s first Giants staff. His work as a QBs coach in Kansas City put him on the coordinator radar, though it still came as a surprise when he was given play-calling duties. That move paid dividends for Big Blue, as the Giants shattered expectations en route to a run to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Kafka has interviewed with four of the five teams which entered this offseason in need of a new coach, underscoring his perceived value around the league. He met with the Texans for a second time last month, though Houston has since made the expected move of hiring DeMeco Ryans as their new bench boss. With a second interview now on tap with Arizona, though, the possibility remains that he could land a HC job to cap off his noteworthy rise.

With the second round of their HC search set to begin soon, here is the updated breakdown of the Cardinals’ interview process:

Broncos Release Ejiro Evero From Contract; DC Expected To Interview With Vikings

February 4th, 2023 at 5:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

The future of Ejiro Evero could become clearer in the near future. The Broncos have let their defensive coordinator out of his contract, freeing him to interview with other teams for a new opportunity under the same title, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Mike Klis of 9News corroborates that report, adding that Evero preferred to move on from Denver (Twitter link). The 42-year-old was close with ousted head coach Nathaniel Hackett, something which left plenty of doubt in the wake of his firing before the regular season had ended. Evero was offered the interim HC role for the final two games of the campaign, but kept his attention on his DC duties in preparation for a busy schedule of interviews during the 2023 coaching cycle.

In spite of the Broncos’ wishes to keep Evero in place, new head coach Sean Payton is moving on from the former with this decision. As a result, Evero can now meet with the Vikings, who requested an interview with him yesterday. It remained very much in doubt whether or not Denver would block that request – as they previously had done with the Falcons. Now, though, Minnesota is working on scheduling a sit-down for early next week, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tweets.

As Klis notes, “all signs point to” Evero landing the DC position with the Vikings once that interview takes place. He has been a hot commodity this offseason as one of the league’s fastest-rising coordinators, even receiving head coach consideration from the Panthers last month. Carolina also has an interview request in with Evero for their DC vacancy, as Frank Reich begins to piece together his new staff.

An NFL staffer since 2017, Evero has spent time with the Buccaneers, 49ers, Packers and Rams in a number of capacities. His lone DC spell came this past season with the Broncos, who put up impressive statistics in several categories despite the team’s well-documented struggles all year long. That showing had led to the expectation that Evero will be an NFL head coach not far down the road.

Payton and the Broncos, meanwhile, will now squarely turn their attention elsewhere to fill the DC opening. Denver has interview requests in with Sean Desai and Brian Flores, but more names could be added to the list of their targets with the knowledge that their highly-acclaimed assistant will be heading elsewhere.

Trent Williams To Remain With 49ers In 2023

February 4th, 2023 at 4:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Retirement speculation ramped up recently in the case of 49ers left tackle Trent Williams. However, he quelled doubts about his immediate playing future on Saturday.

When asked whether or not he would continue to suit up for San Francisco, the veteran said, “yeah, for sure. Next year, the year after. I’m under contract until I’m 39 [years old]” (h/t Grant Gordon of NFL.com).

Williams, 34, recently finished his third year with the 49ers following a decorated stint in Washington. He maintained his elite level of play in 2022, playing in 14 regular season games and earning a PFF grade over 90 for the third straight campaign and fifth overall. While the analytics website graded his performance in the postseason poorly, Williams can still be considered a foundational piece of the 49ers’ offense now and in the future.

The former first-rounder extended his Pro Bowl streak to 10 seasons in 2022, and earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the second consecutive year. Williams has been as advertised in San Francisco, with whom he remains on the books due to the six-year, $138MM contract he signed in 2021. His salary ($19.4MM) and cap hit ($27.2MM) in 2023 are the lowest figures remaining on that pact.

The Oklahoma alum is one of several core players the 49ers already have in place as the offseason approaches. They have a number of questions to answer with respect to their pending free agents, however, which leaves the future of starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey in the air at least for the time being. Williams committing to play in 2023 alleviates some of the uncertainty the team is facing up front.

From a health perspective, Williams appeared to be in better shape when speaking at Pro Bowl weekend compared to when his remarks sparked retirement talk. He was on crutches and in a walking boot two days after the 49ers’ loss to the Eagles in the NFC title game, but needed neither of those aides today. With his intentions for at least the immediate future clear, he and San Francisco can move forward with their preparations for the offseason knowing the status quo will remain intact along the blindside.

Cowboys Promote Brian Schottenheimer To OC

February 4th, 2023 at 2:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys’ search for a new offensive coordinator has ended in unsurprising fashion. The team announced on Saturday that Brian Schottenheimer has been promoted to the OC position.

Dallas parted ways with Kellen Moore after he had guided their offense for the past four seasons. That stretch included three seasons of high-end production in the regular season with a healthy Dak Prescott under center, but reports have since emerged citing strife between Moore (who has since landed with the Chargers) and head coach Mike McCarthy after the Cowboys’ season came to an end with an underwhelming loss to the 49ers for the second straight year.

With the latter set to handle play-calling duties, Dallas’ search for Moore’s successor ended up being rather brief. It was reported earlier this week that Schottenheimer would be a name to watch for the position, given his experience with the team and serving as an OC elsewhere around the NFL. The 49-year-old worked with the Cowboys as an offensive consultant in 2022, but has helped guide the offenses of the Jets, Rams and Seahawks previously.

“I am very happy to have Brian take on this key role with our team,” McCarthy said in a statement, via the team’s website. “He has been an important part of our staff already and has a great grasp of where we are and where we want to go.

“Brian has an exceptionally strong foundation, history and relationships beyond his time here that translates very well into understanding what our approach to operating and executing will be for the future. This will be an exciting and efficient transition for us that I am confident will help yield the growth and results we all want and expect.”

Schottenheimer will take on an increased role from his previous capacity in Dallas, looking to improve a unit which ranked fourth in scoring in the NFL last season. Uncertainty remains regarding their backfield tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, while additions are expected to be made in the pass-catching corps. Of course, Schottenheimer, McCarthy and the rest of the staff will principally be judged by their performance in the postseason as the post-Moore era begins on offense.

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