2023 February - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Broncos Add John Morton To Staff

February 26th, 2023 at 9:59am CST by Sam Robinson

While Ronald Curry ended up staying with the Saints, Sean Payton‘s Broncos staff includes a number of ex-New Orleans assistants — particularly on the offense side of the ball.

The Broncos are giving Joe Lombardi, whom the Chargers fired last month, an immediate bounce-back opportunity. His hire was, in fact, Denver’s OC move. The Broncos also added ex-Saints offensive lineman-turned-assistant Zach Strief as their O-line coach, former New Orleans assistant Declan Doyle as their tight ends coach and Mike Westhoff as an assistant HC. Westhoff, an NFL special teams coach since the 1980s, will help with Denver’s ST units.

Denver also added John Morton to its staff. The team announced the former Jets OC is headed to Denver as passing game coordinator. Morton coming over gives the Broncos another ex-Saints staffer and adds a third former OC to Denver’s staff. Morton served as the Jets’ OC in 2017 but has been on the senior offensive assistant level since that one-and-done stay under Todd Bowles.

Morton, 53, spent last season as a senior offensive assistant in Detroit, after being a Jon Gruden hire in Oakland. Morton spent the 2019-21 seasons with the Raiders and played a role in helping the resurgent Lions assemble one of the NFL’s top offenses. Morton’s Jets season came during a clear bridge campaign on offense, when the team did not make a notable quarterback move and instead entrusted Josh McCown at the controls ahead of a 2018 offseason that featured the Sam Darnold trade-up. The Jets ranked 24th in points scored that year.

Payton made Morton part of his first Saints staff back in 2006, hiring him as New Orleans’ pass-game coordinator that year. Morton moved on to USC under Pete Carroll after one New Orleans season but came back in 2015, staying on for two seasons as the Saints’ wide receivers coach. He will now rejoin Payton and Lombardi, along with QBs coach Davis Webb, as the offensive brain trust for a Broncos team that finished the 2022 season with the league’s fewest points.

Giants Likely To Resume Odell Beckham Jr. Pursuit, Eye First-Round WR Pick

February 26th, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants won their first playoff game in 11 years last month, but their wide receiver plan unraveled early in the season. The team’s hopeful top four options at the position going into the season were either injured, traded or nonfactors by the stretch run. As should be expected, outside help will be pursued this offseason.

This year’s wide receiver free agent market is not particularly flashy, which could lead to increased trade buzz. But the Giants should be expected to pick up where they left off with Odell Beckham Jr., Connor Hughes of SNY notes. The team did not view Beckham as being a realistic candidate to help last season, and the former Giant carried unrealistic price demands. This combination scuttled the Giants’ interest, and the other suitors backed off as well. But Beckham will be a factor in free agency.

Assuming Beckham has used the past few months to move closer to 100%, or around 80% of the version he was prior to his second ACL tear, Hughes expects the Giants to be in the mix until the end for a reunion. Beckham, 30, has expressed steady interest in his former team, as tweets during last season’s surprise playoff journey most recently showed, but he may not have the same interest if the Giants move on from both Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley. The two skill-position holdovers from Beckham’s Giants stay are free agency-bound, though the team has shown steady interest in keeping Barkley — so long as such a pursuit does not involve letting Daniel Jones walk.

The Cowboys and Rams are also expected to revisit a Beckham push. Considering this year’s underwhelming market, it will be interesting to see where teams will go to add OBJ. The eight-year veteran was last seen playing a major role in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI win, but his second ACL tear crushed his 2022 market. He will join the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers, Allen Lazard, DJ Chark and others on this year’s market.

Shepard joins Wan’Dale Robinson as Giants wideouts to have suffered major injuries in 2022 and joins Darius Slayton in being unattached for 2023. The Giants will also cut Kenny Golladay soon; a post-June 1 distinction will create $13.5MM in cap space for Joe Schoen‘s team. Although free agency will be a key avenue for Big Blue to upgrade at this position, its best chance of landing a No. 1-caliber option will be in the draft. It represents a fairly safe bet the Giants will strongly consider a wideout in Round 1, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports notes.

Penciling in a receiver at No. 25 for New York should be a “pretty safe” bet for the Giants, per Vacchiano. Todd McShay’s first mock sends Boston College’s Zay Flowers to the Giants, while Daniel Jeremiah’s second pegs Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt as the ascending team’s pick. This is a less optimal time to enter an offseason with a receiver need. In addition to the maligned free agency crop, the draft does not look to carry the caliber of talent of recent years. This class lacks dominant options, at least going in, Jeremiah offers (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe). The upcoming Combine and pro days will reveal more about this class’ capabilities.

The Giants’ last major receiver draft splash came two years ago, in Kadarius Toney. After the Eagles foiled the Giants’ plans to take DeVonta Smith, the Dave Gettleman regime settled on Toney. The shifty but incredibly injury-prone player wore out his welcome quickly in the Big Apple, and the Giants traded him to the Chiefs for third- and sixth-round picks. Toney has not stayed healthy in Kansas City, either, but he did score a walk-in touchdown in Super Bowl LVII and set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return. The Chiefs acquired Toney before the trade deadline, but GM Brett Veach said (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) the team discussed him with the Giants during the 2022 offseason.

Toney trade talk emerged briefly in the offseason, before the team shot it down. During that window, however, a Chiefs offer may well have emerged. The Giants held off on doing a trade with the Chiefs at that point, rightly viewing Kansas City picks as being likely to land late in rounds. Presumably, no better offers for the ex-Florida Gator come before the deadline. The Giants ended up landing the last picks in Round 3 and Round 6 (Nos. 100 and 196 overall) in the trade.

Broncos Hire Joe Lombardi As OC

February 25th, 2023 at 8:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 25: The Broncos announced their full staff on Saturday, and it does indeed list Lombardi as offensive coordinator. The move comes as little surprise given reporting on the hire earlier this week, along with the time Payton and Lombardi spent together with the Saints. Their first season in Denver will see the veteran staffers work alongside a mix of experienced and rookie coaches, including Davis Webb in Lombardi’s familiar role of quarterbacks coach.

FEBRUARY 23: Fired from his Chargers offensive coordinator post last month, Joe Lombardi will reunite with his former boss. Sean Payton is adding the veteran assistant to his staff, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

Lombardi’s role is not yet known, though the Broncos have not hired an OC. Lombardi filling that role is not out of the equation, per Klis. Lombardi enjoyed two lengthy stints as the Saints’ quarterbacks coach, serving in that role from 2009-13 and 2016-20. He spent the past two seasons as the Bolts’ play-caller. Lombardi, 51, will indeed join the Broncos in a coordinator-type capacity, Klis adds.

While Lombardi drew criticism for his performance guiding Los Angeles’ Justin Herbert-directed offenses, Denver’s OC role will be a non-play-calling position. As it was in New Orleans, Payton will call plays as a head coach. The Broncos’ OC search has not generated as much attention as the DC pursuit that ended with Vance Joseph being hired Thursday. Saints quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry is the only known interviewee thus far, but Curry is staying in New Orleans. That clears a path for Curry’s predecessor, but the Broncos have operated methodically in filling out Payton’s staff.

Be it as Denver’s new OC or its pass-game coordinator, Lombardi will work as one of Payton’s top assistants once again. Both the staffers the Chargers fired in January — Lombardi and Shane Day — have landed gigs elsewhere in the AFC. The Texans hired Day as a senior offensive assistant last week. The Broncos’ top trio on offense from last season — Nathaniel Hackett, OC Justin Outten, QBs coach Klint Kubiak — have all landed elsewhere (Jets, Titans, 49ers) as well.

Dinged for not turning Herbert loose as a downfield passer, Lombardi still oversaw the star Bolts QB becoming the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter in 2021. Herbert threw 38 touchdown passes that season. He dropped to 25 this season, but injuries affected the Bolts steadily. Keenan Allen missed half the year with a hamstring malady, while Mike Williams was down for multiple stretches. This included the team’s playoff game, after Brandon Staley surprisingly played his starters deep into a meaningless Week 18 game in Denver. Herbert also played through a rib injury, one he suffered in Week 2. While Austin Ekeler once again led the NFL in touchdowns (18), the Chargers’ offense underwhelmed in 2022.

An Air Force alum, Lombardi will return to Colorado for a third stint under Payton. Vince Lombardi‘s grandson, Joe caught on with the Saints in 2007 and was Drew Brees‘ primary position coach during his record-setting run in New Orleans. Payton understandably receives most of the credit for Brees becoming a superstar, but the new Denver HC will entrust his longtime lieutenant to help repair Russell Wilson‘s game.

49ers Re-Sign LS Taybor Pepper

February 25th, 2023 at 8:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two years ago, the 49ers retained long snapper Taybor Pepper in time to prevent him from hitting the open market. They have done the same again this offseason.

Pepper announced that he has signed a three-year deal to remain in San Francisco (video link). That will keep him on the books through 2025, since he was a pending free agent. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that this contract includes $1.5MM guaranteed at signing.

“Faithful, thank you for the past three years,” Pepper’s announcement states. “I can’t even begin to tell you what this place means to me. In life, some chapters are meant to close… but this one ain’t over yet.”

The 29-year-old began began his career with the Packers in 2017, but spent only one year there. He then played in Miami in 2019, in what amounted to another one-and-done campaign. He headed to the Bay Area in September of 2020, playing in the team’s final 12 games of that season. His performance during that time earned him a two-year, $2.08MM deal.

The Michigan State product has been the 49ers’ full-time snapper since then, and will now double the length of his stay with the team. San Francisco also has punter Mitch Wishnowsky under contract through 2026, giving them continuity for at least two-thirds of their special teams battery. Kicker Robbie Gould is a pending free agent, though he has made it clear that he intends to continue his playing career. Attention can now turn to retaining the latter as the 49ers aim to keep as many contributors to their recent success as possible.

Trade Cost Dissuaded Cardinals From Pursuing Sean Payton

February 25th, 2023 at 7:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Sean Payton was the top candidate on the head coaching market this year, and he drew considerable interest around the league while still being under contract with the Saints. The Cardinals interviewed him during their search, but he ultimately wound up in Denver.

Part of the reason for that was the trade compensation New Orleans was seeking for a hire to become possible. When speaking publicly on the topic, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill revealed that trade talks quickly left Arizona out of the running to acquire Payton, in light of their rebuilding effort.

“We spent a lot of time,” with Payton, Bidwill said, via Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper. “The issues around coach Payton had nothing to do with the money, the compensation we would be paying him. It was all the compensation, the draft compensation to the Saints. We just weren’t willing to go with what the Saints wanted us to give up. It would have been too costly to the team for us to rebuild that roster. It was really a series of tradeoffs. I still felt like we got great coaches out there that can get this team turned around. I think we were right when you look at [Jonathan Gannon].”

Denver sent New Orleans 2023 first- and 2024 second-round picks in exchange for Payton and a third-rounder in 2024. That came as little surprise, given reports early in the interviewing process that the two teams had the framework of an agreement in place. The Broncos’ willingness to part with a Day 1 selection is especially noteworthy considering the package they sent Seattle for Russell Wilson last offseason, and is obviously greater than what Bidwill deemed an appropriate price within his team’s circumstances.

The Cardinals turned their attention away from Payton towards a shortlist of finalists which included Gannon. The now-former Eagles defensive coordinator took the Arizona job not long after the Super Bowl, and has a pair of new coordinators on his staff to lead the franchise in a different direction after the Kliff Kingsbury and Steve Keim era came to an end after the regular season. The reputation the team took on during that span was one of the key reasons Payton ultimately headed to Denver.

“I think [Cardinals QB Kyler Murray] is extremely talented, and I think they have the same challenges there that we have in Denver,” Payton said after his Broncos hire became official. “They are very similar challenges. Culture in the building has to be better. It just does.”

Having passed on a Payton deal, the Cardinals now approach the new league year with roughly $14MM in cap space and four of the first 97 picks in the upcoming draft. How they use that capital in the coming months will go a long way in determining their success, and, to an extent, whether or not balking at the Saints’ trade demands was the right call.

Jaguars Extend DL Roy Robertson-Harris

February 25th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars have been busy in recent days, but they have followed up their earlier work with a significant investment on their defense. Jacksonville has agreed to terms on a three-year, $30MM extension with defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). A team announcement has confirmed the move.

The veteran has been with the Jaguars since 2021, and enjoyed a productive stint in Duval County. He has been a full-time starter in his two seasons in Jacksonville, setting new career highs in a number of categories in each of those campaigns. He was already under contract through the 2023 season, but he will now be on the books for what will likely be a competitive stretch for the team.

The 29-year-old served in a mostly rotational role with the Bears to begin his career. The potential he showed there led to a three-year, $24.4MM deal in the 2021 offseason as a free agent. Expectations were raised for the former UDFA after that, and he has delivered to date. Robertson-Harris registered 37 tackles and three sacks in 2021, matching the latter total this past season. He made 45 total stops in 2022, adding 12 QB hits and four pass deflections. His strong play continued into the postseason, where he totaled 14 stops, one sack and five TFLs across two playoff games.

His production was indicative of the overall success enjoyed by Jacksonville’s defensive front during their run to an AFC South title and wild card victory. The team spent last offseason complimenting Robertson-Harris with the signing of Folorunso Fatukasi and selection of Travon Walker with the first overall pick in the draft. As a team, the Jaguars ranked 12th in the NFL in terms of rushing yards allowed per game – a stark improvement compared to years past.

Roberstson-Harris set new personal marks over the past two campaigns in terms of playing time. He logged snap shares of 60% and 61%, respectively, and this deal sets him up to remain a starter for the foreseeable future. This extension carries an average value essentially identical to what his 2023 cap hit was going to be ($10.1MM). It also represents the latest piece of accounting the Jaguars have taken care of in advance of free agency, something which will not see as many notable moves as 2022. Retaining in-house players will be their priority, so this move comes as an example of achieving that goal.

Roberstson-Harris is now in line for a slight uptick in compensation over the next few years relative to his first Jaguars contract. That investment proved to be a fruitful one, and his play suggests this latest one could be as well.

Saints Extend DE Tanoh Kpassagnon

February 25th, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 25: Kpassagnon’s deal is now official, per a tweet from his agent; Aaron Wilson of KPRC adds that his contract is two years in length, and has a maximum value of almost $6MM (Twitter link). He will continue his time in New Orleans, and quite possibly be in line for an increase in playing time depending on how many other free agents the Saints are able to retain. The team has a long way to go to achieve cap compliance, and keeping Kpassagnon on the books for the short-term future will eat into their limited funds, albeit while retaining a useful member of their defense.

FEBRUARY 24: As the Saints continue another layered journey toward cap compliance, they are planning to keep one of their impending free agents in the fold. They are closing in on a deal with Tanoh Kpassagnon, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

A seventh-year edge rusher, Kpassagnon has spent the past two seasons in New Orleans. The former Kansas City second-round pick is nearing a multiyear pact, per Pelissero. This move would keep one of the Saints’ rotational pass rushers in the fold.

Void years are attached to Kpassagnon’s current Saints contract. If no deal is reached by the start of the new league year, $1.99MM in dead money would hit the Saints’ books. While that is a modest figure, the Saints are still more than $30MM over the cap. Kpassagnon, 28, played out a two-year, $4.5MM contract this past season.

Although the Villanova product has not become a regular starter, multiple teams have used him as a complementary edge presence. The 6-foot-7 defensive end has registered six sacks during his Saints tenure, one that has included 10 starts. Kpassagnon has added 14 quarterback hits during this span. The Chiefs gave Kpassagnon 24 starts, and he was their edge starter opposite Frank Clark in Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LV. Kpassagnon registered two sacks during the 2019 playoffs to help the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title in 50 years. The team went with other options in 2021, however, one of them being former Saints D-end Alex Okafor.

The Saints may well be losing former first-round pick Marcus Davenport this offseason. Davenport played out his rookie contract and is weeks away from free agency. The Saints are pursuing Derek Carr, though it is unknown how much they are willing to pay the street free agent QB. It should not be ruled out the Saints find a way to keep Davenport, they are unlikely to have much in the way of funds to retain the 2018 first-rounder. The team retaining Kpassagnon, in that case, stands to help its D-end situation at a fraction of that cost.

Derek Carr Aiming For $35MM-Plus Per Year; Panthers View Price As Too Steep?

February 25th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders released Derek Carr nearly two weeks ago, and while the veteran quarterback has visited the Saints and Jets thus far, he remains a free agent. Carr is clearly not in a rush to land with a second NFL employer, and a price point has emerged.

Carr’s third Raiders contract paid him just more than $40MM per year, but its construction led to it being a one-year agreement. For his fourth NFL deal, Carr is not demanding it match the AAV the Raiders authorized last year. But Carr is aiming for a contract north of $35MM annually, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com notes (Twitter link).

Last year’s Raiders-Carr agreement also gave him a head-start on free agency, via the guarantee vesting date coming exactly a month before the market opens. But Carr is willing to wait for a team to meet his asking price; he does not need to be the first QB to sign this offseason, per Russini. It would seemingly behoove Carr to sign early, before free agency begins to dramatically alter teams’ budgets. But Daniel Jones signing soon could also strengthen Carr’s stance.

The Giants are not expected to be in play for non-Jones QBs, but the free agent-to-be is asking for a contract at or near the $45MM-per-year mark. Given the gap in accomplishments between Jones and Carr, the Giants giving their 25-year-old QB a deal in the $40MM-AAV range would seem to bolster the latter’s value. Carr is 31, which impacts his stock compared to Jones’, but be should have at least a few more prime years to factor into his negotiations.

No quarterbacks currently sit between the $35MM and $40MM AAV thresholds. Carr and Jones may end up bridging that gap, though it will be interesting to see if the latter stands down and accepts an offer closer to the Giants’ price point than his own. Carr also has the luxury of negotiating with multiple teams; Jones will not, as the Giants plan to use the franchise tag on him absent an extension agreement by March 7. Carr has engaged in talks with teams beyond the Jets and Saints, though those are the big two at the moment. And not much has come out connecting Carr to the Saints since he became a street free agent.

The Jets’ wish list does not appear to have changed. Although mutual interest exists between the Jets and Carr, the team is still waiting on Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP, post-darkness retreat, has not alerted the Packers if he wants to retire, return or be traded. An explosive report of the Packers being done with Rodgers certainly caught interested teams’ attention, and an AFC suitor moving on Carr early may not make much sense — unless it was certain Rodgers was off the table or sought a younger arm. The Jets have made no secret they are chasing a veteran, but it does not seem to matter if they acquire a 39-year-old passer or Carr, who will turn 32 this offseason.

Although the Saints are making their usual February cap maneuvers, it will be a challenge for the team to fit the kind of contract Carr seeks on their payroll. The Commanders are not believed to be as eager to pay up for a quarterback as they were last year; Ron Rivera said major funds are unlikely to be used on a QB. Thanks to Tom Brady‘s $35.1MM void-years bill coming due, the Bucs are unlikely to wade into the QB market’s deep waters, either. The Panthers also might not be eyeing such a move. They are interested in Carr to a degree, but David Newton of ESPN.com notes the team is believed to view this price as too steep. Carolina is more likely to re-sign Sam Darnold, or add a similarly priced passer, and further bolster the position in the draft than pay up for Carr.

This growing collection of cautious spenders would not bode well for Carr, who still may be waiting out Rodgers’ decision as far as the Jets are concerned. The rest of the quarterback market will be free to speak with other teams beginning March 13, but the Carr domino should still be expected to fall before that date.

NFL Coaching Updates: Cards, Fins, Browns

February 25th, 2023 at 12:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Jonathan Gannon has continued to put together his new coaching staff in Arizona over the past week, making numerous hires. The Cardinals have made three new additions this past week to the team’s defensive coaching staff.

First, Arizona is bringing in former Vikings assistant linebackers coach Sam Siefkes, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Siefkes spent two years with Minnesota before accepting the linebackers coaching position in Arizona. He’ll be paired with fellow new hire Robert Rodriguez who will be the new outside linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Rodriguez coached on the same Vikings staff as Gannon for a number of years but has spent the past three football seasons coaching the defensive line at Arizona State. He’ll remain in-state for his next NFL coaching job.

Lastly, the Cardinals have landed their new defensive line coach in Derrick LeBlanc, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. LeBlanc was most recently the assistant defensive line coach for the Dolphins and has coached at the college level, as well, at Arkansas and Kentucky.

Here are a few more coaching updates from around the NFL:

After losing LeBlanc to Arizona, the Dolphins have already filled his position, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Miami has hired Western Kentucky defensive line coach Kenny Baker to fill the position of assistant defensive line coach. Baker’s defensive line helped the Hilltoppers to finish second in Conference USA in sacks, scoring defense, and yards per carry allowed in 2022.
New Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has opted to retain Ben Bloom in a different role for 2023. Bloom, who spent last season as the Browns defensive run game coordinator, has been given the position of defensive line coach, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. This isn’t Bloom’s first position coaching role, after coaching linebackers for the Cowboys in 2018 and 2019. He’s well-respected in league circles and is expected to be a rising name in NFL coaching.

Details On Saints’ Recent Restructures

February 25th, 2023 at 12:10pm CST by Ely Allen

We reported a bit this week on some of the Saints’ recent cap-clearing moves as they reworked the contracts of offensive linemen Ryan Ramczyk and Erik McCoy, as well as kicker Wil Lutz. We’ve been provided a bit more detail on the financial moves New Orleans has made this week and how it will impact them in the future.

In regard to Ramczyk’s new deal, the Saints reportedly added a voidable year to his contract, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football. Ramczyk’s cap hit for this year is now at $11.1MM, a reduction of about $10MM, but with cap hits from 2024-27 of $27.03MM, $28.03MM, $25.26MM, and $2.58MM (dead money), the team will likely have to restructure his contract more in the future. His base salaries from 2024-26 are $17MM, $18MM, and $19MM, respectively, giving the Saints some flexibility to restructure. His contract makes him very difficult to trade in the near future, as well, as New Orleans would be facing about $43MM in dead money to have him dealt.

Underhill also provided some details about Lutz’s new deal. His contract now has a base salary of $1.25MM, freeing up $1.5MM of cap space. He will receive a per game active bonus of $26K for a potential season total of $450K, and he can earn $750K in incentives based on field goal percentage and total points.

Additionally, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported yesterday that the team has also restructured safety Tyrann Mathieu‘s contract in order to clear another $4.67MM in cap space for next season. Underhill added that they have also added a voidable year to the veteran’s contract. His cap numbers will now stand at $4.23MM in 2023, $12.07MM in 2024, and $7.30MM of dead money in 2025.

There’s lots to speculate about where this cap space could be going. They could be attempting to make room to accommodate taking on the contract of quarterback Derek Carr, as they were once viewed as frontrunners to land his services, or they could be gearing up to make a run at cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Regardless, the Saints are building some room as they deal with their annual troubles with cap space.

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