HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

USC’s Caleb Williams To Enter 2024 Draft

January 15th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

While connected to potentially bypassing the 2024 draft if he found his potential destination unsatisfactory, Caleb Williams will make his expected move soon. The USC quarterback is entering the draft, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel reports.

Williams has long been expected to declare, and he joins Drake Maye in doing so. The 2022 Heisman winner is favored to become the No. 1 pick, with the Bears firmly in play to move on from Justin Fields and draft the two-year USC star. That is not set in stone, however, and Fields’ status will play a major role in Williams’ NFL future.

Monday represents the deadline for players to make their draft declarations, and while Williams has made millions via the NIL component that has changed major college athletics, that pales in comparison to what he would make over the course of a fully guaranteed No. 1 overall contract. Bryce Young is tied to a $37.96MM fully guaranteed deal; the No. 1 pick in 2024 will slide in a bit higher.

The Bears have a fascinating decision ahead, and Williams will drive the seminal call. The former Oklahoma recruit has been viewed as a top-tier prospect for an extended stretch, with his ceiling as a passer separating him from Fields, who has shown elite abilities as a runner but has been inconsistent as a thrower through three seasons. The Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers last year, allowing Carolina to move up for Young. Williams brings a higher prospect pedigree than Young or C.J. Stroud, giving the Bears more to consider this year. After making the Carolina trade before free agency last year, GM Ryan Poles looks set to be more deliberate this time around.

Transferring from Oklahoma to follow Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles, Williams won the Heisman as a sophomore after throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns while limiting his interceptions to only five. This past season, Williams kept his interception total at five but failed to match his other Heisman numbers with 3,633 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, albeit in two fewer games.

The 6-foot-1 QB has drawn early Patrick Mahomes comparisons, and while that is a lofty standard, Williams will enter the NFL with a better accuracy profile compared to the Chiefs megastar. Williams completed 68.4% of his passes as a junior and averaged 9.4 yards per attempt, marks north of his Heisman-season totals. He also operated in a larger spotlight compared to any QB who has entered the draft over the past two years. Like Trevor Lawrence during his junior season, Williams entered his final college campaign as the runaway favorite to be the following year’s No. 1 pick.

Chicago passing on Williams at 1 would surprise. Fields showed progress as a passer in Year 3, but development and being the reason for passing on a No. 1 overall pick for a second straight year are different matters. Poles also did not draft Fields; predecessor Ryan Pace did. The Bears must decide on Fields’ fifth-year option by May. If the Bears trade him, they would do so before that point, giving Fields’ second NFL team that responsibility. Drafting Williams would also come with at least three years of rookie-deal salary, giving Chicago a chance to fortify its roster in other places. Picking up Fields’ option would start the clock on the Ohio State alum, whose rookie-deal salaries would stop in 2024.

The Fields case is not without considering for Chicago, either; it just comes with tremendous risk. Trading the top pick would fetch the Bears far more than trading Fields will, potentially requiring a Robert Griffin III-type haul for a team to move up — well, depending on where that team is currently slotted. But Poles and Co. would need to be convinced Fields will develop into a surefire franchise option for that route to be strongly considered.

Although some buzz about Fields still being the Bears’ future has emerged, more Williams-to-Chicago noise has come out. Either way, this will be one of the most interesting leadups to a draft in modern NFL history.

Seahawks Request HC Interview With Raiders DC Patrick Graham

January 15th, 2024 at 8:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Patrick Graham has earned another head coaching interview. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Seahawks have requested an interview with the Raiders defensive coordinator.

[RELATED: Seahawks Request HC Interview With Giants OC Mike Kafka]

The veteran coach worked his way up through the Patriots coaching staff, and following stints with the Giants and Packers, he was named the Dolphins defensive coordinator in 2019. He was recruited to the Giants by Joe Judge to serve in the same coordinator role (plus the title of assistant head coach) in 2020, and despite the change to Brian Daboll, Graham was expected to stick in New York in 2022.

Instead, he joined Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas, where he’s spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator. Graham has been credited with an improved defense in 2023. The group finished the season ninth in points allowed, and the defense finished top-12 in most passing defense categories. Thanks to the Raiders’ performance, Graham also got an interview for the Chargers head coaching job.

The Seahawks list of head coaching candidates continues to grow. We learned earlier tonight that the team was eyeing Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, and the two newest candidates join five other potential names:

Titans Request HC Interview With Panthers OC Thomas Brown

January 15th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Ben Levine

For the third straight year, Thomas Brown is generating head coaching interest. According to ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin, the Titans have requested to interview the Panthers offensive coordinator for their head coaching vacancy.

Brown worked his way up through the college circuit before being hired as the Rams running backs coach in 2020. He quickly earned a promotion to assistant head coach, and he eventually took on the role of tight ends coach. When Frank Reich was hired as the Panthers head coach last offseason, he brought on Brown to be his offensive coordinator.

The Panthers offense struggle was inconsistent in 2023 with rookie Bryce Young under center. Reich eventually relinquished play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator, but he briefly took them back before getting fired. Brown once again started calling plays under interim head coach Chris Tabor. While the Panthers offense finished towards the bottom of the NFL in most stats, Brown got the benefit of the doubt considering the turmoil on the staff. Still, he’s not expected to stick around Carolina in 2024.

Considering Brown’s rapid rise, this isn’t the first time he’s been a candidate for a head coaching gig. He was connected to the opening at Arizona State in 2022, and he interviewed for the Texans job last offseason.

As our 2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, Brown is now the 10th candidate for the Titans head coaching job:

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/15/24

January 15th, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

With a handful of teams getting eliminated from the playoffs this weekend, those front offices are starting to prepare for the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures deals, with the majority coming from recently eliminated squads:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/15/24

January 15th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Laquon Treadwell, a former first-round pick, will now look to revive his career elsewhere. The wideout got into five games with the Ravens this season, hauling in a single, 16-yard catch. Treadwell has spent time with five different squads over the past five seasons, and as he approaches his age-29 season, it will be interesting to see if any other teams are willing to give him a chance.

With Damarion Williams also landing on IR, the Ravens have opened up a pair of roster spots during their bye week. Naturally, there will be plenty of speculation that these spots are reserved for tight end Mark Andrews, who is returning from IR, and running back Dalvin Cook, who recently joined Baltimore’s practice squad.

Patriots Notes: Steve Belichick, Mayo, Front Office, ST Coordinator

January 15th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

While Bill Belichick‘s iconic stint with the Patriots has come to an end, there’s a chance his sons stick with the organization. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, both Steve Belichick and Brian Belichick have been offered opportunities to stay on the staff for 2024.

Steve Belichick has worked his way up through New England’s coaching ranks, culminating in him earning the roles of defensive play-caller and linebackers coach. New head coach Jerod Mayo worked closely with Steve, as the two effectively served as New England’s defensive coordinator over the past few years. While the elder Belichick could recruit his son to his next destination, the younger Belichick still has a strong connection to Mayo and the Patriots.

Brian Belichick joined the organization as a scouting assistant in 2016 and eventually earned a promotion to coaching assistant. After three years in that role, he was promoted to safeties coach, a gig he’s held since the 2020 campaign.

More notes out of New England…

  • The Patriots quick decision to promote Mayo wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction, a fact we already partly knew considering the outlined succession plan in the coach’s contract. However, Breer notes that Robert Kraft has been touting Mayo as his next head coach for two years, with the owner telling others that Mayo would earn the promotion if Belichick left the organization.
  • Belichick’s exit didn’t only open a hole on the sideline. Belichick also had full control over personnel, meaning the Patriots now have a GM-sized hole in their front office. We previously heard the organization was expected to lean on their current staff, a grouping that includes director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf. If that configuration doesn’t work out, Breer says Kraft could end up looking to hire a GM, although the owner won’t be rushed into any decision. Breer also notes that the Patriots will better empower their scouting a department, a group that was becoming increasingly “frustrated that they weren’t being heard in the final decision-making process.”
  • The Patriots have requested permission to interview Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams for the same job, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Williams got his NFL coaching start via the Bill Walsh NFL diversity coaching fellowship, and he worked his way up with the Bears, Lions, and Chargers before joining the Lions as the assistant ST coordinator in 2019. After two years in that role, he earned the top ST gig in Atlanta in 2021.
  • Before the team’s season finale, the Patriots converted Lawrence Guy‘s $500K playing-time incentive into a bonus, guaranteeing the veteran’s money regardless of his snap count in Week 18. Guy would have earned the incentive had he appeared in 45 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, and he entered Week 18 having played in 45.57 percent. Guy ended up clinching that mark during the loss to the Jets.
  • During that season finale, most signs pointed to it being special teams ace Matthew Slater‘s final NFL game. ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that there were “strong hints” that the captain would be hanging up his cleats, with the Patriots wearing custom, Slater-themed hoodies and the player’s family being in attendance.

Seahawks Request HC Interview With Giants OC Mike Kafka

January 15th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks’ list of head coaching candidates continues to grow. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team requested a head coaching interview with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

[RELATED: 2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Following a successful first season in New York, Kafka emerged as a serious head coaching candidate last offseason. The coordinator garnered interviews with the Cardinals, Texans, and Colts for their head coaching jobs, but he ended up sticking with the Giants for the 2023 campaign. Thanks in part to injuries, the Giants offense ended up being one of the worst in the NFL this past season. The offense ultimately ranked 29th in yards and 30th in points scored.

That performance didn’t stop the Giants from retaining Kafka, and it hasn’t stopped HC-needy teams from pursuing the former Chiefs staffer. Kafka has already interviewed for the open head coaching position in Tennessee.

Now we can add Seattle to the list of suitors. Kafka guided Saquon Barkley to one of his most productive seasons in 2022, and it’d be interesting to see what he could do with the talented Kenneth Walker/Zach Charbonnet tandem in Seattle.

The 36-year-old coach joins four definitive candidates and one rumored candidate in Seattle:

Terron Armstead Undecided On Playing In 2024; Dolphins, G Robert Hunt Discussed Extension

January 15th, 2024 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Terron Armstead is tied to a five-year, $75MM contract, but the Dolphins do not yet have assurances their Pro Bowl left tackle will come back for a third year in Miami. Armstead stopped short of guaranteeing he would return in 2024.

The 11-year veteran said he remains in pursuit of a Super Bowl ring but added (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley) he would not push his body beyond its limits. Armstead has remained an effective tackle when available, but the ex-Saints mainstay has continued to deal with various injuries since changing teams in 2022.

Armstead, 32, missed seven games this season and four games in 2022. He has never played 16 games in a season and has missed 59 contests over the course of his career. Armstead landed on IR due to a knee injury and dealt with multiple knee maladies during his second year in Miami. He later missed time because of quad trouble. Last year, myriad maladies affected Armstead, though he was still effective for a Dolphins team that closed the season with its third-string quarterback (Skylar Thompson) making starts.

While Tua Tagovailoa made it through this season healthy, the Dolphins were forced to use several O-line combinations to account for injuries to all five starters at points. Left guard Isaiah Wynn and center Connor Williams suffered season-ending injuries, and Armstead joined right guard Robert Hunt in missing seven games.

Armstead and right tackle Austin Jackson are locked up through 2026, with the team’s right tackle signing a $12MM-per-year extension late in the season. Armstead is due a $13.25MM base salary in 2024. Neither tackle’s pact puts him in the top 10 at his respective position, giving the Dolphins good value. Due to the $19MM-plus in prorated bonus money on Miami’s books through 2026, Armstead retiring would be costly for the Dolphins. But we appear a ways away from the five-time Pro Bowler making a decision.

Hunt and Williams are both due for free agency in March. Dolphins GM Chris Grier praised Williams, who angled for a new contract this past offseason, but stopped short of indicating the center — who played out a two-year, $14MM deal — was a priority to retain. Williams suffering an early-December ACL tear will damage his free agency value. Hunt does appear higher on Miami’s priority list. Grier said the team discussed an extension with the talented guard during the season.

As of September, no Hunt discussions had taken place. But it appears the Dolphins are interested in having three O-linemen on veteran accords. A nagging hamstring injury caused Hunt, 27, to miss nearly half the season. But the three-year guard starter has been effective when healthy; he would be one of the top O-linemen available in free agency. Grier pointed to Hunt hitting the market but indicated the team still wants him back.

“I’m happy for Rob. He got back at the end of the year for us,” Grier said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson). “Rob has earned the right to be a free agent; we had a conversation with him during the season. We’ll see what happens. We would like him to be here.”

Hunt stands to join Jonah Jackson (Lions), Damien Lewis (Seahawks) and Ezra Cleveland (Jaguars) as key first-time free agents at guard, with guard/tackle Michael Onwenu (Patriots) also profiling as an option for teams in need of interior help. It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins’ Jackson contract — agreed to in December — affects the team’s interest in paying Hunt market value.

Seahawks Request HC Interviews With Dan Quinn, Frank Smith, Ejiro Evero, Raheem Morris

January 15th, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Quinn came up as the first known candidate to replace Pete Carroll in Seattle. The ex-Carroll lieutenant will indeed land on the Seahawks’ request list.

The Seahawks sent out a slip to the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Quinn, 53, enjoyed multiple stints in Seattle, the second of which coming when he spent both Super Bowl seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator in the 2010s. While Quinn’s Dallas defense disappointed Sunday, he is now likely to conduct HC interviews with at least five teams.

[RELATED: 2024 Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The former Falcons HC has been a popular name on the interview circuit for three years now. After Quinn bowed out of the 2023 interview process early, he appears set to stay on this year’s carousel longer. Quinn has been Dallas’ DC for three seasons, though it will be interesting to see how the organization handles the Mike McCarthy situation following the Packers’ runaway win.

Dolphins OC Frank Smith and Panthers DC Ejiro Evero have also received an interview request from the Seahawks, Pelissero adds. Smith has been Mike McDaniel‘s OC in Miami for the past two seasons. McDaniel and Smith’s offense fared miserably Saturday night in frigid Kansas City, but the team turned a corner under McDaniel. The Seahawks join the Panthers in showing interest in McDaniel’s right-hand man on offense.

Evero has been a coveted HC candidate despite spending his two DC years on bad teams. Evero’s defenses outshined the offenses in Denver last season and in Carolina recently, and he has now secured interview requests from the Falcons and Seahawks — in addition to his Panthers meeting.

This fast-moving process also includes Raheem Morris, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Morris has spent the past three seasons in the NFC West, working as the Rams’ DC. He joins Quinn in bringing HC experience to the table, having coached the Buccaneers for three seasons and having served as the Falcons’ interim coach following Quinn’s 2020 ouster. Morris spent six seasons on Quinn’s Atlanta staff, serving in myriad capacities.

A usual-suspects list thus far, the Seahawks are jumping onto the HC carousel a bit later. They reassigned Carroll to an undetermined role, in what amounts to a firing due to the 14-year HC making a case to keep his job, and it is unknown if the longtime leader, who is 72, will coach again. But longtime Carroll leadership partner John Schneider is steering the ship right now; the GM will be likely to explore a reunion with Quinn, who helmed the Seahawks to back-to-back first-place finishes in scoring defense from 2013-14. He parlayed that into a Falcons HC gig, which started to go south following the Super Bowl LI collapse. Quinn has rebuilt his stock in Dallas, though it will be interesting to see how Sunday’s shocking loss affects his chances of securing a second HC position. Quinn initially worked in Seattle from 2009-10, being hired by Jim Mora Jr. and then retained by Carroll as D-line coach.

Evero, 43, worked with Morris in 2021 while also working alongside OC Shane Waldron with the Rams in prior years. Waldron, however, is far from guaranteed to stay. The Seahawks have greenlit a Waldron Bears OC interview. As for Evero, he has garnered respect for his work to keep the 2022 Broncos in games — during their mess of a season under Nathaniel Hackett — and his Panthers defense ranked fourth in yards allowed. DVOA was less kind to Evero’s defense (25th), but eight teams over the past two years have sought HC interviews.

Miami’s offense ranked second in scoring and first in yardage, but the frontrunning label and the team’s struggles against quality opposition will be inescapable after the egg the team laid against the Chiefs. It will be interesting to see if Smith, 42, garners serious consideration in the wake of Miami’s inconsistent season. Morris, 47, is 21-38 as a head coach. But he was just 32 when he landed the Bucs’ top job in 2009. Morris is now best known for collecting a Super Bowl ring as the Rams’ DC. He did well to develop some Aaron Donald pass-rushing sidekicks this year, in third-round picks Byron Young and Kobie Turner.

It should be expected Ravens DC Mike Macdonald will receive a request; the two-year Baltimore defensive boss joined Quinn in early rumors pertaining to the Seahawks’ HC gig. Teams are already interviewing candidates virtually, and Quinn has four Zoom meetings scheduled for this week. No in-person interviews can occur until the divisional round concludes, marking a delay from the NFL’s usual schedule.

Commanders To Hire Adam Peters As GM

January 15th, 2024 at 1:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 15: The Commanders are giving Peters a five-year contract, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The seven-year 49ers exec will now play a lead role in the team finding a head coach to succeed Ron Rivera.

JANUARY 12: Not long after narrowing their search for a new general manager to two finalists, the Commanders have found the new leader of their front office. Washington is hiring Adam Peters as general manager, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Peters will likely take on the title of president of football operations. Further reports from Dianna Russini of The Athletic and the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala name Peters the GM as well.

Regardless of the title he assumes, Peters will be a major member of the Commanders’ new organizational structure. After a strong tenure with the 49ers, he will take on an increased workload in the nation’s capital. Commanders owner Josh Harris assembled a search committee to find the team’s front office hires (both in terms of a head of football ops and, in all likelihood, a replacement for GM Martin Mayhew). The first step in that process has now taken place.

Peters was quickly named the favorite for a high-ranking Commanders position. He was among the first batch of candidates to receive an interview, and Washington moved quickly in narrowing down a list of finalists. Peters was joined by Bears AGM Ian Cunningham in receiving a second interview earlier this week, and the decision between the two has now been made rather rapidly. As Rapoport notes, one of Peters’ first tasks will be determining the future of Mayhew, who has been named as a hot seat occupant.

Head coach Ron Rivera was, as expected, dismissed on Black Monday. Mayhew likewise faces an uncertain future after three years serving as Washington’s GM. Harris made it clear the head of football operations posting would be filled before a new head coach would be brought in, and Peters will now be in place to assist in that effort.

The latter was a top GM candidate last year, but he rebuffed interest from the Cardinals and Titans. That allowed him to remain in San Francisco for one more year after joining the franchise in 2017. Peters was promoted to assistant general manager in 2021 as a confirmation of his status as a critical John Lynch lieutenant. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio confirms the 49ers attempted to retain Peters. Instead, he will move on.

Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo notes Lions OC Ben Johnson is now a key name to watch with respect to the Commanders’ upcoming coaching hire. Further reports have also tabbed Johnson as a top candidate for Washington to join with Peters in a new power structure. The 37-year-old is on the radar of numerous teams in need of a head coach, though, so the Commanders will have competition if they make an aggressive pursuit of him.

Peters – who also received GM interview requests from the Chargers and Raiders – will have a number of key decisions to make in the near future, but the Commanders are positioned with plenty of flexibility from a roster-building perspective. Washington is currently slated to lead the league in cap space, and the team owns the second overall pick in April’s draft. Peters will be a key voice in the Commanders’ re-worked front office when the new league year kicks off.

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