HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Browns RB Kareem Hunt To Test Free Agency, Open To Return

January 14th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns were put in a terrible position when star running back Nick Chubb went down with multiple knee ligament tears only two weeks into the 2023 season, forcing the team to navigate 16 more weeks of football without him. Cleveland was fortunate that a former member of a formidable 1-2 punch with Chubb, Kareem Hunt, was available in free agency. While Hunt’s first couple of forays into free agency were not ideal situations, he will land on the market once again this offseason, this time on much better terms.

Hunt’s first bout with free agency had come less than a year after he led the NFL in rushing yards as a rookie with the Chiefs. Hunt was unceremoniously released by Kansas City amid the release of a videotape that showed him pushing a woman to the ground and kicking her after first being physically assaulted by the woman. He was never charged with any crime but was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list after signing a new deal with the Browns. He ended up serving an eight-game suspension as a result of the incident.

Hunt became a restricted free agent after that first season in Cleveland, eventually signing a two-year, $13.25MM contract extension. Just before the second year of the two-year deal, Hunt requested a trade from the Browns, unhappy with his contract situation. The Browns refused to honor his request, letting him play out the 2022 season on the final year of his contract. He was not re-signed this time and spent seven months in free agency.

After Chubb went out for the season, the Browns reached out, desiring Hunt’s familiarity with the team’s offense among a relatively inexperienced running backs room. Hunt would play out a one-year deal for the remainder of the season. With that season coming to an end yesterday in the Browns’ loss to the Texans, Hunt is once again destined for free agency.

This time, though, Hunt is looking forward to testing the open market. Despite not spending camp or the preseason with the team, Hunt delivered a strong contribution in 2023, scoring more rushing touchdowns this year (9) than he had in any other season of his career.

“I’m definitely going to test free agency and see what the right option is for me or what’s best for me and my family and everything,” Hunt told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “But, for the most part, this is always home for me. It’s Cleveland until I die, so I’m going to have a special place in my heart for them.”

While it sounds like a goodbye letter to Cleveland, Hunt made sure to clarify that he isn’t “closing (any) doors.” He emphasized that he will “always consider being in Cleveland over anything,” but for now, he’ll test the free agent market and see if another franchise decides they need him more.

Latest On Giants, S Xavier McKinney

January 14th, 2024 at 5:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have a number of key free agency decisions to make this offseason. While running back Saquon Barkley has understandably generated considerable attention, safety Xavier McKinney is also in need of a new contract.

The latter has helped his free agent stock considerably over the course of the 2023 season in particular. McKinney set a new career high in tackles this season with 116, also reaching a personal best in pass deflections (11) and recording his second-best completion percentage allowed when in coverage (63.1%). Overall, he has racked up 279 stops, 27 pass breakups and nine interceptions across his four-year career while serving as an every-down player in the Giants’ defense.

“I don’t think nobody’s on my level from the standpoint of being able to do every single thing on the back end,” McKinney said when asked about his financial future. “I think a lot of safeties have certain things that they’re good at and a lot of stuff they’re not good at. But with me, if you just look at my whole game and how I am, I’m able to do everything at a high level and be very productive doing it.

“I’m the most complete safety out there, and it’s about time for some respect to that, too. So, I definitely think I am the best safety in this league and I’ll continue to prove that” (h/t Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post).

Derwin James sits atop the position’s market with an average annual value of $19MM on his Chargers deal. The most lucrative contract in terms of AAV signed last offseason was that of Jessie Bates with the Falcons ($16MM). McKinney will be eying something in that range if he holds firm on his conviction that he deserves to move to the top of the safety pecking order. With the offseason having begun for New York, he and the Giants will be able to pick up contract talks after the parties agreed to put them on hold during the campaign.

When speaking publicly about McKinney’s situation, general manager Joe Schoen confirmed talks will take place on a deal. It will be interesting to see, however, how far the team will be willing to go if the Alabama alum sets an asking price which they are unable or unwilling to match. New York was in a similar situation last year when Julian Love turned a career year into a Seahawks pact in free agency. Love earned a Pro Bowl nod in his debut Seattle season, and McKinney would enter a new team with considerable expectations.

Changes after a 6-11 season will be coming to the Giants’ roster in the coming weeks and month, and it is already known the team’s defense will have a new coordinator in place for 2024. Deciding on McKinney’s future will be significant for New York’s financial outlook, and of course for the second phase of his career. Talks on a new contract will be worth watching closely.

Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy Declares For Draft

January 14th, 2024 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Parks

As expected, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has declared for the 2024 NFL draft. McCarthy’s announcement can be found here, courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

McCarthy, who will turn 21 this week, was officially named the Wolverines’ starting quarterback before Week 3 of his sophomore season in 2022. That year, McCarthy led the team to a 12-1 record while completing 64.6% of his passes for 2,719 yards and 22 TDs against just five interceptions, but Michigan’s season ended with a narrow loss to TCU in the CFB Semifinals.

In the 2023 campaign, McCarthy posted similar passing numbers — his completion percentage actually increased to a terrific 72.3% — and he and head coach Jim Harbaugh finished the job, defeating Alabama in the Rose Bowl and then Washington in the CFP National Championship. Michigan ended the year with a perfect 15-0 record, and with nothing left to accomplish in the collegiate ranks, McCarthy had been expected to turn pro.

Despite the resume he put together at Ann Arbor, which includes First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2023, McCarthy is not a perfect prospect. He has excellent arm strength and a high football IQ, but his high completion percentage belies the fact that he can struggle with ball placement, particularly on deep throws. He also has the tendency to telegraph passes, and his wiry frame is a cause for concern for some. He is unafraid to run, having carried the ball 134 times over the past two years, but his 3.8 YPC average suggests that his legs will not be a primary weapon at the next level.

Nonetheless, Harbaugh has called McCarthy the best quarterback Michigan has ever had, which is high praise considering the passers that the program has churned out over the years (Tom Brady and Harbaugh himself, for instance). So while McCarthy is not on the same level as quarterbacks like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, he still has a chance to hear his name called in the first round of the draft, though some early mock drafts peg him as more of a Day 2 option.

Recent reports have suggested that if Harbaugh were to become the Raiders’ head coach this offseason, he would want the club to draft McCarthy. The Raiders presently hold the 13th overall pick, which may be too high for McCarthy, but Las Vegas does not pick again until it is on the clock with the No. 44 selection. The club’s new GM and head coach, therefore, will have something of a complicated quarterback decision on their hands.

Eagles WR A.J. Brown Ruled Out For Wild-Card Round

January 14th, 2024 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Parks

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has announced that his club will be without star wideout A.J. Brown for its wild-card round matchup with the Bucs on Monday (via ESPN’s Tim McManus). Brown suffered a knee injury in last week’s regular-season finale against the Giants, and while Sirianni said the three-time Pro Bowler “fought like crazy” in his efforts to heal up in time for the Tampa Bay contest, he was ultimately unable to do so.

Luckily, the injury is not a long-term one, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Brown will be expected to play in the divisional round if Philadelphia should advance. Of course, his absence will make it more difficult for the Eagles to defeat the Bucs, and it exacerbates what has already been an exceedingly trying stretch for the reigning NFC champions.

Since storming out to a 10-1 start to the 2023 campaign, the Eagles lost five of their final six contests to drop them not only out of contention for the No. 1 seed in the conference, but from their place atop the NFC East. During that time, Sirianni made the curious decision to hand defensive play-calling duties to Matt Patricia, which did not move the needle, and Sirianni’s own job security has recently been called into question. If the Eagles’ swoon should culminate in a loss to the Bucs tomorrow, it is at least feasible that owner Jeffrey Lurie will seek an overhaul of the entire coaching staff.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who regressed this year after a 2022 season in which he finished second in MVP voting, is dealing with an injured middle finger on his throwing hand, so he could be somewhat limited as he throws to a diminished WR corps. Though the Eagles still boast high-end skill position talent in the form of players like DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and D’Andre Swift, there is no replacing Brown in the club’s offensive scheme.

In 2023, Brown recorded a career-high 106 receptions for 1,456 yards and seven TDs. And while Hurts’ performance generally declined this season, he and Brown continued to be in sync, as Brown’s 67.1% catch percentage was the highest mark of his career (though Brown’s 13.7 yards-per-catch rate was the lowest of his five-year NFL run, which helps to explain the elevated catch percentage).

Last week’s game against New York was not meaningless, as the Eagles still could have won their division and secured a home playoff game if they had defeated the Giants and if the Cowboys had lost to, or tied with, the Commanders. However, the odds of the moribund Washington outfit putting up much of a fight against Dallas were quite long, so Sirianni’s decision to play his starters has been heavily scrutinized (especially in the wake of Brown’s injury). The third-year HC stood by his call, however.

“We went through it, like you guys asked me before, ‘why did we do it,’” Sirianni said (via Zach Berman of PHLY). “Not knowing what the game was, you know, wanting to put a good output on there. I know that those things didn’t – neither of those things happened. But no. Obviously, you can look back on anything. At that time, I did what I thought was best for the team, and I’ll stick by that. And so, I don’t regret — am I upset that A.J. is not playing because he got dinged in that game? Of course, I am. But no, I don’t second guess that decision.”

Chargers Interview Mike Macdonald For HC Position

January 14th, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Rory Parks

Add the Chargers to the ever-growing list of teams interested in Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Los Angeles announced that it has conducted a head coaching interview with the popular DC.

As shown in our head coaching tracker, Macdonald has either been interviewed by, or is expected to be interviewed by, six of the eight teams that have had HC vacancies since the regular season ended. The only teams that have not expressed interest in Macdonald are the Raiders — who have yet to conduct any HC interviews, as they want to finalize their GM position first — and the Patriots, who simply promoted Jerod Mayo to their head coaching position following Bill Belichick‘s departure, pursuant to succession language in Mayo’s contract.

The intrigue surrounding Macdonald is easy enough to understand. The 36-year-old has served as Baltimore’s DC in each of the past two years, and the Ravens’ defense has thrived under his watch. The club finished sixth in total defense in 2023 after finishing 10th in that category in 2022; first in scoring defense in 2023 (third in 2022); first in takeaways in 2023 (10th in 2022); and first in defensive DVOA in 2023 (eighth in 2022). Baltimore also led the league in sacks this season despite not having a premier edge rusher on the roster.

Furthermore, young players like Kyle Hamilton and Justin Madubuike have become stars in Macdonald’s system, while veteran also-rans like Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Van Noy, and Arthur Maulet have rejuvenated their careers. And while Macdonald is not the young offensive mind that clubs have sought out in recent seasons, the success of DeMeco Ryans in Houston this year has proven that a young, defensive-minded coach works just as well if that person is a strong leader.

Of course, not all job opportunities are created equal, and candidates like Macdonald who may have multiple options could shy away from a team like the Panthers, who have ownership and quarterback concerns. On the other hand, the Chargers’ opening is generally considered one of the most appealing, thanks largely to the presence of QB Justin Herbert. Indeed, current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, long linked to the Los Angeles gig, has reportedly told his associates that he might leave Ann Arbor for the Chargers.

One factor working against Macdonald’s candidacy for the Chargers’ post is the fact that he would be a first-time HC. The last three head coaches hired by the San Diego/Los Angeles franchise have been first-timers, the latest of whom (Brandon Staley) also had a defensive background. While it is not surprising that owner Dean Spanos wanted to sit down with Macdonald, it would also not be surprising to see Spanos opt for a more experienced, offensive-minded candidate.

Interestingly, Los Angeles has also interviewed Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and has requsted a GM interview with Baltimore’s director of player personnel, Joe Hortiz.

Lions TE Sam LaPorta To Play In Wild-Card Round

January 14th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Ely Allen

JANUARY 14: Per Rapoport and NFL Network colleague Tom Pelissero, LaPorta now has more than an outside shot to play in tonight’s wild-card contest against the Rams. The duo report that while LaPorta was limited in practice and will likely require a brace on his leg, he is “trending in the right direction to play.”

JANUARY 8: When speaking about the LaPorta injury on Monday, Campbell said the standout rookie has “an outside shot” to play against the Rams in the wild-card round (h/t Justin Rodgers of the Detroit News). He added that the Lions will not add a tight end during the week, so LaPorta can be expected to miss only the coming game at the most.

JANUARY 7: Sam LaPorta is putting a bow on what will go down as one of the greatest rookie seasons for a tight end of all time. He hoped to put up 35 receiving yards today in order to pass Jeremy Shockey for the third-most receiving yards for a rookie tight end in NFL history, but he ultimately fell six yards short after suffering a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise in the Lions’ season finale, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. According to his head coach, Dan Campbell, while the injury is not as bad as it could’ve been, he’s likely to miss some time.

LaPorta has been a pivotal part of the Lions’ first playoff season in seven years. While running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs held down the running game, LaPorta paired up with wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds to provide quarterback Jared Goff with a formidable receiving trio. LaPorta finished the year second on the team in receptions and receiving yards while matching St. Brown on the year with 10 receiving touchdowns.

If Campbell is accurate and LaPorta is forced to miss time in the playoffs, Detroit is going to have trouble replacing the production lost during LaPorta’s absence. Third-year tight end Brock Wright is the team’s second-leading receiving tight end, and he only has 91 yards on the year. Last year, when Wright started 10 games after the departure of T.J. Hockenson, Wright recorded only 18 receptions for 216 yards, though he did prove to be formidable in the red zone with four touchdowns.

The only other tight end to receive even a target for the Lions this season was second-year tight end James Mitchell, who caught his only two targets for 28 yards in the last two weeks. Wright and Mitchell will be asked to step up when the Rams come to town next week for Super Wildcard Weekend. The Lions also hold veteran fullback/tight end Anthony Firkser on the practice squad.

Luckily, though, it sounds like LaPorta avoided the worst-case scenario, which could’ve seen him missing time all the way into next year. Instead, the Lions will hold out hope that LaPorta will be able to make a return sometime during the playoffs, on the off chance that Detroit can win their first playoff game since 1992.

Falcons Request HC Interview With Antonio Pierce

January 14th, 2024 at 9:06am CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons have added Antonio Pierce to the list of candidates for their vacant head coaching position. Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Atlanta has requested an interview with the Raiders’ interim HC.

After Las Vegas’ in-season firing of Josh McDaniels, Pierce galvanized a dejected locker room and guided the Raiders to a 5-4 record to close out the 2023 season, despite the up-and-down performance of fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell under center. Although Pierce’s coaching resume is quite thin — his first coaching job in the NFL came when the Raiders made him their linebackers coach in 2022, a position he held when he received the promotion to interim head coach this year — his leadership abilities have clearly caught the attention of execs around the league.

Pierce, 45, has also landed an HC interview with the Titans, and Raiders players are publicly pushing to have owner Mark Davis remove Pierce’s interim tag and name him the permanent head coach. Indeed, star pass rusher Maxx Crosby is reportedly prepared to demand a trade if that does not happen.

Davis is said to be impressed by Pierce, and the most recent reporting on the matter suggests that the former Washington and Giants linebacker has a strong chance to become the Raiders’ full-time HC. However, Davis is also rumored to be looking for a big name to lead his club, and just last week we heard that Las Vegas was making a push to land current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Raiders have also been connected to former Patriots HC Bill Belichick.

As of the time of this writing, Davis has not actually conducted any HC interviews — he wants to hire a permanent GM first — while the Falcons are well into their interview docket. As shown on our head coaching tracker, Atlanta has compiled a mix of offensive- and defensive-minded targets, and there are rumblings that the team is an ideal fit for Belichick. After all, the Falcons have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and could be a quarterback away from legitimate contention, which makes them an intriguing landing spot for any number of hot HC candidates.

Pierce would certainly qualify as an unorthodox choice for a club that could attract more accomplished talent, but the Falcons nonetheless want to take a closer look at the man who quickly earned the vocal and enthusiastic support of his charges.

Raiders’ Maxx Crosby To “Explore Trade Request” If Antonio Pierce Isn’t Named HC

January 13th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Ben Levine

While Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is believed to be “at or near the top” of the Raiders’ list of head coaching candidates, interim head coach Antonio Pierce continues to receive support from many in the organization. In fact, one of the team’s stars is even threatening a trade request if Pierce doesn’t earn the full-time job. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, edge rusher Maxx Crosby is expected to “explore a trade request” if Pierce isn’t promoted.

While many of Crosby’s teammates don’t have the sway to make a similar demand, the locker room is “publicly united” behind their interim head coach. The players believe Pierce has earned the opportunity to “continue building upon the culture and energy he built in Las Vegas this season.” After taking over for Josh McDaniels, Pierce helped guide the Raiders to a 5-4 record to end the 2023 campaign.

Raiders players have continually been supportive of their interim head coach ever since he’s taken over. Wideout Davante Adams told reporters that he’d “run through a wall” for his coach, and Crosby has been vocal about Pierce’s role in rebuilding the Raiders’ culture.

“It’s legendary,” Crosby said recently (via Schefter). “When you have the right culture, a guy like A.P. that embraces the history of the Raiders, it’s special. … A ton of legends [visit] consistently because the amount of respect they have for him. So it makes you, as a player, want to go out there and show who you are. You know what I mean? You want to be at that level one day.”

A Crosby trade request would obviously present a major story line heading into the offseason. The former fourth-round pick has turned into a star during his five seasons with the organization, culminating in a career season in 2023. Crosby earned second-team All-Pro honors this past year after finishing with 14.5 sacks, 31 QB hits, and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss. The pass-rusher is attached to a four-year, nearly $100MM contract that he signed with the Raiders in 2022.

This internal support for Pierce has led some sources to believe that the interim HC is a shoo-in to earn the full-time gig. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Pierce is the “leading candidate” for the job, with one source saying they’d be “blown away if Antonio weren’t the pick.” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that owner Mark Davis has been impressed by Pierce’s ability to galvanize the squad.

Assuming the Raiders are serious about retaining Pierce, they’ll want to make a decision sooner than later. Per Josina Anderson, Pierce is set to meet with the Titans today about their head coaching job. After this news broke, Crosby was quick to tweet “#HireAP.”

However, there’s also a clear Harbaugh camp within the Raiders organization, an indication that the job could ultimately come down to the two candidates. For what it’s worth, the Raiders have yet to conduct any interviews for the job, and the organization is expected to hire a GM before moving on to their coaching vacancy.

However, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports points out that the organization should be wary of painting this as a two-horse race. If coaches believe Pierce or Harbaugh will ultimately be the choice, the Raiders may have a tough time getting these candidates in the building for interviews. Mark Maske of the Washington Post points out that the Raiders will still need to comply with the NFL’s minority interviewing requirements, which would require Davis and co. to “conduct in-person interviews with at least two minority candidates from outside the organization.”

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: ‘I Have No Reason To Stop Playing’

January 13th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tonight’s wild-card game marks another opportunity for the Chiefs to continue building their track record of success established during the Patrick Mahomes era. Tight end Travis Kelce has of course been a major part of the team’s Super Bowl runs, but questions have been raised about how much longer his decorated career will last.

The 34-year-old sat out Kansas City’s regular season finale, leaving him just shy of another 1,000-yard campaign. Kelce eclipsed that benchmark every year from 2016-22, picking up at least a Pro Bowl nod in each campaign along the way. He has also been named first-team All-Pro four times in his career, one which includes a pair of championships. When speaking in advance of the team’s latest postseason beginning, though, he made it clear he intends to continue for the foreseeable future.

“I have no reason to stop playing football, man,” Kelce said, via Nick Wagner of the Kansas City Star (video link). “I love it. We still have success. Come in with the right mindset, and I just love the challenge it gives me every single day to try and be at my best. Like I said, I have no desire to stop anytime soon.”

Kelce has two years remaining on his contract, and he is due $30.25MM over that span. As he acknowledged this summer, he is aware his compensation is lacking relative to many other high-profile pass catchers. However, he is in line to remain a focal point of the team’s offense for the time being with cap hits of roughly $15.5MM and $19.8MM over the next two years. Barring a significant injury, he will no doubt remain a welcomed member of the Chiefs given his sustained high level of productivity.

The former third-rounder currently ranks 38th on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list, and fourth amongst active players. Kelce sits at 11,328 yards, putting him just shy of Antonio Gates for the third-most by a tight end. If he holds true to his intention of carrying on his career, he will continue to climb the leaderboards while providing Mahomes a consistent option in the passing game as Kanas City looks to add further silverware in the years to come.

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