HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Bill Belichick-Patriots Separation Likely To Take Weeks To Finalize

January 5th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The expectation around the NFL still points to the Patriots having a non-Bill Belichick HC for the first time since 1999, but Robert Kraft has kept his cards close to the vest. A process that likely will involve trade talks is not expected to be finalized especially soon.

Kraft has kept Belichick in the dark about his future, according to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, who indicates the two are scheduled to meet Monday. While owner-HC meetings the day after the regular season ends drove the term “Black Monday” into existence in the NFL, Volin adds the expectation will be for Kraft and Belichick to meet multiple times over the ensuing several weeks before finality arrives.

Belichick has sufficient credentials to avoid a Black Monday ouster, and the Patriots have long been expected to be aiming at avoiding an outright firing. It may come to that, as it is possible Belichick will not want to accept any additional power stripped — like a GM coming in to work alongside him — and would seek to be fired in order to be part of the coaching carousel on time. A drawn-out divorce would affect Belichick’s ability to land with another team. HC-needy teams can begin interviewing candidates on other staffs after the divisional round.

Kraft’s silence could point to demands from Belichick, Volin offers, in an attempt to salvage the situation. Kraft has famously intervened on multiple occasions in recent years, most notably in the Jimmy Garoppolo trade, and the longtime owner solidified Jerod Mayo‘s place on Belichick’s staff with an extension this past offseason. Belichick giving into more demands from Kraft would not be ideal for the 24-year Patriots HC, but if there is not a strong market for his services, that would seemingly be an option the future Hall of Famer considers.

As of late December, Belichick wanted to stay in New England and was not planning to resign. Doing so would be a costly move with another season of top-tier coaching money on the table in the event he stays on for a 25th season or is fired. The longer he remains in limbo with the Patriots, the longer other teams move on to other HC candidates.

Mayo resides the front of the line to replace Belichick, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who notes the extension he signed this offseason — after a conversation with Kraft led to the linebackers coach turning down a chance to interview for the Panthers’ HC job — parallels Belichick’s in running through 2024. A former Patriots linebacker who has been on Belichick’s staff for five seasons, Mayo would become the NFL’s second-youngest active HC if hired; at 37, Mayo is two months younger than Sean McVay.

Kraft’s intervention with Mayo does point to the longtime Boston-area resident being a serious candidate, and going in that direction would be rather interesting. It would ensure continuity but also keep the Belichick pipeline flowing, just without Belichick. On that note, Volin adds a Brian Flores return has also generated some buzz. Flores made his mark as a Belichick assistant for over a decade, finishing that 11-year run as the de facto defensive coordinator for a Patriots team that held the Rams without a touchdown in Super Bowl LIII. Flores, 42, is finishing up his first season as the Vikings’ DC.

With Flores and Mike Vrabel being on the radar — Volin still lists the Titans’ HC as the Pats “home run” hire, though it would take a notable trade package to pry him from the Titans — signs point to Kraft preferring someone familiar with the Patriot Way rather than a true outsider. An overhaul would make sense given the shadow Belichick casts, but a transition to a current or former assistant would be smoother. As for Vrabel, he reaffirmed his commitment to the Titans. But the Patriots are believed to be monitoring that situation, which has involved rumors of discord between Vrabel and rookie GM Ran Carthon.

Flores returning to Foxborough would also be interesting due to his discrimination lawsuit including a text from Belichick believing Flores would be the Giants’ HC hire in 2022. Belichick later said he misunderstood the situation, as another of his former assistants — Brian Daboll — became New York’s hire. Flores also backed out of the Cardinals’ interview process last year. The lawsuit has not impeded the former Dolphins HC’s career, and it would not surprise to see multiple teams reach out about their HC vacancy this coming offseason.

A Mayo promotion or Flores return would assuredly also come with Kraft hiring either a true GM or someone with similar responsibilities. It also is worth wondering if another organization would give Belichick GM power. While the Panthers and perhaps another NFC South team have interest in the NFL sideline staple, his recent run as the Pats’ de facto GM is largely responsible for their swoon. GM power — be it with the Pats or another team, possibly the Chargers — will be part of this equation, but the drama here looks likely to last for a bit.

Latest On Buccaneers, Todd Bowles

January 5th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Losing at home to the Saints in Week 17, the Buccaneers still have the inside track to win a third straight NFC South crown. They can clinch the NFC’s No. 4 seed by beating the 2-14 Panthers. Should that not occur, Todd Bowles may be out of a job.

Bucs ownership has been looking into options at head coach for weeks, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora, who points Bowles not being a lock to return even if the team does hold off its rivals and advances to the postseason. A one-sided wild-card loss would put Bowles in jeopardy of being fired a week after Black Monday.

No coach has been let go following back-to-back playoff berths since the Broncos replaced John Fox with Gary Kubiak following the 2014 season, which ended with a divisional-round upset against the Colts. The Bucs made a similar change weeks after a divisional-round exit 2022, but while some classified Bruce Arians‘ mid-offseason retirement as a Tom Brady power play, the veteran HC repeatedly insisted that was not the case. But firing a coach after a playoff berth is not common ground in recent NFL history. No coach has been canned firing a playoff appearance since the Titans axed Mike Mularkey following the 2017 team’s divisional-round voyage.

Of course, should Bowles hold serve and guide his team to win over Carolina, this would not be akin to the Fox ouster. The Broncos had won at least 12 games from 2012-14; the Bucs will close out back-to-back seasons with fewer than 10 victories. They are the odds-on favorite to win a bad division for the second straight year. Bowles received four years with the Jets, going 34-34 from 2015-18. A win Sunday would put him at .500 through two years in Tampa (17-17) as well.

Bowles, 60, oversaw one of the most dominant defensive efforts in Super Bowl history, as the Bucs held the high-octane Chiefs offense without a touchdown, and was a sought-after DC candidate back in 2019. He oversaw a disappointing 2022 season in Brady’s finale, firing several assistants — including OC Byron Leftwich — at season’s end.

This year’s team started 3-1 but slunk to 4-7. After four straight wins, the Bucs fell behind 17-0 in a loss to the Saints that left their playoff hopes in doubt. The Panthers matchup doubles as a must-win for the Bucs, and it may well become a must for Bowles as well. This is certainly an unstable time for the NFC South; rumblings about the job security of Arthur Smith and Dennis Allen have come up weeks after the Panthers canned Frank Reich.

Should Tampa Bay move on, it could also complicate Baker Mayfield‘s status with the team. A shift to a new HC could mean a new offensive play-caller, with Dave Canales in limbo without Bowles; that might mean a pivot at quarterback as well. The Bucs firing GM Jason Licht, rumored last month, would further complicate a Mayfield return, La Canfora posits. As of now, Mayfield and the Bucs have mutual interest in a second contract. The former No. 1 overall pick would be an interesting free agent, being set to carry more value than he did last year, if the Bucs let him reach the market.

Three Alabama Underclassmen Declare For NFL Draft

January 5th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Ely Allen

The Crimson Tide are certainly well-known for their ability to develop NFL talent. As of an article from US News a month ago, the University of Alabama had the most active NFL players of any university with 57, and it wasn’t particularly close with Georgia trailing them by eight players. The Tide are set to add several more to that total this year, but at least four are expected to be selected in the first round after the declarations of right tackle JC Latham and cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold.

Latham is currently projected to go the highest of the three underclassmen. After transferring from Catholic Memorial HS (WI) to the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, Latham signed to the Tide as a consensus five-star, a top-five player in the country, and the top tackle recruit of the class. Latham came off the bench mostly as a true freshman, sometimes subbing in for right tackle Chris Owens or right guard Emil Ekiyor, both of whom would go undrafted. Latham would take hold of the starting job at right tackle the following year and hold on to it for the next two years.

After making 27 starts in the past two seasons, Latham lays claim to a 2023 All-SEC First Team selection and a Pro Football Focus ranking as the 11th-best offensive tackle in the country (subscription required). Using the offseason to cut fat and gain good weight, Latham became a monstrous lineman with agility. He’s explosive off the line and can use a powerful drive in the run game, but while he lacks the technique necessary to find his way to a top-10 selection, he has nearly cemented himself as a top-five tackle. He announced his plans to declare earlier this week, per ESPN. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Latham ranked as the fourth-best tackle prospect and the 24th player overall, while Dane Brugler of The Athletic placed him as the third-best tackle and the 10th overall player in his midseason rankings.

McKinstry, born Ga’Quincy, was an in-state prospect who also ranked at the top of his position as a consensus five-star recruit coming out of Pinson Valley HS (AL). McKinstry started his freshman year coming off the bench but quickly earned a starting role down the stretch in a deep Bama secondary. He would retain that starting role in each of the next two seasons earning first-team All-SEC honors in both and first-team All-American honors this year.

McKinstry has all the measurables with excellent length on a 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame and a great ability to recover in rare scenarios that he loses coverage. These attributes just haven’t turned into statistical production as he leaves Tuscaloosa with only two interceptions and 23 passes defensed. Whether that’s the result of a lack of ball skills or just opposing quarterbacks refusing to throw his way, seeing McKinstry show more aggression could prove valuable at the next level.

Arnold found his way out of Tallahassee as a consensus top-three safety out of John Paul II Catholic HS (FL). Unlike Latham and McKinstry, Arnold didn’t see the field at all in 2021, redshirting his true freshman year. Still, he came in as a starter as a redshirt freshman the following season. Alabama didn’t try him at safety at all, immediately seeing his potential as a cornerback. He missed a few games in 2022, starting seven of 11 appearances, but would start every game in 2023. He ended up joining Latham and McKinstry on the All-SEC first team in 2023.

Unlike McKinstry, Arnold had no issue with production at the college level. In just two seasons as a starter, Arnold recorded six interceptions (five this year) and 20 passes defensed. While perhaps quarterbacks were tempted to force the ball in Arnold’s direction to avoid McKinstry, Arnold proved to be formidable in his own right. Arnold is slightly smaller than his counterpart but boasts tremendous footwork and hip mobility to blanket opposing receivers. The ball-hawking cornerback paired with McKinstry to serve as the nation’s deadliest duo by far.

The two were announced as planning to enter the draft this week, according to Chris Low of ESPN. McKinstry and Arnold are back-to-back in many rankings. Kiper has McKinstry as the final player in his top-25 but lists McKinstry and Arnold as his third- and fourth-best cornerback prospects this year, respectively. Brugler’s midseason rankings had McKinstry as the third-best cornerback (18th overall) with Arnold coming in as the fifth-best cornerback (28th overall) before four of his five interceptions this year had even occurred. PFF agrees with how closely the two rank, grading them as the country’s eighth- and ninth-best cornerbacks this year, with McKinstry just edging out Arnold.

Following Monday’s declaration by outside linebacker Dallas Turner, the Tide are now set to add four first-round picks to the NFL in the upcoming draft. It’s a little surprising not to see any Alabama players flirting with a top-five or even a top-10 selection, but the school continues to dominate with four Day 1 picks and likely several more in the rounds to follow.

49ers CB Jason Verrett To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

January 5th, 2024 at 8:59pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett cannot catch a break, it seems. Playing in the 10th season of his NFL career, Verrett will undergo season-ending surgery for a heartbreaking eighth time. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Verrett suffered a shoulder injury in practice today that will require surgery on his rotator cuff.

Verrett’s career has been marred by injury. Since being drafted 25th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Chargers, Verrett has been forced to miss two entire seasons and has seen eight total seasons cut short due to varying injuries from a foot injury to torn ACLs to torn Achilles tendons. This is the first upper body injury that will sideline Verrett since his rookie season, when three labrum tears and a rotator cuff tear caused him to miss 10 games.

The loss of Verrett is a tough one for San Francisco, despite the team having the 1-seed locked up in the NFC. Because their playoff seeding is already determined, the 49ers have plans to rest several starters in their regular season finale against the Rams this weekend. With key players likely to get some rest on Sunday, Verrett was expected to get extended playing time against Los Angeles. In his only game appearance of the year, Verrett only saw five snaps, so this would’ve been an opportunity for the team to get their veteran some time to possibly participate in the 49ers’ playoff run.

The injury reportedly occurred when Verrett jumped for a pass in practice and landed on his shoulder. Head coach Kyle Shanahan estimated that the timeline for Verrett’s possible return will include about four to six months of rehabilitation time. This would allow Verrett a small cushion of time to work his way back in time for the 2024 NFL season, if he’s interested in continuing to play at 33 years old and finds a team that will provide him another opportunity.

Besides Ambry Thomas, who is on the injury report with a hand injury, no other cornerbacks are set to rest for the entire game this weekend. The likely plan was for the starters to sit after a series or two, but with Verrett becoming unavailable, those players may have to play a little more than anticipated.

Cardinals Waive DT Kevin Strong, Place Two On IR

January 5th, 2024 at 7:26pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals made a bit of a surprising move today heading into their 2023 season finale. Despite dealing with multiple injuries along the defensive line, Arizona opted to waive defensive tackle Kevin Strong today. This came on the heels of rookie sixth-round defensive tackle Dante Stills being placed on injured reserve, along with starting left tackle D.J. Humphries, who tore his ACL last weekend.

With Stills joining four other defensive linemen on IR, the Cardinals cutting Strong becomes even more surprising. Strong had played an important role throughout the 2023 NFL season, filling in multiple times for injured starters. Over the course of the year, Strong appeared in 14 games, making 11 starts.

Strong didn’t always perform at a top level, grading out as the league’s 102nd best interior defender out of 121 players graded, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but his absence digs an even deeper hole in terms of the team’s depth at the position. With Strong and Stills out, Phil Hoskins, Naquan Jones, and Roy Lopez are the team’s only healthy defensive linemen on the 53-man roster.

With three roster spots opening up, the Cardinals filled one today by signing cornerback Divaad Wilson from the practice squad to the active roster. Wilson is an undrafted rookie out of UCF who spent most of this season on the practice squad. He made his NFL debut as a practice squad callup in a Week 12 loss to the Rams and got to start the following week in Pittsburgh. This will be the third game appearance of his career.

Staff Rumors: Commanders, Smith, Falcons, Bears, Pierce, Raiders, Giants

January 5th, 2024 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Among head coaches, Ron Rivera resides as the only true lock to be fired following Week 18. The Commanders‘ new ownership injects mystery into the upcoming search. Josh Harris has been rumored to be intrigued by a setup in which a football operations president-type figure oversees a GM and head coach, and SI.com’s Albert Breer further points to the owner being unlikely to hand the keys to a high-powered HC. Like Bill Belichick, Breer considers Jim Harbaugh an unlikely candidate in Washington. It is not known if Belichick would require personnel control if he ends up elsewhere, but Harbaugh having the leverage of more Michigan extension offers, it is expected the hard-edged HC would need significant input on the personnel front if he were to return to the NFL. So far, the Chargers have been the team most closely linked to luring him back.

Additionally, Breer notes Harris is intrigued by how the Eagles and Ravens’ power structures are set up. The Commanders hired ex-Ravens analytics staffer Eugene Shen as senior VP of football strategy in the fall. While the Eagles lost four staffers to assistant GM roles in 2022, the Ravens have a GM candidate in player personnel director Joe Hortiz. Baltimore’s OC-DC tandem — Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald — is expected to generate HC interest as well.

Going into Week 18, here is the latest from staffs around the NFL:

  • With the Falcons on the doorstep of a third straight 7-10 season, Arthur Smith‘s job status has come up frequently. Vacillating back and forth between being fired or becoming the rare HC to be given a fourth year despite three straight losing seasons, Smith was not exactly given a vote of confidence by Arthur Blank. But the longtime Falcons owner is not believed to be actively seeking changes, per Breer, making it sound like the hope is for Smith and GM Terry Fontenot to show enough to stay on. A one-sided loss to the Saints may well change Blank’s mind. The Falcons can win the NFC South by beating the Saints and the Buccaneers — who also have a coach on the hot seat — losing to the Panthers.
  • Ryan Poles is believed to have a good relationship with new Bears president Kevin Warren, being expected to stay on for a third year as GM. Prior to the Bears‘ rout of the Falcons, Matt Eberflus was linked to being in good standing for a third HC season. While expecting both to stay, Breer notes neither Bears power broker has been assured of a return. Warren has been a wild card in this scenario since he was hired, and the former Big Ten commissioner did not confirm publicly when asked Friday (via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley) if Eberflus would be retained. Eberflus is 10-23 as Bears HC, but the team — which has a rather important quarterback decision to make soon — is 7-5 over its past 12.
  • Raiders leaders Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs would back the retention of interim HC Antonio Pierce, but Mark Davis is believed to be aiming higher. After all, Pierce — who resigned his two-year post as Arizona State DC in 2022 — has far less experience than Raiders DC Patrick Graham. But Pierce’s knowledge of the Raiders’ culture and history does appeal to Davis, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes, noting these factors matter considerably to the second-generation owner. No team has bumped an interim leader to the full-time post since the Jaguars elevated Doug Marrone in 2017.
  • Giants running backs coach Jeff Nixon is set for a responsibility jump; it will come at the college level. Syracuse hired Nixon as its offensive coordinator Friday. Nixon was in his first season as Giants RBs coach; he had served under Matt Rhule at Baylor and with the Panthers. The Giants hired Nixon last year to replace DeAndre Smith, who left to take the same position with the Colts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/24

January 5th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed from practice squad: RB Xazavian Valladay

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

A knee injury will send Fuller to IR, potentially wrapping the veteran cornerback’s second stint in Washington. The 2016 third-round pick, sent to Kansas City in the Alex Smith trade, returned in 2020 on a four-year, $40MM deal. With the Commanders having already fired Jack Del Rio and being set to clean house following their season finale, the 28-year-old corner could be headed elsewhere in free agency.

Worley has played 124 defensive snaps for the Ravens this season, starting two games. This will be the eighth-year corner’s second IR placement this season. If the Ravens qualify for Super Bowl LVIII, they would be eligible to activate Worley a second time. (Baltimore has four IR activations remaining, though one may need to be saved in case Mark Andrews can come back.) Worley is dealing with shoulder and ankle injuries.

Saints To Activate DE Payton Turner From IR

January 5th, 2024 at 1:59pm CST by Ely Allen

JANUARY 5: Turner’s activation window is closing, but the Saints still have the former first-round pick in their plans. Rather than let Turner revert to season-ending IR, the Saints are planning to activate him, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets. While Turner figures to be in uniform for New Orleans’ regular-season finale, Marshon Lattimore and Michael Thomas remain on IR and are unlikely to play again this season.

DECEMBER 15: The Saints will be without defensive end Payton Turner for the 13th straight game this weekend, but they have taken a step towards his eventual return by opening his 21-day practice window today. If Turner is not activated by the week of the regular season finale, Turner will no longer be eligible to return from injured reserve.

Turner was knocked out of the team’s season-opener early in the second quarter with a turf toe injury that was set to require surgery to heal. The story had become an all too familiar one in New Orleans. As a rookie first-round pick two years ago, Turner missed 12 games, spending the second half of his rookie year on IR with a shoulder injury. In his sophomore season, Turner would avoid an IR stint but would still miss most of the year, sitting out for nine games.

In addition, Turner has been determinedly unproductive. In the time that he has been available, Turner has failed to crack a starting lineup that has been anchored by Cameron Jordan and has included Carl Granderson, Tanoh Kpassagnon, and current-Viking Marcus Davenport. When he has entered the game, Turner hasn’t been able to do much with his opportunities, amassing only three sacks and six quarterback hits in 14 games.

Going into training camp this offseason, Turner wasn’t even a guarantee to make the 53-man roster. He was set for a backup role, fighting for snaps behind Jordan and Granderson. He was likely already slotted behind Kpassagnon, and the addition of second-round pick Isaiah Foskey to the room made his chances for playing opportunities that much slimmer. If Turner can make a return soon, though, he may be able to benefit from the recent absences of the rookie Foskey.

In the long run, though, three straight seasons of displaying an inability to stay on the field will not bode well for Turner’s future. The Saints will have the decision concerning his fifth-year option looming in the offseason, but at this point, it doesn’t seem like much of a decision. It will be up to Turner to come back from his most recent injury and make a case to stay in New Orleans.

Browns Place LB Anthony Walker On IR

January 5th, 2024 at 1:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

After going week to week with Anthony Walker, the Browns will give his roster spot to someone else. Out for the past three games following arthroscopic knee surgery, Walker is now on IR.

Barring the Browns making their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, the veteran linebacker is done for the season. Although Walker has missed time already, his IR clock — mandating a four-game absence — begins in Week 18. The Browns signed defensive end Sam Kamara from their practice squad to fill Walker’s roster spot.

Knee scopes have offered players the chance to return after short- or medium-term hiatuses for a while, but the team evidently deemed Walker’s return timetable as lengthy enough a playoff comeback was not guaranteed. Walker started all 12 games he played for the Browns this season, his third with the team.

Walker joins Grant Delpit, Rodney McLeod and Maurice Hurst Jr. as Browns defensive regulars on IR. Offensively, Cleveland has dealt with far more obstacles. Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson, Jack Conklin, Jedrick Wills and Dawand Jones are on the Browns’ injured list. Delpit has a chance to return in the playoffs, but the rest of this lot will not come suit up again before September.

This is familiar territory for Walker, who ended last season on IR as well. The former Colts draftee suffered a torn quad tendon in September 2022. As part of a decent linebacker-retention effort, the Browns re-signed Walker on a one-year, $1.23MM deal. Cleveland also brought back Sione Takitaki, who has seen more playing time alongside Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah since Walker’s latest injury. Walker posted 113 tackles for the Browns in 2021; he heads to IR with 44 stops, four passes defensed and two fumble recoveries this season. Pro Football Focus rates Walker 31st among linebacker regulars.

On a more positive note, Kevin Stefanski said Ogbo Okoronkwo could return to action despite suffering what was initially believed to be a season-ending pectoral injury. The rotational edge rusher has missed the past three games, but after additional testing, the Browns did not place the free agency pickup on IR. Okoronkwo has tallied 4.5 sacks and a career-high 12 tackles for loss during his first season in Cleveland.

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