HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Chiefs Activate WR Skyy Moore, Place DE Charles Omenihu On IR

February 7th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Ely Allen

As the Chiefs continue to prepare for their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance (their fourth in five years) and attempt to become the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls since the Patriots did it in the ’03 and ’04 seasons, the team continues to tinker with its roster. Today’s adjustment saw Kansas City activate wide receiver Skyy Moore off of injured reserve and place defensive end Charles Omenihu on IR in his place.

After a fairly pedestrian rookie season last year, Moore was expected to take on a bigger role in his sophomore campaign. Unfortunately, Moore was only barely outpacing his rookie numbers when he suffered a knee injury in a Week 15 victory in New England that would land him on IR and force him to miss the remainder of the regular season.

After the team’s Wild Card win over the Dolphins, Kansas City opened the young wide out’s 21-day practice window, allowing him to return in time for the Super Bowl if possible. Today was the last possible day that the Chiefs were able to activate him off of IR. Moore was a full participant in practice today, so he should be able to step in as a second-string receiver should things continue to trend in the right direction.

Omenihu, third on the team in sacks this season (7.0), suffered a torn ACL in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win over the Ravens. With his season officially over, it was only a matter of time before he found himself on IR. As it turns out, Kansas City was waiting until it could add a new name to the active roster in his place. The injury means Omenihu will miss a grudge match against his former team on the biggest stage possible.

As for the rest of the Chiefs’ injury report, all but two players were full participants at today’s practice, meaning running back Isiah Pacheco and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who both were limited participants for most of the week before the AFC title game, are in better shape heading into the season finale. Today’s sole limited participant was running back Jerick McKinnon, who has served as the team’s second receiving back throughout the season.

The only non-participant at today’s practice was first-team All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. Thuney missed the team’s win in Baltimore with a pectoral injury and isn’t expected to make a comeback this weekend. Head coach Andy Reid told reporters that he “would probably bet towards (Nick) Allegretti playing” in the Super Bowl, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Allegretti made his second start of the season a week and a half ago as an injury replacement for Thuney and is expected to make his third on Sunday.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/7/24

February 7th, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s only reserve/futures deal:

Detroit Lions

The next NFL stop for Smith will be Detroit after an uneventful season in Denver. Smith had initially followed Sean Payton and company to the Broncos after five seasons with the Saints, but injuries and an inability to make his way off the practice squad led to only one game appearance in 2023, in which he played only ten snaps for Denver. When healthy, Smith has proven to be a productive supporting receiver, demonstrated by 17 touchdowns over the course of his four-year rookie contract in New Orleans. If he can shake the injury bug and get to looking like his old self, the veteran could be a nice addition to a talented, young wide receiving corps.

Justin Jefferson Wants To Remain With Vikings

February 7th, 2024 at 5:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Talks on a new deal between the Vikings and wideout Justin Jefferson took place in advance of the 2023 campaign, but they did not produce an agreement. The sides will no doubt prioritize a resumption of negotiations this offseason.

The Vikings made a late push to hammer out a contract prior to Week 1, but the sides agreed to table negotiations until the end of the campaign. Jefferson followed up his Offensive Player of the Year season in strong fashion despite missing seven games due to a hamstring injury. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, adding to the historic three-year run which began his career.

As a result of his production, the 24-year-old is in line to receive the largest WR contract in NFL history. He is on the books for one more season via the $19.74MM fifth-year option, but a second pact will check in at a far higher figure. When asked about where things stand on that front, Jefferson expressed a desire to remain with the Vikings for the long term. A hometown discount should not be expected, though.

“I want to break the bank and I want to be a part of an organization that wants me, and to really give me what I deserve,” the LSU alum told Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio (video link). “I feel like eventually, the Vikings will do what they need to do to have me in the building, but I don’t really know at this very moment; only time will tell.”

Tyreek Hill became the first wideout to average $30MM per year when he inked an extension upon arrival with the Dolphins. Three other receivers are at an AAV of $25MM or more, but Jefferson’s age, statistical output and durability – with the exception of this year’s injury, which the team approached with caution before his IR activation – should allow him to reset the top of the market.

The Vikings currently sit mid-pack in terms of cap space, and the team has a number of critical free agent decisions to make. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and edge rusher Danielle Hunter headline the team’s list of pending free agents, and negotiations on a new deal for the former in particular will inform much of Minnesota’s other offseason moves. In any case, though, getting Jefferson on the book for 2025 and beyond will a key priority, and it will be interesting to see how much progress is made on extension talks this offseason.

Raiders To Hire Mike Caldwell As LBs Coach

February 7th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders are continuing to make additions to Antonio Pierce‘s staff. Vegas is set to hire Mike Caldwell as linebackers coach, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

As is the case with a number of other staffers in similar situations, Caldwell will also hold the title of run game coordinator. The move marks a quick rebound for him, after his two-year run as defensive coordinator of the Jaguars came to an end. Caldwell and a number of defensive staffers were let go at the end of the campaign, one in which Jacksonville fell short of a playoff spot.

The Jaguars posted middling numbers in several defensive categories in 2023, but the team did rank ninth in rushing yards allowed. Caldwell will look to duplicate that success with the Raiders as he quickly moves to a new role on an NFL staff. The 52-year-old previously served as LBs coach with the Eagles, Cardinals, Jets and Buccaneers before getting his first coordinator gig in Jacksonville.

As Garafolo and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson note, the Ravens were among the teams which showed interest in Caldwell for their linebackers coach vacancy. The same is true of the Eagles and Bills, but Caldwell will instead join a Raiders staff which still includes defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The latter was a head coaching candidate, but with all eight vacancies filled on that front, any move would be a lateral one. The Raiders made it clear early in the hiring cycle that they would block any Graham coordinator interviews.

Vegas saw a notable turnaround on defense after Pierce took over midseason, finishing ninth in points allowed. The team ranked just 21st against the run, however, and improvement in that department will be an offseason goal. Caldwell will look to rebuild his coordinator stock while playing a key role on the Raiders’ new-look staff.

Baker Mayfield Addresses Bucs Future

February 7th, 2024 at 3:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Baker Mayfield made his first career Pro Bowl appearance last weekend, but his attention will now turn to his impending free agency. A deal allowing him to remain with the Buccaneers is still very much in play, and the veteran signal-caller recently spoke about where things stand on that front.

Mayfield enjoyed a strong campaign in 2023 with Dave Canales operating as an offensive coordinator for the first time in his career. The latter parlayed that into the Panthers’ head coaching position, leaving Mayfield in line for yet another new face to work with in terms of coordinators. Tampa Bay tapped Liam Coen, however, allowing he and Mayfield to reunite after their brief time together with the Rams in 2022.

“It’s important to me,” Mayfield said of the coordinator move, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’ve had so many offensive coordinators to this point, to me it’s, ‘Okay if I do come back, let’s keep the continuity for the other guys, build on what we’ve already grown from and go from there.’”

Keeping Canales in place no doubt would have been a welcomed development for Mayfield, but the 28-year-old endorsed bringing on Coen to replace him. As SI’s Albert Breer notes, the Buccaneers were receptive to the vote of confidence Coen received before hiring him for his second NFL OC stint (and first which will involve calling plays). Similarities to Canales’ scheme could help ensure a smooth transition and help the chances of Mayfield repeating his Tampa Bay success in 2024.

A mutual interest exists for a new Bucs deal, but Mayfield and his camp have yet to take part in serious negotiations on a contract. The franchise tag could also be in play, locking the former No. 1 pick into a 2024 salary of roughly $36MM or at least buying extra time to hammer out a long-term pact. The presence of not only a familiar OC in Coen, but also fellow pending free agent Mike Evans is a key factor for Mayfield as he weighs his options, however.

“I would love to be back with [Evans], so there’s a lot of contingencies that go in that” Mayfield added. “Obviously, getting an OC, that helps. That’s Step 1. And [Evans] sees that so we can talk to him about it and see his thoughts. But we both have to do what’s best for us.”

Evans earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023, proving himself to still be a durable and consistent producer with a 79-1,255-13 statline. The 30-year-old is projected to be one of the top available wideouts in this year’s free agent class, and the Buccaneers also need new contracts for the likes of linebacker Lavonte David and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Retaining Mayfield will still be a top priority, though, and having an OC whose arrival he co-signed is another indication that a new deal should be expected at some point in the near future.

Pats To Add Alonzo Highsmith To Front Office

February 7th, 2024 at 10:55am CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots replaced Bill Belichick the coach but not the GM. New England’s general manager position is vacant, pointing to a setup in which the team entrusts front office leadership to someone not holding the traditional title.

On that note, the team is making a pivotal hire. Alonzo Highsmith will return to the NFL and take on an unspecified role with the Patriots, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. Highsmith has been back at his alma mater, Miami, since leaving the Seahawks midway through the 2022 offseason. Highsmith will travel to New England to discuss the new position today, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets.

[RELATED: Steve Belichick Hired As Washington DC]

This will reunite Highsmith with longtime Packers coworker Eliot Wolf. The latter remains with the Patriots as their director of scouting. The second-generation personnel man should still be viewed, post-Belichick, as someone who wields power in the New England front office, The Athletic’s Chad Graff adds, going as far as to posit that Wolf is poised to become the Pats’ top decision-maker. SI.com’s Albert Breer also labels Wolf as the top current Pats executive.

Wolf’s influence could also be seen on the Pats’ new coaching staff. Ex-Green Bay assistant Alex Van Pelt is in place as OC, while the team has also hired former Packers staffer Ben McAdoo and D-line coach Jerry Montgomery. Highsmith and Wolf both worked together in Green Bay, Cleveland and Seattle. They signed on as Seahawks consultants in 2020, though Wolf eventually left to join the Patriots.

Highsmith and Wolf trekked to Ohio in 2018, when the Packers promoted Brian Gutekunst to GM. The ex-Ted Thompson staffers’ time working together in multiple cities certainly suggests Highsmith will be assigned a prominent role in New England. Highsmith, 58, left the Seahawks to become the GM of the Miami football program. Though, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes the Hurricanes role was a bit lesser than the title would suggest. Highsmith worked on scouting potential transfers and was involved with the ACC program’s budget, The Athletic’s Manny Navarro adds.

While the Patriots have operated without a true GM throughout the 21st century, Belichick’s exit leaves some uncertainty in the front office. Wolf, 41, is in his 20th year as an NFL exec. The son of Hall of Famer Ron Wolf, Eliot has interviewed for GM gigs in the past. He rose to the role of assistant GM under John Dorsey in Cleveland and was elevated to his present director of scouting role with the Patriots in 2022. Wolf’s experience would make his appointment as a de facto Patriots GM sensible, if, in fact, that is the direction the organization is going.

As for Highsmith, the former NFL running back — the No. 3 overall pick in 1987 — has been on the scouting side for a while and held a key role under Thompson during the 2010s. The Browns hired him as their VP of player personnel in 2018. It will be interesting to see how the Patriots reshape their front office. As of now, ex-Packers staffers look set to make a serious post-Belichick imprint in Foxborough.

Cowboys Interview Rex Ryan For DC

February 7th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Sam Robinson

Former head coaches continue to populate the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator search. Following the Ron Rivera and Mike Zimmer meetings, Rex Ryan has entered the mix.

The former Jets and Bills HC met with the Cowboys about their DC vacancy, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Entrenched at ESPN for the past several years, Ryan has been out of football since his late-season Bills ouster in 2016.

Ryan, 61, did interview for the Broncos’ DC job last year — one that went to Vance Joseph. Beyond that, the former NFL mainstay has largely fallen off the radar (beyond his analyst work, that is). The Cowboys are looking for a new defensive play-caller, with Dan Quinn having become the new Commanders HC. Ryan and Rivera do not have a history in Dallas. Zimmer does, having been a Cowboys assistant for 13 years. The Cowboys did employ Rex’s brother, Rob Ryan, as a DC from 2011-12.

Although Ryan has become amenable to coordinator positions, he has not held one in more than 15 years. Ryan’s most recent NFL employment outside of the HC level came when he served as the Ravens’ DC from 2005-08. That marks Ryan’s only stretch as an NFL coordinator, though he certainly made a mark as a defensive-oriented head coach.

Ryan’s Jets stint represents the franchise’s best work since at least Bill Parcells‘ 1998 season, and Ryan outdid the Parcells-Bill Belichick nucleus by leading the team to two AFC championship games. Ryan guiding the Jets to back-to-back AFC title games with Mark Sanchez at quarterback aged well, and the Jets’ subsequent 13-season playoff drought continues to spotlight Ryan’s accomplishment. The brash HC, though, did miss the playoffs over his next six years as a head coach. The Bills hired Ryan in 2015 but fired him before his second season ended.

This would qualify as an unorthodox hire for the Cowboys, as Ryan has now been out of the league for seven seasons. Rivera has coached in the NFL in each season since 1997. Zimmer has spent the past two seasons out of the league but was on staff from 1994-2021 previously. Ryan’s Darrelle Revis-fronted Jets defenses earned their reputation during that 2009-10 period; his Bills units ranked 15th and 16th, respectively.

Via PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the Cowboys’ DC search looks:

Bills Expected To Hire Saints’ Ronald Curry

February 7th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Sam Robinson

Being set to hire 49ers pass-game coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next OC, the Saints will continue to bid farewell to assistants on that side of the ball. Quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry will follow Pete Carmichael and Doug Marrone out of New Orleans.

Curry has already landed a gig elsewhere. The Bills are expected to hire him to be their next QBs coach and pass-game coordinator, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. Joe Brady entered last season in as Buffalo’s QBs coach but was bumped up to OC following the team’s Ken Dorsey firing. With Brady now in the full-time OC position, the AFC East champions had a vacancy.

NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan initially reported Curry was not going to be part of the Saints’ 2024 staff. The Saints offered to keep Curry on as their wide receivers coach, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. Curry served as the team’s wideouts coach from 2018-20, but his departure to mentor Josh Allen is understandable, especially considering a new OC is coming to New Orleans. As of now, the only Saints position coaches still in place on offense are O-line coach Jahri Evans and tight ends coach Clancy Barone.

[RELATED: Broncos Add Pete Carmichael To Staff]

A former NFL wide receiver, Curry had been with the Saints since 2016. Sean Payton hired Curry, a former college quarterback at North Carolina, and steadily promoted him over the years. Curry became New Orleans’ QBs coach in 2021 and worked in that role over the past three seasons. Curry and Brady overlapped as Saints assistants from 2017-18, undoubtedly helping lead to the former’s anticipated appointment in Buffalo.

The Saints were among the teams to interview Curry for an offensive coordinator post over the past two years, meeting with their longtime assistant about the job that is expected to go to Kubiak. The Broncos and Buccaneers met with the 44-year-old assistant about their OC gigs in 2023 as well.

Buffalo’s OC job being tied to Allen could certainly make Brady a key part of the 2025 HC carousel, thus putting Curry in a position to potentially become a coordinator in Buffalo. Allen will represent a new tier of QB talent for Curry, who coached the likes of Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Andy Dalton in New Orleans before the Derek Carr signing. Each post-Drew Brees option had moments of success, however.

Dalton threw 18 TD passes compared to nine INTs, while averaging a career-best 7.6 yards per attempt. That landed the 2022 Saints starter a nice QB2 offer from the Panthers. Before suffering an ACL tear, Winston finished with a 14-3 TD-INT ratio in 2021; he did so with a basement-level receiving corps. Though, the former No. 1 overall pick could not match that form in 2022. Carr produced an uneven 2023, still improving down the stretch and finishing 16th in QBR. Carr’s contract aside, the Saints also continued to make Hill a regular part of their QB equation in 2023.

Seahawks Interview Cowboys’ Aden Durde For DC Position

February 7th, 2024 at 8:20am CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s defensive coordinator carousel has increased Aden Durde‘s profile. The Cowboys assistant remains in the running for a promotion but has also entered the mix for yet another DC job elsewhere.

The Seahawks have discussed their DC role with Durde, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. This makes five teams to have placed Durde on their DC radar this offseason. The Falcons, Packers and Rams considered Durde for their jobs, though each NFC team has gone in a different direction.

[RELATED: Seahawks, Commanders Each Made Mike Macdonald HC Offers]

Dallas and Seattle are the only two teams with coordinator jobs still available. Dan Quinn‘s departure for Washington frees up the Dallas job, while the Seahawks are still looking for OC and DC staffers. The two jobs will differ, however. Mike Macdonald is set to call defensive plays for the Seahawks, whereas Mike McCarthy‘s team needs a play-caller on that side of the ball.

Durde, 44, came into this offseason having never interviewed for an NFL DC post. But he has presided over one of the NFL’s highest-profile position groups during the 2020s. Micah Parsons‘ emergence, despite the Cowboys stopping short of labeling their impact pass rusher as a full-time D-lineman, has elevated the group’s stature. Durde has worked with DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler as well.

Hailing from England, Durde has been an NFL assistant since 2018. He worked under Quinn in Atlanta for three years and joined Joe Whitt in following Quinn from Atlanta to Dallas in 2021. Quinn has chosen Whitt to be his defensive play-caller in Washington, and two higher-profile names — Ron Rivera and Mike Zimmer — are on the radar for the Cowboys gig. Durde, however, is the first confirmed interviewee for the Seattle job. The Seahawks are also interested in Chiefs D-line coach Joe Cullen for the role.

Seattle’s DC of the past two seasons, Clint Hurtt, has left to become the Eagles’ D-line coach under Vic Fangio. Steadily declining since the Legion of Boom’s late-2010s split, the Seahawks’ defense ranked 25th in points allowed in each of Hurtt’s two seasons in charge. Macdonald and his to-be-determined top lieutenant will make efforts to improve that standing.

Chargers Hire Jesse Minter As DC

February 6th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Ben Levine

As expected, Jim Harbaugh has recruited his Michigan defensive coordinator to Los Angeles. The Chargers have finalized a deal with Jesse Minter that will make him the team’s new defensive coordinator, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB. Minter has acknowledged the move, posting a farewell message to Michigan players and fans.

[RELATED: Chargers To Hire Greg Roman As OC]

Throughout Harbaugh’s interview process, it was hinted that Minter could follow his boss to the NFL. Minter spent the past two seasons as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, and he also had a four-year stint on John Harbaugh‘s staff in Baltimore. Jim Harbaugh has targeted familiarity as he’s filled out his new Chargers staff, so it’s not a huge surprise that Minter will be joining the ranks.

The 40-year-old coach helped guide a stout defense to a national championship, and the school had CFP appearances in each of Minter’s two years at the helm. Michigan allowed the fewest points in the nation (13.1 ppg) over the past two seasons, and Minter was a 2022 finalist for the Broyles Award, given to college football’s top assistant coach.

In between his stint in Baltimore and his time at Michigan, Minter had a one-year stop as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator. He held that same role with Georgia State and Indiana State. He earned a DC interview with the Eagles last offseason.

Harbaugh is continuing to add to his defensive staff, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero passes along that the Chargers have hired Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston for the same position. Prior to his two years in Michigan, the veteran coach spent more than a decade on Notre Dame’s staff. The Chargers have also hired Ravens player evaluation and analytics manager Corey Krawiec for an unknown role, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

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