HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Bears Finalize 2024 Coaching Staff

March 2nd, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Ely Allen

This offseason, the Bears had to replace both coordinator positions, a situation that usually results in quite a bit of turnover on either side of the staff. Head coach Matt Eberflus allowed each coordinator to make final decisions on their staff, but many assistants (particularly on the defense) were retained in Chicago for the 2024 NFL season.

We’ll start on defense, where Eberflus likely influenced some of the decisions made by new defensive coordinator Eric Washington. The staff looks fairly similar to last year’s with defensive line coach Travis Smith, linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator Jon Hoke, safeties coach Andre Curtis, and defensive quality control coach Kevin Koch all being retained in their prior roles. David Overstreet also remains on staff, but his title changes from assistant defensive backs coach to nickelbacks coach. Kenny Norton III also earned a promotion, going from coaching assistant to defensive quality control coach.

The only two new additions on defense appear to be Bryan Bing, who replaces Justin Hinds as assistant defensive line coach, and new defensive analyst (advance/special projects) Matt Pees. After Hinds departed to take the defensive line coaching job in Seattle, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Bears landed on Bing, who served as a defensive assistant with the Colts last year as a Tony Dungy Diversity Coaching Fellow. Pees is the son of long-time defensive coordinator Dean Pees and previously spent the last three years as a defensive assistant with the Falcons, working two of those years under his father.

On the offensive side of the ball, we already knew that new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron had hired Kerry Joseph as quarterbacks coach, Chad Morton as running backs coach, Chris Beatty as wide receivers coach, Thomas Brown as passing game coordinator, and Jason Houghtaling as assistant offensive line coach. Houghtaling will assist Chris Morgan, who was retained as offensive line coach and granted the additional title of offensive run game coordinator. Also retained were tight ends coach Jim Dray and offensive quality control coach Zach Cable.

There were three notable additions to the staff on offense. Both Ryan Griffin and Robbie Picazo will serve under the title offensive assistant (quarterbacks and wide receivers). Griffin, a former NFL quarterback, is taking his first coaching gig after a short stint in the Italian Football League last year. Picazo spent the past two years as an offensive assistant with the Seahawks and Texans, coaching at Rice and Stanford at the collegiate level for several years before that. The final offensive addition is Jennifer King, who will be the team’s offensive assistant (running backs). After becoming the first black woman to be named a full-time NFL coach as an assistant running backs coach for the past three year with the Commanders, King continues her NFL journey, this time in Chicago.

Lastly, the Bears enlisted the services of Chavis Cook to manage coaching administration.

There you have it. Eberflus has crafted a new staff with a mix of new and familiar faces. With the new staff locked in, the team can now turn its attention to free agency, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, and the future of quarterback Justin Fields.

Giants To Release OL Mark Glowinski

March 2nd, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Ben Levine

Mark Glowinski‘s stint with the Giants has come to an end after two years. The team is releasing the veteran guard, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Glowinski signed a three-year, $20MM deal with the Giants back in 2022. This move will save the organization $5.7MM against the cap, per Fowler.

The former fourth-round pick served mostly as a backup during his time with the Seahawks, but he emerged as a starter while in Indianapolis. Glowinski started 55 of his 59 appearances for the Colts, with Pro Football Focus grading him as a top-25 guard in three of his four seasons with the team.

The cash-strapped Giants made him one of their big-name signings during the 2022 offseason, and the veteran ended up starting all 16 of his appearances during his first season in New York. Things didn’t go nearly as well during his second season.

Glowinski was benched following a poor Week 1 showing, with Marcus McKethan taking over as the starting right guard. Glowinski was only used as an injury fill-in for the rest of the season, starting six of his 13 appearances. The 31-year-old lineman was limited to only 520 offensive snaps, his lowest total since 2017.

The veteran guard will likely have to settle for a one-year deal during this visit to free agency, but Pro Football Focus shows that the lineman hasn’t completely fallen off. The site graded him 25th among 79 qualifying guards this past season, including a top-15 grade for his run-blocking ability.

TE Darren Waller Contemplating Retirement

March 2nd, 2024 at 8:50am CST by Adam La Rose

TODAY, 8:50am: Not so fast. Waller is still considering retirement and is “undecided” on his NFL future, per Schwartz and Dunleavy. The New York Post duo add that the Giants were “convinced” that Waller was returning following a conversation with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Now, they’re facing the prospect of having to find a new tight end for next season.

FRIDAY, 12:45pm: Things did not go according to plan for the Giants or Darren Waller in 2023. After the veteran tight end gave thought to hanging up his cleats, though, he will remain in New York for at least one more season.

Waller was acquired via trade from the Raiders last March. Vegas had grown frustrated with his injury troubles during his time with the team, and the move provided an opportunity to start over. However, hamstring issues continued to lead to missed time, and the 31-year-old was limited to 12 games with the Giants.

Paul Schwartz and Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post report Waller contemplated retirement following another frustrating campaign. The former Pro Bowler managed 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown in his debut New York season, figures which fell well short of his best years with the Raiders. Poor play along the offensive line quarterback injuries hampered the team as well, of course, but few would argue with Waller being a cut candidate given his contract status and injury history.

In spite of that, the Post reports notes that the Giants will retain him for 2024. Waller has three more years on his deal, but none of his base salary is guaranteed in that span. He is due to carry cap hits ranging from $14MM to $17.5MM between now and 2026, and in the next two seasons a release would yield notable cap savings. The same would also be true if the Giants moved on via a Post-June 1 designation this year, but they will instead keep Waller in the fold for another season.

Dunleavy adds that New York has been connected to a free agent move at the tight end spot this offseason. A veteran backup could complement Waller’s skillset while providing insurance against further missed time. If no agreement is worked out on that front, the Giants also have 2022 fourth-rounder Daniel Bellinger in place on his rookie contract.

Adding at the skill positions will be a major priority for New York this offseason, regardless of if a Daniel Jones successor is drafted or Saquon Barkley is retained. A bounce-back season from Waller would go a long way in leading the team to an improved showing on offense, and he will have the opportunity to deliver one in 2024.

Commanders Release TE Logan Thomas

March 1st, 2024 at 10:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Continuing to move on from veteran contracts, the Commanders will be without Logan Thomas in 2024. Washington is releasing the experienced tight end, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Already entering Friday positioned in the top three in cap space, the Commanders are freeing up more room. Absent any post-June 1 maneuvers, the team will pick up nearly $14MM between the Thomas and Charles Leno cuts. Thomas was due to make $5.34MM in his contract year.

[RELATED: Commanders To Cut C Nick Gates]

Thomas, 32, completed a unique comeback in Washington. Ron Rivera gave the former quarterback a chance to vie for the starting tight end job. A Virginia native who played quarterback at Virginia Tech, Thomas saw QB time for the Cardinals as a rookie in 2014. After years off the radar, he eventually completed the task of shifting to tight end, producing a career-best season in 2020. That eventually keyed a significant raise. Thomas signed a three-year, $24MM extension during the 2021 offseason. Injuries intervened on this contract, which had one season remaining. Tight end can be added to the Commanders’ need areas going into Adam Peters‘ first free agency in charge.

In 2020, Thomas caught 72 passes for 670 yards and six touchdowns. Each mark remains a career high, with a major injury — an ACL tear sustained in December of that year — impacting him going forward. While Chase Young was unable to begin the 2022 season on time, Thomas did. But he struggled to show the same form. The former QB was better last season, totaling 55 receptions for 496 yards. As a new regime comes in, however, more Rivera-era parts will be stripped.

Set to turn 33 in July, Thomas was due a $500K roster bonus on March 17, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. That is not a significant amount, but with Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury coming in, keeping an aging tight end on an $8.29MM cap number seemed like a tough ask.

Among Washington tight ends, John Bates caught the second-most passes (19) last season. But it is safe to expect Peters to target a new starter. After all, the team will have upwards of $80MM in cap space to find one. Dalton Schultz represents a name to watch here, considering his Cowboys tenure overlapped with Quinn’s. Hunter Henry, Noah Fant, Mike Gesicki, ex-Kingsbury pupil Zach Ertz and the recently released Jonnu Smith are other notable names available.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Cowboys, LT Tyron Smith Discuss Possible Return

March 1st, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Ely Allen

Left tackle Tyron Smith has enjoyed what is likely to end up being a Hall of Fame, 13-year career with the Cowboys. The biggest issue in Smith’s game over this time, though, has been his availability, as he’s failed to play in every game in a season since 2015.

As Smith, 33, gets older, his health continues to be a main concern in his decision-making moving forward. As a pending free agent, Smith met with Dallas today in order to lay out a plan for a potential return in 2024.

According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Smith is definitely interested in playing for a 14th year. The team is currently allowing his eight-year, $97.6MM contract to expire, leading him towards free agency, but both sides will continue to discuss how a return could happen. Team owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones spoke with the media following today’s meetings, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.

[RELATED: Leighton Vander Esch Expected To Retire]

“We’ll get in there in the right way and discuss his business and work out something that’s good for both of us. He’s had a great career. He’s a Hall of Fame player,” Jones said. “I can’t tell you how good of shape I thought we were in with him as we got into the playoffs, his health and where he was. Thought we were just where you want to be. And I give a lot of credit to coach Mike McCarthy, him getting it pushed up there to where we had (Tyron) just right as we went into the playoffs.”

Since 2015, Smith has missed 49 out of a possible 131 regular season games. In two of the last four years, Smith missed 14 (2020) and 13 (2022) games in the regular season. Most of the time, the team is happy for whatever he can provide. Despite not having appeared in more than 13 games over that span, Smith has still earned five Pro Bowl berths and has earned All-Pro honors twice, including this past season.

That being said, the Cowboys are willing to have Smith take regular season rest here and there as he gets older if it means that he will be available for the team’s most important games late in the year. Both sides reportedly felt that they had found a practice plan that has helped keep him healthier, so as long as the numbers are agreeable, it seems like there’s a good chance we’ll see Smith hit 34 years old in the NFL next season.

Patriots Interested In Baker Mayfield

March 1st, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The expectation remains the Patriots will address their quarterback need by selecting a passer with the No. 3 overall pick. But Jerod Mayo‘s first roster needs help in many places. Trading down could potentially be an option.

If the Patriots are considering moving down, it would put them in play for one of the top free agent arms. They are indeed believed to be monitoring Baker Mayfield, with the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed indicating the Buccaneers QB has some supporters within the organization. A number of connections exist.

In addition to the Patriots being connected to Mayfield interest back in 2018, a few staffers from the team that did draft him are working in Foxborough now. That includes de facto GM Eliot Wolf, who was with the Browns when they pulled the trigger on taking Mayfield first overall six years ago. OC Alex Van Pelt coached Mayfield for two seasons in Cleveland. So was QBs coach T.C. McCartney. Additionally, assistant Ben McAdoo and front office staffer Pat Stewart were with the Panthers during Mayfield’s woeful stay in Charlotte.

Outside interest in Mayfield will only stand to drive up the QB’s price in Buccaneers negotiations, which have begun. Tampa Bay has expressed interest in re-signing Mayfield for a bit now, but the cost is expected to skyrocket after his bounce-back season. Mayfield, 28, showed considerable improvement after an injury-plagued 2021 slate and a brutal 2022 showing in Carolina. The former Heisman winner showed flashes with the Rams and is coming off setting career-high marks in TD passes (28) and passing yards (4,044). He also mixed in a career-low 10 INTs.

The Bucs gave Mayfield input in their OC search, which ended with ex-Rams OC Liam Coen. They could use the franchise tag to keep the starting QB off the market, but with that number coming in beyond $38MM, such a move is not anticipated. Tampa Bay is expected to tag Antoine Winfield Jr., giving the team until March 11 to hammer out a deal with Mayfield and prevent him from exploring the open market. Mayfield is also interested in staying with the Bucs, but other teams are naturally curious about a potential agreement. The Falcons are believed to be among them, though they are squarely in the Justin Fields mix.

While the Patriots may have Mayfield on their radar, Kyed adds they are not believed to be interested in Kirk Cousins. The latter is seven years older than Mayfield and coming off a torn Achilles. Cousins’ steadier track record is also likely to make him a more expensive free agent. Cousins also would not seemingly align with Mayo’s first Patriots roster, which needs help across the board on offense.

Mayfield would better align here, but it would still be surprising if the Pats went in this direction. The team may be interested in pairing a free agent with a QB at No. 3 overall, putting Mac Jones in limbo. Mayfield would certainly be leery of a team considering a first-round pick, though given what it will cost to acquire the veteran QB, it would be highly unlikely a team would sign him and then draft a passer in the first round. Several bridge-level options will be available in free agency, and it is more likely the Patriots pursue one of them instead of ponying up big bucks for Mayfield.

49ers Looking At Bringing Back Laken Tomlinson, Jon Feliciano

March 1st, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers are coming off another loss in the sport’s season finale and are looking at where they can improve and where they want to try and keep their talent. Two 32-year-old interior offensive linemen are going to be available to them, and it sounds like they have plans to look into re-signing Jon Feliciano and/or reuniting with former Jets guard Laken Tomlinson, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Tomlinson was released by New York earlier this week after only two seasons with the team. Originally, a first-round pick for the Lions, Tomlinson was traded to San Francisco, where he played some of the best football of his career. While he was able to bolster his reputation for reliability in New York, extending his streak of 114 straight starts, he failed to bring the production that landed him a three-year, $40MM deal with the Jets in the first place.

General manager John Lynch spoke on the possibility of a reunion after the news dropped. “Laken was a big part of who we were,” Lynch explained. “We’ll talk to his folks and see what his temperature is, where he’s at.”

The other option to start at guard for the team next season is the man who did so this year and graded out as the league’s fifth-best offensive guard as a result, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Feliciano. Feliciano was brought in as a kind of sixth-man for the offensive line. His experience starting at guard for the Raiders and Bills and starting at center for the Giants made him a valued backup up when he first signed with the 49ers.

After a couple injuries led to opportunities to deploy their gadget lineman, Feliciano proved he was a strong fit, eventually wresting the starting job from Spencer Burford. In replacement duty as a starter, the nine-year veteran out of Miami (FL) delivered a career-year. His one-year deal now done, Lynch spoke on his impact.

“We teetered on (whether Feliciano was a) scheme fit because our scheme is a little different,” Lynch said. “You’ve got to be able to get out. Turned out, he was a really good scheme fit, but what we knew every day is, this guy is a glue guy. This is a guy who brings groups together, brings people together. Tough, crusty O-lineman.”

The 49ers could absolutely start 2024 the way they began 2023 and trot out Burford across from Aaron Banks again. But Feliciano and Tomlinson both seemingly represent possible upgrades at the position, and at age 32, both should be acquirable at a fairly reasonable price. Lynch and the 49ers have some work to do moving forward to address the situation.

Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry Sitting Out Combine With Injury

March 1st, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Ely Allen

Projected first-round cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, born Ga’Quincy, appeared in Indianapolis today prepared to measure and work out at the NFL scouting combine. Unfortunately, though, McKinstry discovered in a combine medical evaluation that he had a Jones fracture in his right foot, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Due to the injury, McKinstry made the decision not to work out with the other defensive back prospects today.

A Jones fracture is a fairly common foot injury, and it’s not uncommon for athletes to be unaware that they have one. The only symptom of the issue tends to be soreness on the outside of the foot, a sensation athletes frequently experience and often shrug off as normal. That also makes it an easy injury to play through, which explains why McKinstry is only now discovering the fracture.

Due to poor blood supply to the area, Jones fractures do not tend to heal well on their own, making surgery a necessary requirement in order to heal. Surgery now would prevent McKinstry from working out for scouts at all in the leadup to the 2024 NFL Draft, so it appears he will hold off on surgery for now. McKinstry will regroup with his coaches and trainers back in Tuscaloosa and plans to work out for scouts there at his pro day.

Following that workout, McKinstry will get the procedure to repair the fracture. The expectation for recovery sees him ready to return with plenty of time for NFL training camps, so today’s discovery is unlikely to hurt his draft stock much, if at all. McKinstry measures out as a prototypical NFL cornerback and showed strong attributes on film this year. A strong workout at Alabama could help make up for a lack of statistical production at the college level and solidify his first-round status.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/1/24

March 1st, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Ely Allen

The only minor move in a day full of bigger transactions:

New England Patriots

The former CFL standout passer will remain in New England after being claimed off waivers from Jacksonville late last season. Rourke has been a hot name of interest in the years following his Canadian success, meeting with 13 teams since that time. Despite time with the Jaguars and Patriots, Rourke has not yet made his NFL debut. He appears to be a part of New England’s plans at quarterback moving forward.

RBs A Priority For Ravens In Offseason

March 1st, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Ely Allen

We noted something similar back in February, but the Ravens have made it clear lately that additions to the running backs group will be a priority in the offseason. Whether that comes through re-signing expiring deals, signing veteran free agents, or pursuing a rookie prospect, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic’s quote from general manager Eric DeCosta says it best: (they) need more than two running backs.

The Ravens have lots of work to do in the coming weeks with expiring contracts all over their 2023 roster, but DeCosta is fully aware of which potential departures leave them most bare. Both former undrafted veteran Gus Edwards and former second-round pick J.K. Dobbins are set to hit free agency this spring, as will late-season addition Dalvin Cook and practice squad backs Melvin Gordon and Owen Wright, though Wright, an undrafted rookie, has signed a futures deal with the team. That leaves only Justice Hill and another undrafted rookie in Keaton Mitchell as the only two running backs with in-game experience on the roster moving forward.

Hill signed a two-year deal a year ago and will now play out the final season of that contract. He had the best season of his career in 2023 but has still failed to surpass 400 rushing yards or 4 touchdowns in a season. He expanded his role this year by adding 206 receiving yards. Mitchell was a pleasant surprise as a rookie, touting an outstanding 8.43 yards per carry average in eight games played. The diminutive back flashed elite speed and play-making ability when healthy, but a torn ACL midway through December leaves the team without their explosive second-year player for likely the entire offseason.

In our previous discussion on the subject, we laid out the cases for Dobbins and Edwards. Dobbins showed incredible upside as a rookie but has since struggled mightily to stay on the field. Edwards had been a reliable short-yardage and goal-line back in the early days of Jackson’s career, backing up Mark Ingram before teaming up with Dobbins and Hill. The big-bodied back with the nickname “Gus the Bus” has six years under his belt but showed no signs of slowing with a career-high 990 scrimmage yards and 13 rushing touchdowns this season. At the NFL scouting combine DeCosta made it known that the organization has not shut the door on the idea of bringing the two back. In fact, DeCosta claimed the team was “hopeful (they) can get something done with those guys,” per Ravens staff writers Clifton Brown and Ryan Mink.

We also explored the idea of free agency in our previous post. There are a number of big names hitting the open market this offseason, and Baltimore has already been connected to a few. Titans bell-cow Derrick Henry has been linked to the team since the days of the trade deadline. Other notable names like the Giants’ Saquon Barkley, the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs, and the Cowboys’ Tony Pollard have been mentioned, as well.

In the draft, there a couple intriguing names to look at like Michigan rusher Blake Corum or Texas running back Jonathon Brooks, but Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen is a name that has been making the rounds in Baltimore. If the team fails to sign any of the above veterans, expect the Ravens to pursue one of these players early in the draft. If a big name puts pen to paper, though, Baltimore will likely be content to take a late-round addition or even peruse the undrafted dregs once again.

Regardless, additions are going to be necessary in 2024. Especially with Mitchell coming back from a serious injury, the team can’t well expect to find success with only him, Hill, and Wright heading into the 2024 NFL season. Whether they bring back Edwards or Dobbins, sign a big-name in free agency like Henry or Barkley, or draft a high-end prospect, somebody will have to join the three currently in the running backs room.

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