HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Rex Ryan: Cowboys’ DC Salary Insufficient

September 26th, 2024 at 10:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not exactly known for keeping his opinions to himself, Rex Ryan has taken aim at the Cowboys’ defensive performance. More specifically, the longtime ESPN analyst points to the Cowboys making him an offer to be their defensive coordinator this offseason.

Ryan interviewed for the job that went to Mike Zimmer, but the former Jets coach — out of the NFL since his 2016 ouster as Bills HC — made comments that seem to indicate he was offered the position. The brash figure said this gig’s salary did not meet his demands.

“I could’ve fixed [the Cowboys’ defense] in a New York minute,” Ryan said during an appearance on ESPN’s DiPietro & Rothenberg Show (h/t USA Today). “But, that being said, they couldn’t pony up the money, or I would’ve been there.”

Seeking a defensive coordinator with HC experience — which Dan Quinn had provided for three seasons — Jerry Jones interviewed both Ryan and Ron Rivera but went with Zimmer, who had been a Cowboys assistant for 13 years (from 1994-2006). Zimmer was reported to have landed the job, but Ryan had insisted after that assertion no final decision had been made. Soon after, however, Zimmer was officially hired.

Ryan, 61, has not been involved in many coaching searches since the Bills fired him late in his second season. He did interview for the Broncos’ DC post in 2023. Months later, he took shots at the coach Sean Payton did hire — Vance Joseph — after Denver’s defense started slowly last season. Considering Zimmer is also not exactly shy about voicing his opinions, something which became clearer after some recent comments about his Minnesota tenure, this might generate an interesting response, as Ryan criticized Dallas’ defense.

“You brought in a guy that was 29th in the league his last two years at Minnesota, the enthusiasm he brings when he left, that’s the guy that’s gonna inspire you?” Ryan said. “This can go really bad for Dallas.”

Considering Ryan’s reputation, it probably should not be considered certain that Zimmer was the second choice for the job he currently holds. But the Cowboys were impressed with Ryan during his interview. Ryan’s insistence no decision had been made could point to negotiations continuing between he and the team, but Zimmer also carries more experience — both in Dallas and on the HC/DC tier — compared to Ryan. Zimmer, who was also connected to a Broncos job in 2023, had been out of the NFL for two seasons. He did receive other offers to return, however. Ryan being away for the past seven years makes it harder to envision a return commencing.

The Cowboys sit 30th in scoring defense, 28th in yardage and 28th in DVOA. Dallas, which added both edge defenders and D-tackles late in the offseason, ranks last against the run. With Mike McCarthy a rare lame duck, no Cowboys coach should feel especially safe, but he, Zimmer and Co. will attempt to rebound after two concerning showings.

Owners Approving Tom Brady Raiders Stake Would End Any Unretirement Bid

September 26th, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Brady‘s loose Raiders affiliation has already forced the NFL to place significant restrictions on his broadcasting career, preventing him from entering team facilities ahead of covering games for FOX. Brady also cannot take part in pregame meetings with players, representing a highly unusual arrangement for an announcer. Another notable wrinkle will come to pass if the all-time QB great is finally approved as a Raiders part-owner.

Should owners approve Brady’s Raiders ownership stake, it will officially put an end to a second unretirement. Brady, who mentioned the prospect of unretiring once again this offseason, would be prohibited from following through with any plan if he becomes a part-owner for the Las Vegas franchise, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes.

This summer, Brady said he was not opposed to making an in-season return. This was interesting since the 23-year veteran had closed the door on a comeback in 2023, shortly after purchasing a stake in the Raiders. This included rebuffing his hometown 49ers, who sought to have him start and mentor Brock Purdy last year.

NFL owners had cited issues with Brady’s stake price and conflict of interest with his broadcasting gig, Those matters have since been resolved, but owners did not approve Brady’s stake at their most recent meetings, continuing a trend with the matter not coming up. Attending a Raiders practice late in the 2023 season even tripped alarms for owners.

Momentum does appear to be building toward Brady finally becoming a part-owner in December, but if the 47-year-old is voted in, he will officially bid farewell to a second unretirement. While Brady famously attempted to become a player/owner for the Dolphins during his first retirement in 2022, leading to a stiff penalty for that organization, a 2023 rule change would prohibit him from playing for the Raiders while owning a piece of the franchise.

Previously, Brady could have been a player/owner in Vegas had 24 owners approved it. Now, Jones writes no such vote would take place. Shortly after MLS club Inter Miami added Lionel Messi as a player while giving the soccer legend equity in the franchise, the NFL passed a rule nixing teams from doing the same. Owners would have been unlikely to approve Brady as a player/owner in Miami, but the matter was on the table. Now, Brady would need to decide — if an opportunity arose for him to leave the broadcast booth and take part in this season. He has certainly been given plenty of time on this front, as the NFL’s finance committee has tabled this matter since Brady agreed to buy a piece of the Raiders in May 2023.

Brady retired in both February 2022 and February 2023, famously backtracking on the first exit to play the age-45 season he had long sought to do. Stretching the boundaries of the quarterback position in terms of accomplishments and longevity, Brady is widely considered to have put together the greatest career in NFL history. His 2022 season brought a significant step back from a 2021 campaign for which the first-ballot Hall of Famer-to-be earned second-team All-Pro accolades. But Brady remains on the NFL periphery in terms of another comeback. His Raiders agreement seemingly puts the kibosh on the matter, though the aspiring owner — one whose planned passive role has caused several issues — may be months away from stepping into those ranks.

Chargers DC Jesse Minter Generating Early HC Buzz

September 26th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After allowing more than 23 points per game last season, the Chargers’ defense has emerged as one of the league’s top units in 2024. The unit has allowed just 33 points over its first three games, earning new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter some attention early in his second NFL coaching stint.

Los Angeles underwent an organizational overhaul this offseason, hiring Jim Harbaugh as head coach and former Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz as general manager. Hortiz brought several ex-Ravens players, coaches and front office personnel with him to Los Angeles, while Harbaugh installed Minter as defensive coordinator after the pair led Michigan to an undefeated record and national championship last season.

The Chargers did not make any major roster additions to their defense this offseason, though they did convince OLBs Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack to take pay cuts. That freed up the cap space to add a few veterans on one-year deals, including cornerback Kristian Fulton, linebackers Bud Dupree and Denzel Perryman, along with defensive tackle Poona Ford.

Those veterans have performed well, but Minter has received the lion’s share of the credit for whipping one of the league’s worst defenses since 2021 into shape. The Bolts rank third in scoring defense and sixth in yardage, marks that come in well ahead of the team’s offensive marks through three games.

Minter’s pedigree at Michigan – which includes a historic 2023 defense that allowed just 10.4 points per game – and the early returns from his work in Los Angeles have placed him in the conversation for future head coaching jobs, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. If Minter keeps it up, he could start receiving interview requests at the end of this season after other teams move on from their current head coaches.

A few years ago, Minter’s candidacy for a head coaching position may not have made sense with the NFL embracing offensive-minded coaches like the Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel, the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell, and the Giants’ Brian Daboll. But more teams have hired defensive coaches for their top job over the last two seasons, including Mike Macdonald in Seattle, DeMeco Ryans in Houston, Jonathan Gannon in Arizona and Raheem Morris in Atlanta. A successful season for the Chargers’ defense could make Minter one of the league’s premier defensive coordinators and a top candidate for a head coaching gig.

Macdonald made a similar leap, going from Wolverines DC in 2021 to a two-year stay as Ravens defensive boss to his current Seahawks gig. Macdonald and Minter overlapped in Baltimore but not in Ann Arbor, with the latter still being at Vanderbilt (as the Commodores’ DC) during Macdonald’s Michigan DC season.

League decision-makers may believe that Minter requires more seasoning before taking a top coaching job, but this is not his first stint in the NFL. He coached in Baltimore from 2017 to 2020, rising to the position of Ravens defensive backs coach. Minter also has some head coaching experience after serving as interim HC for the Wolverines during Harbaugh’s three-game suspension to begin the 2023 season.

Harbaugh was suspended after the NCAA’s investigation into illegal scouting and sign-stealing allegations, and he is now facing an additional four-year show-cause order for violations of COVID recruitment and coaching rules, according to ESPN. If Harbaugh wants to return to coaching in the NCAA down the road, the school hiring him must explain its decision to an NCAA committee and suspend him for the first full season. Even after the first year, Harbaugh would not be allowed to attend athletics-related activities, such as practice, team meetings, and recruiting, until the show-cause order expires in 2028.

Essentially, Harbaugh is barred from coaching in the NCAA until 2028, but his five-year, $80MM contract with the Chargers indicates he has little interest in returning to college football. If all goes well in Los Angeles, Harbaugh will be there through the end of his contract, and by that time, Minter will likely have earned a shot at an NFL head coaching job of his own.

OL Rumors: Patriots, Moses, Cards, 49ers

September 26th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots entered training camp with significant questions along their offensive line; those have not been answered, as the team continues to delay Drake Maye‘s debut. This could set up a historically rare succession at the game’s highest-profile O-line position. The Pats may be on the verge of starting a fourth left tackle in four games to open the season. Demontrey Jacobs, who went to camp with the Broncos before becoming a Patriots waiver claim, worked at LT alongside the other first-string blockers during the parts of Wednesday and Thursday’s practices open to media, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes.

Injuries and Chukwuma Okorafor leaving the team put the Pats in this bind. They have used Okorafor, Vederian Lowe and rookie third-rounder Caedan Wallace at LT over the first three weeks. Lowe and Wallace injuries brought Jacobs into the fray against the Jets. Part of Denver’s 2023 UDFA class, Jacobs had not played in a regular-season game until last week. Wallace has gotten in two limited practices, potentially allowing the Pats to prevent this 4-for-4 turnstyle on Jacoby Brissett‘s blind side, but Lowe remains out ahead of a 49ers matchup.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks:

  • Remaining in the AFC East, the Jets intend to go week to week with their right tackle. Morgan Moses sustained an MCL sprain and bone bruise and will miss a few weeks, but Robert Saleh confirmed the Jets will not park their RT starter on IR. Moses has been a dependable player throughout his career, missing only three games over the past 10 seasons. It will be worth wondering if the veteran reacquires his job upon returning, as the Jets will throw first-round pick Olu Fashanu into action. Fashanu had been drafted to initially provide insurance for Moses and fellow 33-year-old blocker Tyron Smith, before moving into a long-term starting role. Will the Penn State product play well enough to avoid being sent back to the bench?
  • The Cardinals are using a backup right tackle as well, plugging in Kelvin Beachum after Jonah Williams‘ Week 1 injury. Williams is on IR due to a knee injury, and Beachum missed Week 3 with a hamstring malady. Formerly a long-term starter for the Steelers, Jets and Cardinals, Beachum returned to practice but is in his age-35 season. The Cardinals worked out another 30-something tackle this week, bringing in Cameron Erving, per Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer. The Texans had cut the former first-round pick from their practice squad injured list recently, but the nine-year vet does not look to have needed much time to recover. The Cardinals started former seventh-round pick Jackson Barton in Beachum’s place in Week 3.
  • GM Monti Ossenfort had said a D.J. Humphries reunion could commence down the road, despite the second-year Cardinals regime cutting the longtime left tackle early this offseason. But the former first-round pick is not ready to return from injury just yet. He is still potentially several weeks away from medical clearance, Balzer adds. Humphries, 30, started eight seasons for the Cardinals — seven at left tackle, one at right tackle — went down during the team’s Week 17 win over the Eagles.
  • Beaten out for the 49ers‘ right guard job after seeing extensive time there from 2022-23, Spencer Burford is seeing some reps at a new position. The 49ers are trying the third-year blocker at tackle, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. This is due to San Francisco having just three tackles — Trent Williams, Colton McKivitz, Jaylon Moore — on their 53-man roster, with one of those (Williams) being 36. It is interesting this effort is only commencing now, as Williams’ holdout lasted more than a month. Burford, who now backs up third-round rookie Dominick Puni, played guard and tackle at Texas-San Antonio.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/26/24

September 26th, 2024 at 6:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: LB Abraham Beauplan

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: OL Braeden Daniels

Miami Dolphins

Fortson will make his way back to Missouri, doing so after the Dolphins released him in August. Fortson combined to catch 14 passes for 155 yards and four touchdowns during the 2021 and ’22 Chiefs seasons, but he spent the 2023 campaign on IR. An effort to latch on in Miami did not pan out, but the Chiefs have the reserve tight end back as insurance. Fortson, 28, initially caught on with the Chiefs as a 2019 UDFA.

Ingram will fill the same purpose, switching spots with Kareem Hunt, whom the Chiefs bumped up to their 53-man roster this week. Waiving Ingram to make room for the Hunt reunion, Kansas City circled back to the former Arizona draftee. Ingram joins UDFA Emani Bailey as RBs on the Chiefs’ P-squad.

49ers Eyeing Midseason Return For LB Dre Greenlaw

September 26th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the 49ers appear in slightly better shape compared to their injury-marred 2020 season, the team has seen its star-stacked roster run into significant health trouble at an early juncture. Injuries have played a major role in the defending NFC champions’ 1-2 record.

Some of the pieces will return, though Javon Hargrave is not expected to and Christian McCaffrey‘s murky status overshadows the other issues at this point. But Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are practicing again. This comes after Talanoa Hufanga made his season debut against the Rams. The other key San Francisco starter to suffer a late-season injury last year does not appear to be expected to miss the bulk of this campaign, either.

San Francisco is expecting Dre Greenlaw to make a midseason return, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (subscription required). Going down with a historically ill-timed Achilles tear, Greenlaw can be activated from the PUP list beginning in Week 5. That appears ambitious for a player who went down early in Super Bowl LVIII, but the 49ers do not seem likely to wait too much longer for the three-down linebacker to re-emerge.

The team reached multiple contingency plans to cover for Greenlaw’s rehab timetable, agreeing to terms with Eric Kendricks and then De’Vondre Campbell. Kendricks backtracked on his 49ers pledge due to the Cowboys offering him more playing time compared to a 49ers role that would have seen him drift to a part-time performer once Greenlaw recovered. The team then gave Campbell a one-year, $5MM deal to be Fred Warner‘s stopgap sidekick. The Packers had cut Campbell after three seasons.

Campbell committed a costly pass interference penalty late in the Rams’ comeback win Sunday. It is too early for true assessments to be made, but Pro Football Focus ranks Kendricks 21st among off-ball ‘backers while slotting Campbell 54th. Campbell has played 92% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps, while nominal starter/part-time player Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles has logged a 26% snap rate. Greenlaw’s return stands to reduce Campbell’s workload to Flannigan-Fowles’ level or close to it.

Suffering the Achilles tear while trotting onto the field in the first half, Greenlaw had experienced pain in that area in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. This bit the 49ers at the worst possible time, as Travis Kelce took advantage of the suddenly depleted LB corps. Greenlaw was immediately deemed out of the picture for the season’s first four weeks, with the PUP list becoming inevitable due to mid-February surgery. No timetable emerged after that designation became official, with this midseason assessment being the closest thing to it. It is worth wondering if the 49ers will factor their Week 9 bye into this equation, though some big games — against the Seahawks and Chiefs — loom in Weeks 6 and 7.

Greenlaw, 27, is signed to a two-year, $16.4MM deal. The sixth-year veteran has a chance at a big payday come 2025, though he will need to return to his pre-tear form. Ex-teammate Azeez Al-Shaair‘s three-year, $34MM Texans deal could represent a viable target. With McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk extended this offseason and a Brock Purdy payday looming, the 49ers will have difficult decisions to make on defense. Greenlaw, Hufanga and cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir are unsigned for 2025. For now, however, this group remains intact to help the 49ers rebound after a slow start. This cadre is poised to include Greenlaw soon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/24

September 26th, 2024 at 3:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

Without Adoree’ Jackson and Dru Phillips, the Giants will move Shelley up to their gameday roster. Shelley has not played since last season, attending training camp with the Vikings but landing with the Giants shortly after not making Minnesota’s 53-man roster.

Jefferson played in one game this season as a gameday elevation, but this is his first time on a 53-man roster since the 2022 season. Jefferson had retired, spending the 2023 season as a Ravens scouting intern. At 32, he returned to play under Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers will be without Derwin James against the Chiefs due to a one-game suspension, with Jefferson set to serve as a depth piece in Week 4.

Lions Sign Allen Robinson To Active Roster

September 26th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Allen Robinson made his Lions debut on Sunday, and he is now positioned to remain a regular presence on gamedays. The veteran wideout was signed to the active roster on Thursday, per a team announcement.

Robinson was released by the Steelers early in the 2024 offseason, marking an end to his one-year tenure in Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old then caught on with the Giants, although he was unable to carve out a role in the team’s receiving room. That left him as one of New York’s final roster cuts and threatened to leave him without a deal in time for Week 1. Robinson quickly caught on with the Lions after being released by New York, though.

That move came shortly after Tim Patrick was added on a practice squad agreement. The former Bronco was signed to the active roster earlier this week, and the Lions have now done the same with Robinson. The latter played all 18 regular and postseason games with Pittsburgh last season, but he posted 280 scoreless yards. That production helped inform Robinson’s release, a move he did not see coming. The former Pro Bowler made it clear he did not consider retirement, however, and he is aiming to rebuild his value in the Motor City.

Detroit has Amon-Ra St. Brown atop the WR depth chart, and 2022 first-rounder Jameson Williams has taken on by far the largest workload of his young career this season. Questions were raised about the team’s depth at the position after Josh Reynolds departed in free agency, although a number options are in place for the WR3 gig. Kalif Raymond, Antoine Green, Tre’Quan Smith and Isaiah Williams are also on the active roster as things stand.

Robinson – who does not play on special teams – will aim to carve out a depth role among that group. The former second-rounder topped 1,100 yards three times across his time with the Bears and Jaguars, but expectations for a repeat of that feat are of course absent regarding his Lions tenure. Robinson played a single snap in Week 3, but that figure could rise in the near future.

Latest On Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr.

September 26th, 2024 at 11:17am CST by Adam La Rose

Odell Beckham Jr. started the campaign on the reserve/PUP list after he underwent surgery to address an unspecified injury. Questions still linger over Beckham’s exact status, but he could be nearing his 2024 debut.

[RELATED: Dolphins’ Week 4 Starting QB Unclear]

Players who start the year on PUP are required to miss at least the first four weeks of the season. As a result, Beckham cannot be activated until after Miami’s upcoming game against Tennessee. His practice participation at that point will be worth watching closely, but head coach Mike McDaniel‘s latest comments on the situation strike an encouraging tone.

“I’m optimistic when his window opens up,” McDaniel said regarding Beckham’s return timeline (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “We will see how his body responds. He hasn’t had the setbacks we made sure to avoid.”

The Dolphins took a cautious approach with Beckham after he signed a one-year, $3MM deal in free agency. The three-time Pro Bowler is in line to occupy the No. 3 receiver role once healthy, though, and depth at that spot behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will be important with Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve. Regardless of who plays quarterback in the meantime, having a full array of pass-catchers available would help the Dolphins’ outlook on offense.

Beckham’s latest deal reflects his status as a complementary option at this point in his career much more than his 2023 Ravens one ($15MM guaranteed) did. The 31-year-old made 14 appearances with Baltimore last season, his first after being out of the league for the previous two years. His 16.1 yards per catch average was the highest of his career, albeit on only 35 receptions. Beckham will look to post solid secondary production once he is on the field, and the Dolphins will aim to avoid any further missed time once he is activated.

Bringing Beckham back into the fold will not use up one of Miami’s IR activations. The same is true of edge rusher Bradley Chubb and offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, whose respective recoveries will also be key storylines for the team over the near future.

Cowboys’ Stephen Jones Addresses Potential In-Season Trades

September 26th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys will look to avoid a 1-3 start tonight when they take on the Giants. Dallas is not planning to make major moves with respect to players or personnel, but the door is of course open to an in-season trade in the coming weeks.

The 2024 offseason was dominated by negotiations on the Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb fronts. Both players eventually worked out a deal, but their combined AAV of $94MM will lead to a number of difficult financial decisions moving forward. The team’s top remaining priority is a monster extension for Micah Parsons, something which will not be finalized until after the 2024 season. Any additions made before the trade deadline will keep Parsons’ looming raise in mind.

“Could we take advantage of an opportunity if we felt like the situation was there? Absolutely we can,” COO Stephen Jones said during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota). “Obviously the cap is a lot more than just about this year. Where our pressure starts to hit is going forward, as we try to have three players the caliber of Dak and CeeDee and Micah.”

The Prescott and Lamb accords will begin next season, while Parsons remains attached to his rookie deal through 2026 given the Cowboys’ decision to pick up his fifth-year option. The two-time All-Pro is set to earn $21.32MM that year, although a long-term accord will cost much more annually. Taking on players with term beyond the current season would complicate the Cowboys’ Parsons extension efforts (along with other matters like a second contract for Tyler Smith or new commitments in pending free agents Zack Martin and DeMarcus Lawrence). As a result, Dallas will be targeting rentals in any upcoming trade acquisitions.

With nearly $24MM in cap space, the Cowboys certainly have the flexibility to make a notable addition by taking on an expiring contract. Plenty will depend on the team’s success over the next few games in determining whether or not a move is contemplated as Dallas looks to post another double-digit win campaign (or at least do enough to qualify for the postseason). Jones reiterated his confidence in the Cowboys’ in-house options to rebound from the losses of the past two weeks, though.

“We believe in our process,” he added. “We believe in this football team. We believe in this coaching staff. We believe we’re going to right the ship.

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