Community Tailgate News & Rumors

Community Tailgate: NFL FA Power Rankings

As Super Bowl 50 nears, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

With only three more games left on the NFL’s schedule for the 2015/16 season, fans of 28 teams around the league have already started looking ahead to the offseason decisions facing their respective clubs. Coaching changes are well underway, and draft selections will be made in the spring, but in between, the NFL conversation figures to be dominated by free agency.

While not every team gets overly involved on the free agent market, each of the NFL’s 32 franchises has at least one notable contributor eligible for free agency this winter, so it’s worth looking ahead to which players could have the biggest impact if they sign with new teams. Dallas Robinson of Pro Football Rumors did just that over the weekend, checking in with a second installment of his Free Agent Power Rankings.

Here’s a breakdown of Dallas’s list, which is ranked in terms of projected guaranteed money for these free-agents-to-be:

  1. Von Miller, OLB (Broncos)
  2. Alshon Jeffery, WR (Bears)
  3. Kirk Cousins, QB (Washington)
  4. Kelechi Osemele, G/T (Ravens)
  5. Josh Norman, CB (Panthers)
  6. Muhammad Wilkerson, DE (Jets)
  7. Sam Bradford, QB (Eagles)
  8. Cordy Glenn, T (Bills)
  9. Russell Okung, T (Seahawks)
  10. Eric Berry, S (Chiefs)

For explanations of those rankings, you can check out Dallas’s full piece. After you do, and after you take a look at our complete list of 2016 free agents, we want you to weigh in.

Does this top 10 look good to you? Are there players listed here that you think shouldn’t make the cut, or omissions that need to be listed? And how many of these players do you think will actually be available in March, having not been franchised or extended by their current teams?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Community Tailgate: Best Head Coach Hire?

As the NFL postseason begins, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

With the NFL postseason in full swing, and four intriguing divisional playoff games on tap for this weekend, the league would probably like the focus to be on those games, and on the build-up to Super Bowl 50. Instead, this week’s news cycle has been dominated by Los Angeles relocation and head coaching changes, with several teams announcing new head coaches within the last few days.

In today’s Community Tailgate, we’re looking for your thoughts on those head coaching hires. Did any teams make mistakes by firing their previous coaches, or by not choosing a different replacement? Which hire do you like most? Are there any candidates who didn’t get a shot at a head coaching job this time around that you think would have been better choices for the teams making changes?

Here’s a recap of the changes made so far, via our tracker:

  • Cleveland Browns hired Hue Jackson to replace Mike Pettine.
  • Miami Dolphins hired Adam Gase to replace Dan Campbell (interim)/Joe Philbin (permanent).
  • New York Giants hired Ben McAdoo to replace Tom Coughlin.
  • Philadelphia Eagles are hiring Doug Pederson to replace Pat Shurmur (interim)/Chip Kelly (permanent).
  • San Francisco 49ers hired Chip Kelly to replace Jim Tomsula.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Dirk Koetter to replace Lovie Smith.

What do you think of the hires? Which moves do you like the best, or the least? Which coaches that didn’t get a shot should have received stronger consideration? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Tailgate: NFL Wild Card Predictions

As the NFL postseason begins, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

The NFL’s Wild Card weekend is nearly here, and it’s a pretty fascinating four-game slate for the league. Improbably, Bovada.lv currently lists all four road teams as favorites for the Wild Card round, with the lines ranging from the Packers as one-point favorites in Washington to the Seahawks favored by six points in Minnesota.

Many of those lower seeds look like the league’s hottest teams heading into the postseason, including the Steelers, who have won four of their last five games; the Seahawks, who have won six of seven; and the Chiefs, who haven’t lost since October 18th. Still, considering no team is favored by more than a touchdown this weekend, there’s a good chance we could see a handful of close games, with strong potential for at least one or two upsets.

Here’s the full schedule of Wild Card games:

  • Chiefs at Texans (Sat, 3:35pm CT)
  • Steelers at Bengals (Sat, 7:15pm CT)
  • Seahawks at Vikings (Sun, 12:05pm CT)
  • Packers at Washington (Sun, 3:40pm CT)

What do you think? Will we see the home teams pull through, or will the lower-seeded favorites prevail for the most part? Weigh in below with your picks for Wild Card weekend!

Community Tailgate: Chip Kelly’s Future

As the NFL regular season nears its end, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

While the timing of the Eagles’ dismissal of Chip Kelly was surprising, it gave the team the opportunity to get a head start on its search for a new head coach, and it gave Kelly a chance to begin looking for work. There’s no pressure for Kelly to get a new job immediately, since he’s still owed more than $12MM for the last two years on his contract with the Eagles. But it sounds like he’ll explore some options this winter.

As we saw a year ago, when coaches like Rex Ryan and John Fox immediately found new head coaching jobs after being let go by NFL teams, a fired head coach doesn’t necessarily have to wait long for a new opportunity. This may be particularly true of Kelly, since a team interested in his services could easily convince itself that as long as he has a talented quarterback to work with, and doesn’t get full control of personnel decisions, he could have more success than he did in Philadelphia.

So what’s next for Kelly? Given the presence of Marcus Mariota in Tennessee, the Titans have obviously been the most-cited possible destination for the former Oregon head coach, and Kelly reportedly has interest in that position. But the Dolphins, Browns, 49ers, and Colts have also been brought up as potential landing spots, and there may be even more teams in the market for a new head coach this winter.

Kelly has said he wants to remain in the NFL, rather than returning to college, but not everyone is confident that’s the case, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Plus, if all the NFL teams looking for a new head coach in the coming weeks decide to go in another direction, Kelly would have a decision to make — would he be willing to consider a role as a club’s offensive coordinator, or would he rather take a year off and reassess his options down the road?

What do you think? Is Kelly to Tennessee a foregone conclusion, or will the Titans opt for someone else? What do you expect Kelly’s next step to be? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Tailgate: NFL’s Best Offenses

As the NFL regular season nears its end, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

The 14-0 Panthers have been the NFL’s best and most consistent team this season, and you could make the case that their offense has also been the league’s best. No team has scored more than Carolina’s 449 points (32.1 points per game) and 53 touchdowns, and quarterback Cam Newton looks like a shoo-in for the MVP award.

The Panthers’ offense is hardly the league’s clear-cut top unit though. The Cardinals lead the NFL with 422.9 yards per game, and Arizona is right behind Carolina in terms of points (445) and touchdowns (52).

Of course, when it comes to DVOA, neither the Panthers nor the Cardinals rank in the top two. Football Outsiders places the Steelers and the Seahawks first and second in DVOA, respectively, and those are the only two teams who rank in the top five in DVOA in terms of both passing offense and rushing offense. Certainly, in recent weeks, Pittsburgh’s and Seattle’s offenses have looked virtually unstoppable — the Seahawks have five victories in a row, while the Steelers have won five of six.

Finally, no list of the NFL’s best offenses this season would be complete without mentioning the Patriots, who currently rank fourth in DVOA and yards per game, and third in total points (435) and touchdowns (49).

What do you think? If you were heading into a must-win game with any team’s offense at your disposal, which one would you want? Which offense is the NFL’s best? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Tailgate: Should Saints Sit Brees?

As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

We learned earlier tonight that Saints quarterback Drew Brees has a torn plantar fascia in his right foot, the same injury that has kept Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning out since Week 10. Despite the tear, reports indicate that Brees is considered day-to-day, and that he hopes to play in the club’s final two games.

But even if Brees wants to participate in Weeks 16 and 17, should New Orleans let him? The Saints are mathematically eliminated from earning a postseason berth, so their next two contests — against the Jaguars and Falcons — have no significance (at least for the Saints themselves). Those games do have implications for Jacksonville and Atlanta, and while teams competing with those two franchises for playoff spots might not be happy if the Saints play without their star quarterback, New Orleans has to value the health of Brees over those concerns.

And while backup Matt Flynn might be the favorite to make starts if Brees does sit, the Saints might also consider playing 2015 third-round pick Garrett Grayson during the last two games of the season. Grayson has only been active for one game and hasn’t seen any live action, but with little on the line, New Orleans could take this opportunity to give the Colorado State alum a chance.

On the other hand, head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis (not to mention Brees himself) probably want to finish as strong as possible after struggling though a miserable campaign. Brees, as competitive as they come, obviously isn’t eager to sit on the bench if he isn’t forced to. And Saints fans, especially those who have already paid for tickets for the final two games, surely want to see their franchise QB in action.

What do you think? Should the Saints rest Brees for the final two games of the year (even if he’s deemed able to play)? Or should they let him play out the string? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Tailgate: AFC Wild Card Race

As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

With two weeks to go (plus the Week 15 Sunday night and Monday night games), six teams have already clinched their playoff berths. The Panthers, Cardinals, Packers, and Seahawks will be playing in the postseason in the NFC, and Patriots and Bengals have guaranteed spots in the AFC.

While that means half of the playoff spots have been filled, there are still a group of teams fighting for those final six postseason berths this season. In the NFC one of those spots will go to the winner of the NFC East, while the Vikings heave a nice lead over the rest of the also rans in that conference. Atlanta could potentially sneak in if they end up tied with both the Vikings and the Seahawks, but the Vikings own the head-to-head advantage.

In the AFC there is a little more drama. One of those four available spots will belong to the winner of the AFC South, which will be either the Texans or Colts. The Texans have the advantage after winning head-to-head today, but with quarterback woes nothing is guaranteed over the next two weeks.

The Chiefs, Steelers, and Jets are all in the running for a wild-card berth. At 9-5 across the board, all three teams have put themselves in a great position record wise to make the playoffs. The Bills and Raiders would be the closest wild-card competitors, and both have been mathematically eliminated with losses today.

The Jets are currently on the outside looking in, despite having identical overall records. Should all three teams finish with the same record, the Chiefs and Steelers will get the nod via tiebreakers. The Chiefs prevail in a three-way tie based on conference record, and the Steelers get in over the Jets based on record in common games.

The Jets also have arguably the toughest remaining matchup as they face the Patriots in Week 16. Kansas City gets the Browns and Raiders, while the Steelers finish with the Ravens and Browns. It would seem that the Jets would have to beat the Patriots and the Bills, and hope either the Chiefs or Pittsburgh drop a game. If the Jets lose to the Patriots, they would need to beat the Bills and hope one of those teams go winless the rest of the season.

Two of those three teams will likely find themselves playing in the first round of the playoffs, but there is still a chance all three teams make it into the tournament. If the Chiefs were to win the AFC West outright, the Jets could tie the Broncos and would own certain tiebreakers over them, depending on how exactly things break out around the league. It seems unlikely as the Broncos have been presumed AFC West champs for a while, but a tough game against the Bengals followed by a Week 17 matchup with San Diego could knock them off their perch.

What do you think? How do you the see the last two weeks of the regular season playing out in the AFC? Who are your picks for the two wild card teams? Can the Chiefs overtake the Broncos in the AFC West, leaving the Jets with another chance to get in? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Tailgate: NFL Division Winners

As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Two NFL division winners for the 2015 season have already been decided, and another race is all but over — the Patriots have clinched the AFC East, the Panthers have secured the NFC South, and the Cardinals would have to utterly collapse down the stretch to lose their stranglehold on the NFC West.

While there may not be much drama within those three divisions though, there should be plenty to watch elsewhere in the league. Currently, two divisions feature a tie for first place and another has its top two teams separate by a single game. Even in the AFC North and AFC West, where the leaders have a two-game cushion, the first-place teams have backup quarterbacks starting for them, while the second-place teams are on on hot streaks.

Let’s break down each of the five divisions that remain up for grabs…

NFC East:

Washington (6-7) may be in the best position here — if Jay Gruden‘s club can win at home this weekend against the Bills, two division games await in Weeks 16 and 17, with Washington likely needing wins against the Eagles and Cowboys.

Those Eagles (6-7) also have two division games on tap, with Washington on the schedule in Week 16 and the Giants in Week 17. Philadelphia will also be in tough against a talented Cardinals squad this weekend.

The Giants (6-7), meanwhile, have the most challenging remaining schedule, with games against the Panthers and Vikings up next, in advance of a Week 17 showdown against the Eagles.

AFC South:

Like the NFC East, the AFC South features four teams below .500, with only the last-place Titans out of the picture. The Colts (6-7) and Texans (6-7) are currently tied for the lead, and whichever team wins their matchup this weekend will take over first place for the time being.

The Jaguars (5-8) shouldn’t be overlooked either, given the way their offense has been firing on all cylinders lately. They have the Falcons, Saints, and Texans left on their schedule, and all three contests are winnable, but Blake Bortles and company won’t have much margin for error. Particularly since the Colts and Texans each still have a game to play against the 3-10 Titans.

NFC North:

The Packers (9-4) have a one-game lead over the Vikings (8-5), but they could be in tough the next two weeks, with games in Oakland and Arizona. If Minnesota hangs around, a Week 17 matchup between these two NFC North teams could decide the division.

AFC North / AFC West:

In each of these divisions, the first-place team should hang on, but their two-game leads don’t quite look safe yet. The Bengals (10-3) will likely be relying on A.J. McCarron for the rest of the regular season, which means contests against the 49ers and Ravens shouldn’t be considered automatic victories — to say nothing of a Week 16 game in Denver.

Those Broncos (10-3) are in a similar boat, with Brock Osweiler struggling to get the offense into the end zone and Peyton Manning still sidelined. Games against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati during the next two weeks won’t be easy for Denver.

If either of those first-place teams falters, it could open the door for the surging Steelers (8-5) or the red-hot Chiefs (8-5) to grab a division title.

What do you think? How do you the see the last three weeks of the regular season playing out in these five divisions? Who are your picks for the division winners? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Tailgate: Top Free Agents Of 2016

As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Earlier this week, two AFC clubs with plenty of future cap room took advantage of that long-term flexibility by locking up their leading receivers. The Browns signed tight end Gary Barnidge to a three-year extension, while the Raiders locked up wideout Michael Crabtree for four years. The moves took a pair of intriguing free-agents-to-be off the market for 2016, and in the coming weeks, we’ll likely see several more potential free agents taken off the board, having signed extensions with their current teams.

That doesn’t mean that there won’t still be plenty of intriguing free agents available this winter, however. In our first installment of our 2016 free agent power rankings last night, we had a hard time narrowing down the options to just 10. These were the 10 players we chose, ranked by how much guaranteed money we think they could land on long-term deals this offseason:

  1. Von Miller, OLB (Broncos)
  2. Alshon Jeffery, WR (Bears)
  3. Josh Norman, CB (Panthers)
  4. Muhammad Wilkerson, DL (Jets)
  5. Russell Okung, T (Seahawks)
  6. Kelechi Osemele, G (Ravens)
  7. Cordy Glenn, T (Bills)
  8. Eric Berry, S (Chiefs)
  9. Brock Osweiler, QB (Broncos)
  10. Kirk Cousins, QB (Washington)

We noted at the bottom of the list that players like Kelvin Beachum (T, Steelers), Mike Daniels (DL, Packers), Malik Jackson (DL, Broncos), Olivier Vernon (DE, Dolphins) Eric Weddle (S, Chargers), and Derek Wolfe (DL, Broncos) just missed out. However, those weren’t the only other players we considered.

There are a pair of talented defensive ends set to reach free agency, and based on talent alone, you could make the case that Greg Hardy and Jason Pierre-Paul should be on the list. Still, Hardy has become toxic in Dallas, as more details about his domestic violence case have surfaced, and it’s hard to imagine any team signing him to a big, long-term contract. As for JPP, any potential suitor would have to seriously consider how his injured hand will affect him going forward. He has been solid since returning to the Giants, but he has yet to record a sack in four games this year.

There are at least a couple talented running backs set to hit the market, in Lamar Miller and Doug Martin. But running backs typically don’t make out too well in free agency, so it’s hard to imagine either player landing a DeMarco Murray-type contract — especially after the league has seen how that Murray deal has worked out this year for the Eagles.

What do you think? Does our list look about right to you, or are there changes you’d make? Are there other players on our list of 2016 free agents that you think deserve more consideration for the top 10 or 15 FAs available this winter? Weigh in below with your thoughts!

Community Tailgate: Will Panthers Go 16-0?

As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Several weeks ago, when we surveyed PFR readers on whether the Patriots and Panthers could go undefeated, the general consensus was that New England had a better shot than Carolina at finishing 16-0. Since then, however, the Pats’ injury issues have caught up to them, and the club has lost consecutive games against the Broncos and Eagles.

The Panthers, on the other hand, continue to roll, surviving a Week 13 scare in New Orleans to sneak past the Saints and run their record to 12-0. With four weeks left in the season, the Panthers still have to play the Falcons, the Giants, the Falcons again, and the Bucs — Carolina should be favored in all four games, but each of those teams are fighting for a playoff spot in the NFC, so wins won’t come easy.

At the same time, the Panthers figure to face an interesting decision within the next couple weeks — do they go all-out in an effort to stay undefeated, or do they dial it back and rest some key players if and when they clinch a first-round bye and the NFC’s No. 1 seed?

Today’s discussion question is a two-parter, then. Will the Panthers run the table to finish with a 16-0 record? And should that even be a priority for the team? We’ve seen clubs in the past take the pedal off the gas with a week or two left in the season and have that decision backfire in the playoffs, when the long layoff for key players results in some rust in the divisional round. On the other hand, head coach Ron Rivera and his staff would likely get ripped by media and fans alike if Cam Newton were to go down with an injury in Week 16 or 17, after Carolina had already clinched home-field advantage.

So what do you think? Should the Panthers try to go 16-0 even if they’ve clinched a No. 1 seed with a couple weeks remaining? If they do go for it, will the Panthers be able to get by the Falcons, Giants, and Bucs to go undefeated? And either way, what sort of postseason outcome do you see for Carolina? Weigh in below with your thoughts!