HEADLINES

PFR Polls News & Rumors

Poll: Where Will Adam Gase Land?

January 1st, 2015 at 10:35pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned earlier tonight that the Bills requested an interview with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their surprisingly vacant head coach position. Gase, who also has interviews scheduled with the 49ers, Falcons, and Bears, is quickly establishing himself as perhaps the most sought-after head coaching candidate in the NFL, and the interest in his services is understandable. In each of his two seasons as Denver’s offensive coordinator, Gase has guided the Broncos’ prolific offense to top-three finishes in Pro Football Outsider’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average metric, and top-four finishes in total points scored (the Broncos were the top-ranked team in both categories in 2013).

Of course, having Peyton Manning and a wide array of elite playmakers at one’s disposal will bolster the resume of any offensive coordinator, but that has not slowed the heavy pursuit of Gase. Given the amount of interest in the 36-year-old, it appears as though head coach John Fox will be replacing his top offensive assistant for the second time in two years, having lost Mike McCoy to division rival San Diego in 2013.

Each member of Gase’s ever-growing list of suitors would present a unique challenge for him, although the San Francisco and Atlanta positions would at least offer the comfort of having a settled quarterback situation, unlike the uncertainty that Buffalo and Chicago face under center. However, no team with a head coaching vacancy offers a quarterback with Manning’s pedigree or the complement of weapons that Denver has boasted over the past several seasons, which will allow Gase the opportunity to prove that he is the offensive architect that much of the league apparently believes him to be. Indeed, Gase was rumored to be the top candidate for the Browns‘ head coaching job last year, before Cleveland ultimately hired Mike Pettine. At the time, however, the Broncos were in the middle of Super Bowl preparations, which allowed Gase to artfully sidestep an undesirable landing spot in Cleveland.

This year, though, figures to see Gase at the helm of his own club, so without knowing which team or teams will ultimately offer him a head coaching position, let’s take a guess at where he might find himself in 2015:

Poll: What Could 49ers Get For Harbaugh?

December 25th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve seen plenty of reports that suggest that 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh is on his way out the door. Of course, the 51-year-old is still under contract, but it seems like the organization would be happiest trading Harbaugh for some future assets. The 49ers would certainly get something useful for the former AP Coach of the Year, but what could they reasonably expect to get in return?

Daniel Brown of InsideBayArea.com looked back at some of the previous coach trades in NFL history, and the compensation has hardly been consistent. Since 1997, six coaches have been traded for a variety of different picks:

  • Herm Edwards; Jets received a fourth-round pick from Chiefs
  • Jon Gruden; Raiders received two first-rounders, two-second rounders, and $8MM from Buccaneers
  • Dick Vermeil; Rams received a second-round pick, third-round pick, and $500K from Chiefs
  • Marty Schottenheimer; Chiefs received two third-rounders from Washington
  • Bill Belichick; Jets received a first-round pick and opportunity to swap picks from Patriots
  • Bill Parcells; Patriots received first-rounder, second-rounder and fourth-rounder from Jets

There appears to be three tiers of compensation for these trades: multiple first-rounders, a first-rounder and mid-round picks, and a collection of mid-round picks. The various trade packages depended on much more than the coach’s resume, but it’s interesting to compare Harbaugh’s credentials to those before him.

Half of the coaches were given away for middle-round picks, including Schottenheimer, who had compiled a .635 winning percentage in Kansas City, and Vermeil, who had won a Super Bowl only two years prior. Parcells had previously won a pair of championships when he was traded for a first-round pick, but Belichick had only put together a 36-44 when he was swapped for a first-rounder.

The real king’s ransom was the package that the Raiders received from the Buccaneers, which got them a pair of first-rounders and a pair of second-rounders. At the time, Gruden had a 38-26 record and two playoff appearances. Meanwhile, Harbaugh has a 43-19-1 regular season record, and he’s already coached his team to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship appearances.

There’s a chance that the 49ers could end up with no compensation for their head coach. The team could ultimately decide to relieve Harbaugh of his duties, and such a move would likely precede the head coach moving to the NCAA. There’s also a chance that the two sides could improve their relationship and Harbaugh decides to stick around.

What do you think the 49ers could expect to get back for Harbaugh? Vote in the poll below, and feel free to discuss potential packages in the comment section.

Poll: Which Team Will Win NFC South?

December 20th, 2014 at 6:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2014 NFL schedule saw the NFC South plays its inter-conference games against the four AFC North teams, and the three clubs still in the hunt for the NFC South crown didn’t fare so well in those games against the AFC — the Falcons, Saints, and Panthers have combined to go 1-9-1 against the Bengals, Ravens, Steelers, and Browns.

Nonetheless, at least one of those AFC North teams – and perhaps more than one – will be left out of the postseason, and at least one team from the NFC South will host a playoff game. The 6-8 Saints, 5-8-1 Panthers, and 5-9 Falcons continue to vie for a division that could end up being won with just seven – or even six – victories.

With two weeks left in the season, the third-place Falcons are the key team in the race. Atlanta, already 4-0 in divisional games, plays both the Saints and the Panthers to finish the regular season, and if the Falcons win both contests, they’ll win the NFC South with a 7-9 record. Still, that won’t be easy — the Saints haven’t been their usual dominant selves in the Superdome this season, but they still enter tomorrow’s game as solid favorites over Atlanta, and then would just have to defeat the South’s last-place team (Tampa Bay) in Week 17 to clinch the division. In fact, a Week 16 win could guarantee New Orleans a division title if the Panthers don’t keep pace with a victory of their own against the Browns.

The Saints look like the current frontrunners, but the Falcons control their fate, and the Panthers’ tie means they could finish a half-game ahead of their division rivals and not have to worry about tiebreaker scenarios. What do you think? Which of these teams wins the South and hosts a first-round playoff game?

Poll: Which NFC Contender Will Miss Playoffs?

December 5th, 2014 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Six teams in the NFC so far this season have won at least two-thirds of their games, and head into Week 14 with records of 8-4 or better. Besides the 7-5 Niners, every other team in the conference is 5-7 or worse, suggesting that the difference between the eventual playoff teams and the rest of the NFC has been fairly well established.

However, the postseason qualifiers won’t be quite so cut-and-dried, since the dismal NFC South must send at least one of its current sub-.500 teams to the playoffs. That means that when the regular season ends, one of those top six teams in the conference will be left on the outside looking in.

Even outside of the South, where the Falcons and Saints are tied at 5-7, division races across the board remain too close to call — the 9-3 Eagles are edging the 9-4 Cowboys, the 9-3 Packers are a game ahead of the 8-4 Lions, and the 9-3 Cardinals are in danger of losing their division lead to the surging 8-4 Seahawks. With Eagles/Seahawks, Eagles/Cowboys, Seahawks/Cardinals, and Packers/Lions contests still on the schedule, the last few weeks of the season will be very interesting. Five non-South playoff spots are up for grabs and six legit contenders are in the mix (seven, if you count the 49ers).

What do you think? Will the Cowboys have their usual December swoon and miss out on a postseason berth? Will the Cardinals’ losing streak continue? Will the Lions, despite upcoming home games against the Bucs and Vikings, be the team that misses out? Or will one of the other clubs currently occupying a playoff spot drop out? Cast your vote below, and feel free to weigh in with your comments as well.

Poll: Which Team Will Draft First In 2015?

November 29th, 2014 at 11:06pm CST by Luke Adams

This afternoon, our Rob DiRe took an early look at some of the teams that will have picks near the top of the 2015 draft, noting which of those clubs may be interested in snagging a quarterback. Before we can comfortably project where top college signal-callers like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston might land though, we’ll need to figure out exactly how the 2015 draft order will look.

The 2014 season still features a number of teams in the hunt for division titles or Wild Card spots, with a chance that a club in each conference could win 10 games and still not make the postseason. Conversely, with plenty of teams piling up wins, there are several cellar-dwellers racking up loss after loss this year. Of course, by NFL rules, the teams with the worst records pick first in the following year’s draft, with strength of schedule breaking ties — the team that faced the easier schedule receives the higher pick.

After knocking off the Chiefs earlier this month, the Raiders head into Week 13 with a 1-10 record, matching the 1-10 Jaguars for the league’s worst mark. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap lays out, Oakland has faced a much trickier schedule than Jacksonville, meaning the Jags currently project to land the first overall pick.

Still, the Jags have a handful of winnable games left on their schedule, including two contests against Houston and home games against the Giants and Titans. The Raiders face a tougher slate, but have been playing better ball recently, and should be competitive in games against the Rams and Bills — Week 17’s contest in Denver could also get a lot easier if the Broncos aren’t playing for postseason seeding at that point.

Of course, the race for the first overall pick includes more teams than just Oakland and Jacksonville. The Buccaneers, Jets, and Titans are all 2-9, and with games still remaining against the Jets and Jags, the Titans’ performance down the stretch could go a long way to determining the draft’s top five. The Buccaneers, with a .469 overall strength of schedule (per OTC), are also in position to sneak into that No. 1 overall spot if they struggle down the stretch — of Tampa Bay’s five remaining games, three are against legit playoff contenders (Bengals, Lions, Packers), while two are against clubs still hoping to win the NFC South (Panthers, Saints). If the Bucs don’t win another game, and the Raiders and Jags do, it would almost certainly give Tampa Bay the first overall pick next spring.

So what do you think? Which of these also-rans will finish in the NFL’s basement and get the first shot at top college talent in the 2015 draft? Which team will land the No. 1 overall pick?

Poll: Cowboys’ Running Back Options For 2015

November 23rd, 2014 at 7:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

As DeMarco Murray continues to rack up big yardage behind the Cowboys’ offensive line, much thought has been given to the team’s future plans at the position. While Murray is in the middle of an extravagant campaign that will put him on the short list for Offensive Player of the Year, he is a free agent after this season and will likely be looking for a long-term contract with guaranteed money.

The team has already made an effort to keep him, offering him a four-year deal earlier this season. The two sides were unable to agree, and Murray has played out the year on his rookie deal.

Murray’s leverage has since been complicated, as the prospect of other high-profile backs hitting the open market became more likely. Seahawks‘ star Marshawn Lynch is a candidate to be released this offseason, despite no signs of immediate decline in his performance in Seattle. He is an older back and carries a price tag that the Seahawks may be unwilling to pay, but could accept a modest deal elsewhere if the right opportunity calls.

Things change quickly, but signs point to this being his final season with the team. A player like Lynch could cut into the team’s need for Murray.

An even better fit could be Adrian Peterson, who has a future similarly in flux with the Vikings. Peterson admitted that he might be better off with a fresh start when he returns to the field following his suspension concerning his legal troubles. Peterson had been linked to the Cowboys before, and now with his tempered value and chance of being released, the connection could come to fruition.

Of the three players, Peterson might actually be the top target this offseason over Murray should he come available. Peterson’s unique talent could vault him to the top of many team’s wish list, as long as they are willing to deal with the off-field controversy.

Peterson may be a top commodity for many teams if he is available, but his counterpart in offseason controversy could be a low-risk high-reward backup plan. Ray Rice‘s play dropped off before being suspended and released by the Ravens, but the lack of clamor for his services could lead him to a team on a short-term deal without guaranteed money. With his fresh legs after the year off, a return to his 2012 form could yield high dividends for his next employer.

If all four of the players are available this offseason, which player would be the best runner for the money, whether with the Cowboys or another team in search of a star halfback?

Poll: Will Blount Be With Pats In 2015?

November 20th, 2014 at 5:53pm CST by Zachary Links

While running back Ben Tate had little trouble finding a home, no team in the NFL was willing to add LeGarrette Blount to their roster at his sticker price when he was let go by the Steelers. The talented but troubled tailback signed a two-year, $3.85MM deal with the Steelers in March but his time as Le’Veon Bell‘s understudy came to an end after he left the field before the end of Sunday’s game against the Titans. There were several teams with a need for an RB like Blount but it’s safe to say that teams were scared off by his troubled history.

A quick refresher of Blount’s resume, for those that don’t remember. While at Oregon in 2009, Blount punched a Boise State player in a face following a 19-8 loss, putting him on the national map for all the wrong reasons. In 2010, he signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent, but found himself in a training camp skirmish with a teammate. In August of this year, Blount and Bell were arrested for marijuana possession while in a car together. The early walk-off was apparently the final straw for the Steelers, but the timing of the move leads one to believe that they have been fed up with Blount for some time. Of course, somewhere in the middle of all of that, Blount looked the part of a superstar in Tampa Bay for some time and proved to be a very effective power back for the Patriots during his first New England stint in 2013.

Now, Blount has circled back to the Pats and even though his two-year deal probably doesn’t carry much in the way of guaranteed dollars for 2015, the Pats are probably looking at him as more than a patch-in addition. Blount joins a crowded backfield that features Brandon Bolden, James White, new breakout Jonas Gray, and Shane Vereen with Stevan Ridley on injured reserve. However, with Ridley, Vereen, and Bolden are all set to hit the open market this offseason, there could certainly be room for Blount in New England’s future plans.

The Patriots are obviously familiar with Blount’s problems but the fact that they have a history with him and were willing to sign him anyway says a lot about their experience with him. Do you expect the former Oregon star to remain with the Patriots next season?

Poll: Ben Tate Vs. LeGarrette Blount

November 19th, 2014 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

Last March, heading into free agency, Ben Tate and LeGarrette Blount were viewed as two of the more intriguing options available on the running back market. Tate, who had been Arian Foster‘s No. 2 in Houston for years, drew comparisons to Michael Turner, another longtime backup who finally got a shot at a lead role when he reached free agency. Blount, meanwhile, was coming off a surprisingly stellar campaign with the Patriots, which included a 166-yard, four-touchdown outburst against the Colts in the postseason.

Eight months later, both players are on waivers, having been released by their respective teams yesterday. In Cleveland, rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell surpassed Tate on the depth chart, which didn’t sit well with the veteran, who publicly griped about his role. The same can be said of Blount, who left the field early, apparently upset about his lack of playing time, during the Steelers’ Monday night win over the Titans as Le’Veon Bell rumbled to over 200 yards on the ground.

Given the way things ended in Cleveland and Pittsburgh for Tate and Blount, teams should have concerns about signing either player as a backup — the impact on the locker room may not be worth it for a contending team, even if it means adding more talent to its backfield. That’s likely why we’ve mostly heard reports about teams with no interest in either player since they were waived yesterday. The Broncos, Cardinals, and Jaguars are among the clubs who have been ruled out as possible destinations for the two backs, and the Browns and Steelers are uninterested in one another’s castoffs.

Still, there are rumblings that Tate, at least, won’t make it through waivers, and I’d be a little surprised if Blount didn’t find work for the rest of the year. It seems likely that both players will get another shot, so today’s poll question asks: Which player would you rather take a flier on? Or are neither of them worth the hassle? After casting your vote, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Poll: Best Head Coaching Candidates

November 14th, 2014 at 11:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Colts‘ offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and Browns‘ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have accomplished plenty on their offenses this season, with each team currently leading its current division through nine games. Those performances could lead to big paydays as head coaches next season.

They are not the only coordinators being rumored for head coaching jobs. Giants‘ offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has been talked about as a possible successor for Tom Coughlin. Broncos‘ offensive coordinator Adam Gase could follow the path of his predecessor, Mike McCoy, who jumped from a record-setting Peyton Manning-led offense to the top job for the Chargers.

The defending champion Seahawks have taken a step back from last season, but the market may not have cooled on both of their coordinators. Both offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn have both been talked about as head coaching candidates, with particular interest coming from the Jets if general manager John Idzik is retained in New York and head coach Rex Ryan is fired.

Todd Bowles has helped put together a great defense in Arizona, as the Cardinals have gone 8-1 despite injuries on the defense. Lions‘ defensive coordinator Teryl Austin could be in a similar position, as his team is currently leading it’s division based on the strength of the defense.

Add to the mix the possibility of Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher returning to the sidelines, or even the possibility of a college coach like David Shaw of Stanford jumping to the NFL, and teams will have a number of options should they decide to pursue a new coach in 2015. That list does not include the head coaches that will lose their jobs at the end of the season, a number of them will hit the open market with impressive records of success. That list could include Ryan, Mike Smith, and Jim Harbaugh, among others.

Poll: Which Team Will Win AFC North?

November 11th, 2014 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Coming into the season, the AFC North was expected to be one of the league’s more competitive divisions, with the Bengals viewed as the slight favorites and the Ravens and Steelers expected to challenge Cincinnati for the top spot. However, through 10 weeks, the division as a whole has significantly outperformed expectations. Not only are the three aforementioned clubs still in the hunt for the AFC North title, but the upstart Browns are actually leading the way with a 6-3 record.

Of course, while Cleveland may be clinging to the division lead now, the team could also be a week or two away from falling to last place. With the Bengals at 5-3-1 and the Steelers and Ravens both at 6-4, all four teams in the North are separated by just a half-game. As the league noted on the weekend (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala), it’s the first time since 1935 that every team in an NFL division is at least two games over .500.

With all four teams bunched up and seven weeks still to play, it’s anyone’s division, and there’s no clear-cut favorite to earn a home playoff game. Even Vegas is at a loss when it comes to picking a frontrunner — betting site Bovada.lv gives Baltimore, Cleveland, and Cincinnati equal odds to finish in first place, while Pittsburgh is a very marginal underdog.

The Bengals may have the most challenging remaining schedule, with five of seven contests on the road, including this weekend in New Orleans and Week 17 in Pittsburgh. But each North team has one difficult stretch of games still on its schedule — the Ravens play the Saints, Chargers, and Dolphins following their bye; the Browns host the Colts and have road games in Atlanta, Buffalo, and Baltimore, all difficult places to win; and the Steelers still face the Saints and Chiefs, as well as the Bengals twice.

So what do you think? Will the Bengals repeat as division champs? Will the Ravens or Steelers knock them off? Or will the Browns be this year’s surprise division winner?

Load More Posts