Ben McAdoo - Pro Football Rumors

Giants Could Fire Ben McAdoo After Today’s Game

December 3rd, 2017 at 8:24am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants could fire head coach Ben McAdoo within 24 hours of the team’s game against the Raiders today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.

Less than a month ago, we heard that New York would at least give McAdoo the opportunity to finish out the season, his second as the Giants’ head coach. And that made sense, given the number of injuries the Giants have dealt with this year and the fact that they did make the playoffs in 2016.

But that was before the now infamous benching of Eli Manning. Schefter and Mortensen report that the decision to sit the Giants’ longtime signal-caller could be the “final straw” for McAdoo, which is interesting because team owner John Mara admitted earlier this week that he was the one that suggested to GM Jerry Reese that it could be time to evaluate other quarterbacks. However, per ESPN, it does not sound as if Mara is displeased with the benching itself; he just did not like how McAdoo presented the plan to Manning, whom Mara adores. That underscores McAdoo’s perceived lack of communication skills, which has also manifested itself in his interactions with players like Dominiqiue Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins this year (to say nothing of the team’s lack of offensive creativity in its efforts to overcome its myriad injuries).

Schefter and Mortensen report that Reese’s job security is also quite tenuous (although it seems unlikely that Reese would be fired before the end of the season). If McAdoo is indeed fired, he would be the first Giants coach to be let go before two full seasons since 1930, as James Kratch of NJ.com tweets (Ray Handley was handed a pink slip after he led Big Blue to a 14-18 record in 1991-92, but he at least got to the end of the 1992 season). He would also be the first domino to fall in what is expected to be a busy firing/hiring season, as eight to 10 head coaching jobs could become available.

The Giants have not offered a comment on the ESPN report. Kratch says if McAdoo is fired, offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan is the most likely interim candidate (Twitter link).

Giants Owner John Mara On Eli Manning

November 29th, 2017 at 2:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants’ decision to bench Eli Manning on Sunday ignited a firestorm of controversy in the football world. On Wednesday, owner John Mara addressed reporters directly to discuss the future of the team’s quarterback position as well as the job security of head coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese. Here’s a look at the highlights with all links going to Twitter:

Mara says the Giants “obviously have some decisions to make this offseason” when it comes to the head coach and GM positions (link via Tom Rock of Newsday). Some say that McAdoo has lost control of the locker room, as underscored by the team’s saga with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie earlier this year. Meanwhile, Reese has been criticized for failing to build the team through the draft in recent years.
Mara is adamant that the original plan was for Manning to play on Sunday, but perhaps not for the whole game (link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). However, he says he understands why Manning wasn’t on board and admitted that it probably could have been handled differently.
“I don’t think you should be writing his obituary just yet,” Mara said when asked about Manning’s future in New York (link via Raanan). Still, the Giants have a big decision to make before March 14th, the date that Manning’s $5MM roster bonus comes due.
Mara says he first suggested to Reese a week or two ago that it might be time to look at other quarterbacks (link via Raanan).
Any suggestion that the Giants are tanking is “complete [B.S.],” Mara says (link via James Kratch of NJ.com). A reminder: The Giants are 2-9 and will start Geno Smith under center on Sunday.

Fallout From Eli Manning Benching

November 28th, 2017 at 7:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The second-longest start streak in quarterback history will come to an end after the Giants decided to bench Eli Manning in favor of Geno Smith. This naturally leads to speculation that the 36-year-old quarterback has played his final down with the team. In his Tuesday press conference, Ben McAdoo did not specify the role Jerry Reese and John Mara played in making the move to bench Manning, via Ed Werder (on Twitter). McAdoo merely said all parties were in agreement. The second-year Giants coach also said the team is not considering waiving Manning, who has two years and more than $40MM remaining on his contract. Smith is not under contract beyond 2017.

Here’s more from the Giants cutting the cord on Manning after 210 starts.

Tom Coughlin came out in support of his former quarterback and said he was “very upset” to hear the news Manning had been benched. “My sentiments are totally with Eli Manning,” the Jaguars‘ executive VP said (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, on Twitter). “I love the kid. He is a class act. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion. He is the finest, most humblest young man in that locker room. I haven’t followed the Giants. I know it’s a disappointing year by my thoughts are strictly with Eli. I’m very upset about when I heard that.” This stands to naturally fuel buzz about Manning being a 2018 Jaguars target. Coughlin running the Jags, who can cut bait on Blake Bortles‘ non-guaranteed 2018 option before free agency, and their rebuilt defense thriving makes north Florida a logical fit.
Manning has a no-trade clause in his contract, but after Tuesday’s events, the two-time Super Bowl MVP may be more inclined to waive it for a chance at another starting job. Conor Orr of SI.com lists the Jaguars as a fit, while placing the Broncos and Cardinals as the other top two destinations. The Broncos are in a similar place to the Jags, only with their quarterback woes having removed them from a Super Bowl perch, and the Cardinals will likely again be waiting on a Carson Palmer retirement decision. The Palmer-to-Manning switch would be interesting given that Palmer is only a month older than Manning.
As for a Manning/Coughlin reunion, Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweets the Jags could create $19MM in cap space by cutting Bortles after this season. That option doesn’t become fully guaranteed until Day 5 of the 2018 league year (March 14). Prior to a Bortles cut, the Jags have just more than $30MM in projected 2018 cap space. The Broncos have $32MM-plus, and the Cardinals — with Palmer’s 2018 salary on their books as of now — stand to hold more than $35MM.
This decision was certainly brought down from higher than McAdoo, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes, and the current HC feels like the next scapegoat for the Giants’ woeful season. Reese should be on the chopping block as well, Graziano writes, noting that were that to happen, there would be front office and scouting department turnover as well as a likely McAdoo ouster.
Manning will be due a $5MM roster bonus on March 14 if he’s still on the Giants, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Yates adds the Giants can save $9.8MM if Manning is cut or traded, but they’ll be taking on $12.4MM in that scenario. Manning has a $22.2MM cap figure in 2018 and a $23.2MM number in ’19. Manning’s $10.5MM base salary next season is non-guaranteed.

NFC Notes: Giants, Bradham, Gholston

November 24th, 2017 at 9:16pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Giants coaching questions are now back in full force after the team lost to Washington on Thanksgiving night. There was some reprieve from the consistent rumors after Giants head coach Ben McAdoo beat the Chiefs two weeks ago, but now there is speculation about where the front office may turn if they chose to replace McAdoo at the end of this season.

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY speculated a number potential candidates to replace McAdoo if the team were to move on from the second-year head coach. Vacchiano had a number of former head coaches on his list, which included Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith. He also included big college names that seem a little more like long shots in Stanford head coach David Shaw and Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Up and coming coordinators Teryl Austin and Frank Reich rounded out his list.

New York is a pretty big draw that could get a few more well known coaches to at least consider the position. Plus, the team will have a top pick, solid defense and a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. to build around. More coaching rumors will be popping up as the seasons moves along, but it’s interesting to see what names may be on the radar, even though there’s been no indication that the front office will assuredly to fire McAdoo.

The Giants have dealt with a number of injuries this season. The team has likely lost two more players for the season in cornerback Donte Deayon (fractured forearm) and linebacker Curtis Grant (knee), reports Dan Duggan of NJ Advanced Media. New York has placed seven defenders on IR so far this season, so losing two more depth pieces doesn’t bode well for how competitive the Giants can be in the final six weeks of the regular season.
The Eagles are the best team in the NFL right now, and are in the process of deciding which of their building blocks to lock up for the long haul. The team already agreed to a contract extension with Timmy Jernigan earlier in the month and now may be turning their attention to linebacker Nigel Bradham, opines Jeff McLane of The Inquirer. A former fourth round pick back in 2012, the 28-year-old leads the team in tackles with 56 and ranks as the 33rd best linebacker in football, according to Pro Football Focus. The Eagles have 13 players heading for unrestricted free agency after the season, so they’ll definitely have to make some tough decisions regarding who they want to build around and who they’re willing to let go.
The Buccaneers will likely welcome back William Gholston this Sunday after the defensive end missed the team’s previous two games with a neck injury, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. While the absence seems short when compared to some other more serious injuries, Gholston is thankful that the ailment wasn’t more severe. “The neck is a little worrisome, because you have to think about everything else, think about family and all that,” Gholston said. “They definitely took all of the correct steps. … I’m not glad it happened, but I’m glad they took the right steps for me to get back.” Tampa Bay will try to extend their win streak to three games when travel to Atlanta for a Sunday afternoon matchup.

La Canfora’s Latest: Bills, P. Manning, Giants, Goodell

November 19th, 2017 at 9:21am CST by Rory Parks

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is likely to be an attractive trade chip this offseason due to his relative youth, upside, and athleticism (not to mention his reasonable salary). Taylor is due a $6MM roster bonus in the first week of free agency this March, and even when he inked his current deal, it was speculated that Buffalo could cut Taylor before having to pay out that bonus. So while teams theoretically could wait for the Bills to release Taylor — they did just bench him, after all — La Canfora’s sources indicate that the ability to land him at a reasonable contract and secure his rights for at least 2018 would lead to someone giving Buffalo something of reasonable value.

Indeed, aside from the $6MM roster bonus, Taylor is owed a fairly modest $10MM base salary, and it’s not as if the free agent QB market is likely to set the world on fire. Plus, there will be plenty of teams who are unable to address their QB needs in the draft. La Canfora names the Jaguars, Broncos, Cardinals, and Saints as potential landing spots for Taylor, and he says the Bills will be doing their own homework on the 2018 quarterback draft class. He also says the Bills could continue to look to trade Cordy Glenn this offseason.

Now for more from La Canfora, who has again treated us to a bevy of Sunday morning notes:

Taylor might draw plenty of trade interest this offseason, but La Canfora writes that the Bills had been weighing the decision to start Nathan Peterman over Taylor for weeks, and the team’s slow starts and inability to throw the ball downfield ultimately forced the change.
We have heard plenty of speculation about the Browns‘ desire to bring future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning on board in some sort of high-level capacity, and La Canfora writes that club owner Jimmy Haslam is serious about recruiting Manning and could be willing to offer him a small stake in the team as incentive to take on a team president/top executive role.
Although Giants ownership recently indicated that head coach Ben McAdoo would at least get the opportunity to finish out the season before they make a decision on his future with the club, La Canfora says the club’s evaluation will not be limited to the coaching staff. He believes ownership could also make changes to the personnel side of team operations, suggesting that GM Jerry Reese could be on the hot seat.
La Canfora says that Roger Goodell never demanded $50MM per year and use of a private jet for life as part of his contract extension, as was reported last week. Instead, the structure that Goodell agreed to weeks ago will pay him a base salary of $20MM per year, with a chance to hit $200MM over five years if all incentives are met (Goodell had been earning about $40MM per year under his present contract). His new deal is still awaiting a formal signing/announcement.

Giants To Stick With Ben McAdoo For Now

November 13th, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Ben McAdoo‘s job is safe. At least, until the end of the season. Giants owners John Mara and Steve Tisch released a statement on Monday afternoon that seems to indicate the team will not consider a coaching change until the year is through.

“Ben McAdoo is our head coach and has our support. We are in the midst of an extremely disappointing season. Our performance this year, particularly the past two weeks, is inexcusable and frustrating. While we appreciate that our fans are unhappy with what has occurred, nobody is more upset than we are.

Our plan is to do what we have always done, which is to not offer a running commentary on the season. It is our responsibility to determine the reasons for our poor performance and at the end of the year, we will evaluate the 2017 season in its entirety and make a determination on how we move forward.”

The Giants fell to 1-8 after allowing the Niners to capture their first win of the season on Sunday. One could argue that the Giants fell out of the playoff race when Odell Beckham Jr. suffered his season-ending injury, but the problems appear to run much deeper. Players have been insolent and some have even spoken out against McAdoo anonymously.

It would be a surprise if McAdoo returns as head coach in 2018, but it would be equally surprising to see him sacked in the middle of the season after today’s comments.

Latest on Ben McAdoo’s Job Security

November 12th, 2017 at 8:20pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Giants helped end the 49ers winless season when they lost to the previously defeated team, 31-21, this afternoon. The defeat had many in the media pointing to just how long of a leash head coach Ben McAdoo had as the leader of this team. Obviously, McAdoo is only in his second season on the job, the first of which he led New York to their first playoff birth since their 2012 Super Bowl run. But we all know job security for NFL coaches is a fickle proposition to begin with, and at 1-8, the Giants will have to start to answer these hot seat questions with some regularity until a definitive answer is given.

General manager Jerry Reese chose not to make a comment about his head coach’s job security after today’s loss, reports James Kratch of NJ Advanced Media (Twitter link). It’s not unusual for NFL executives to not comment on specific decisions if those decisions haven’t been made yet, but it’s worth noting that the general manager did not go out of his way to defend his coach either.

On the other end of the spectrum, one of the better players on the team, safety Landon Collins, offered strong words of support for McAdoo. “He needs to be the coach next year,” said the All-pro safety (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post).

While many players didn’t necessarily offer the same type of backing for their head coach, they did express a lot of disappointment with the way things unfolded in San Francisco, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com passed along after the game.

Starting offensive lineman Justin Pugh said of the defeat that, “Lose to an 0-9 team, it doesn’t get much worse than that,” (via Raanan). Star pass rusher Olivier Vernon was even more simple in responding to reporters, calling the loss “embarrassing” (via Raanan).

McAdoo himself didn’t really address his current job situation during his postgame press conference, opting to focus on what unfolded on the field and looking forward to next week.

McAdoo said of his job security that he, “doesn’t have anything to do with anything,” and that he’s not really worried about his hold on his head coach title, according to Raanan (Twitter link).

There’s more smoke then fire here at this point, but with the Giants scuffling almost as much as any team in the NFL, the front office will be facing added pressure to address the situation if the team keeps losing, which seems likely given the lack of key offensive performers Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall along with a defense that has regressed considerably from being on of the league’s best a year ago.

Giants Won’t Make Coaching Change In 2017

November 9th, 2017 at 5:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giant don’t intend to make changes to their coaching staff or front office during the 2017 season, a source tells Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. As such, head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese should be safe until the offseason.

While some New York players have reportedly voiced negative opinions on McAdoo, Giants ownership considers those anonymous comments the “normal griping” that comes with a losing campaign, per Graziano. Whether or not McAdoo has lost the team’s locker room, the Giants want to view the 2017 season as a whole, and won’t make a judgement until the year is complete.

Reese theoretically isn’t guaranteed to keep his job once the season concludes, either, but he’s been with the Giants since 1994 (and been the team’s GM since 2007), which could make a break all the more difficult. But Reese has failed to accrue depth on New York’s roster in recent seasons. The Giants’ front office has a mandate to find the team’s next quarterback, but Reese may not be part of that effort.

East Notes: Giants, McAdoo, McDaniels, Dolphins

November 9th, 2017 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

Has Ben McAdoo lost control of the Giants? Two unnamed players told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that McAdoo is no longer the right coach in New York.

“McAdoo has lost this team,” one of the anonymous players said. “He’s got going 80 percent on Saturdays before we get on a plane to play a game, it’s wild. Changed our off day. He’s dishing out fines like crazy. Suspended two of our stars when we need them most. Throws us under the bus all the time. He’s ran us into the ground and people wonder why we’ve been getting got.”

The Giants are 1-7 heading into Sunday’s game against San Francisco.

Here’s more from the East divisions:

If the Giants fire McAdoo, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY speculates that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be among those considered for the job. If GM Jerry Reese is also canned, the Giants could move to put together an ex-Pats tandem of Scott Pioli and McDaniels. Of course, it will take a lot to lure McDaniels away from New England where he might be the eventual successor to Bill Belichick. Besides McDaniels, Vacchiano lists Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith, Alabama coach Nick Saban, Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, Eagles OC Frank Reich, Stanford coach David Shaw, and Lions DC Teryl Austin as other names to keep in mind.
The Jay Ajayi trade was puzzling to some within the Dolphins organization, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. One Dolphins person who in the locker room frequently said he never saw malcontent behavior from Ajayi.
Practice squad quarterback Brandon Doughty was passed over for a promotion a couple of weeks ago when the Dolphins signed David Fales as a backup. But, the team made it up by giving him a raise from $7,200/week to $15,200/week, Jackson writes. “It was a good raise,” Doughty said, adding he appreciated it. “He put his money where his mouth is. He said he wanted a veteran backup with experience. At the end of the day, you want to be on the 53.” Doughty is in his second year with Miami.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has threatened to sue the NFL over Roger Goodell‘s pending extension.

East Rumors: McCloughan, Giants, Rowe

October 22nd, 2017 at 11:00am CST by Rory Parks

Former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan filed a grievance against Washington for the balance of his contract, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, and in-house litigation is moving forward. The Redskins refused to pay McCloughan after firing him, alleging that they had cause for doing so (which is believed to be McCloughan’s struggles with alcoholism). McCloughan’s contract requires him to file a grievance with the league rather than file suit in an independent court, which is standard among contracts for front-office employees and coaches, who are not represented by a union.

Now let’s take a look at more notes from the league’s east divisions:

James Kratch of NJ.com believes Giants O-lineman Justin Pugh will be looking for $11MM annually when he hits free agency after the season, with around $30MM guaranteed. Kratch adds that Big Blue will be interested in re-signing Orleans Darkwa, who is also a free agent at the end of the year, though the club will not break the bank for him.
Giants head coach Ben McAdoo might have ceded play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, but as Howie Kussoy of the New York Post rights, McAdoo retains “veto power” if he does not approve of a play that Sullivan calls.
Eagles CB Ronald Darby practiced this past week for the first time since the ugly ankle injury that he sustained in Week 1, and while his absence as not hurt Philadelphia yet, the team needs him back on the field. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, there is no exact timetable for Darby’s return to game action, but it should only be a matter of time at this point (though he is not expected to play tomorrow night against Washington).
Patriots CB Eric Rowe is set to miss tonight’s game against Atlanta with a groin injury, meaning he will have played less than 21.6 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com points out, If Rowe plays in more than 50 percent of New England’s defensive snaps this season, the team will send a 2018 third-round draft choice to the Eagles to complete the trade that sent Rowe to the Pats. However, if he plays in fewer than 50 percent of the snaps, New England will send a fourth-rounder to Philadelphia, so it is looking increasingly likely that it will be a fourth-round pick heading the Eagles’ way in 2018.