Christian Hackenberg

AFC East Notes: Bills, Ryan, Jets, McCown

May 3rd, 2017 at 2:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills parted ways with Rex Ryan last December in part because of the coach’s declaration that the season was over when the playoffs were still in reach, Albert Breer of The MMQB writes. Ryan was believed to be on the hot seat in Buffalo, but that incident apparently sealed his fate. Months later, the Bills have a new head coach in Sean McDermott and Ryan has a new job as an analyst for ESPN.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

New Jets quarterback Josh McCown said his understanding is “it’s full competition between the three” QBs currently on the roster, meaning that he’ll duke it out with Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty for the main gig (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). McCown, 38 in July, has $6MM fully guaranteed on his Jets deal. The Cowboys also wanted him, but they didn’t offer nearly as much.
Jets owner Woody Johnson says he will judge his team based on development this season rather than wins and losses, as USA Today’s Andy Vasquez writes. “Really, the way I want to be judged, hopefully from the fans’ standpoint, is just watch how we improve during the year,” Johnson said Tuesday on ESPN Radio. “Look at each individual on the team and if they’re getting better, that’s a mark of progress. That’s what we’re looking for.” That could be good news for coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan since the Jets’ roster is among the worst in the league.
Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler didn’t get the long-term deal that he wanted, but he reported to the team’s voluntary workouts this week.
Dolphins running back Damien Williams wants a raise, but he doesn’t have much leverage.

Jets Notes: QBs, McCown, Catanzaro, Ijalana

March 28th, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets will stage a competition at quarterback in 2017, and Josh McCown, Bryce Petty, and Christian Hackenberg will all be given a chance to win the job, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters, including Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). McCown signed a one-year deal that comes with $6MM guaranteed and $7MM available via incentives, so the 37-year-old has to be considered the favorite in any sort of battle. But Hackenberg, specifically, could be handed a shot to play in 2017 after being selected in the second round of last year’s draft.

Here’s more out of New York:

Bowles would not rule out the possibility of the Jets drafting a quarterback with the sixth overall pick, and as such, is open to keeping four signal-callers on the roster for the second consecutive season, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY and Connor Hughes of NJ.com (Twitter links). Gang Green has been lined to the majority of the quarterbacks at the top of the draft — including Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and DeShone Kizer, and could conceivably land one at No. 6. The Jets have no interest in adding another veteran QB, however.
New York will add competition “from somewhere” for new kicker Chandler Catanzaro, Bowles said, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Without specifics, that means the Jets could add another kicker in free agency, the draft, or in undrafted free agency. Catanzaro, who signed a one-year deal with $250K guaranteed after being cut loose by Arizona, converted only 75% of his field goal attempts in 2016.
After not employing a fullback in 2016 under former offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, the Jets may sign an FB this offseason, per Bowles (Twitter link via Cimini). New play-caller John Morton may want a fullback, as the Saints (Morton’s former employer) used one on roughly a quarter of their plays. New York recently met with free agent fullback Will Johnson.
Offensive lineman Ben Ijalana‘s two-year deal is worth $10.25MM and contains $3MM guaranteed, tweets Cimini. Ijalana, who will play right tackle opposite Kelvin Beachum, will count for $4.25MM on the Jets’ 2017 salary cap before the club decides on a 2018 option worth $6MM.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Floyd, Jets, Bills

March 26th, 2017 at 2:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Now that the Patriots have acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the Saints, fellow pass-catcher Michael Floyd may not be on New England’s radar, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Heading into the offseason, the Patriots reportedly expressed interest in re-signing Floyd, and Floyd himself indicated he’d like to return to the team. But given that he’s pleaded guilty to DUI, Floyd can’t leave the state of Arizona until this summer. By that point, the Patriots (and other clubs) will likely have moved on.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Although he didn’t see the field during his rookie campaign, Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg is expected to get a chance to play in 2017, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. New York’s front office may not view Hackenberg as anything more than long-term backup even after selecting him the second round of last year’s draft, but given that Gang Green doesn’t figure to compete next season, the club might do well to see what it has in Hackenberg. Newly-signed veteran Josh McCown has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons, so Hackenberg (and/or fellow quarterback Bryce Petty) may be forced into duty.
Even if Doug Whaley is forced out as the Bills‘ general manager, Panthers director of player personnel Don Gregory is not expected to be a candidate for the position in Buffalo, Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News tweets. Last week, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tossed out Gregory’s name in relation to a possible Bills vacancy, but the CBS scribe was likely speculating rather than reporting. On paper, Gregory could make sense for the Buffalo position given his ties to Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who was the Panthers’ defensive coordinator from 2011-16.
Under the terms of his new two-year contract, Patriots fullback James Develin can earn $100K for playing 20% of New England’s offensive snaps, and another $100K for playing in 30% of the club’s snaps, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Develin played in 31.3% of New England’s offensive snaps in 2016.

AFC Notes: Jets, Titans, Bills, Raiders

January 5th, 2017 at 9:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While the Jets have two recently drafted quarterbacks on their roster in 2015 fourth-round pick Bryce Petty and 2016 second-rounder Christian Hackenberg, the franchise has little faith in either, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. General manager Mike Maccagnan opined Thursday that Petty has starting-caliber potential, but the organization only regards him as a backup behind the scenes, according to Mehta. Petty struggled mightily this season in his first taste of NFL action, completing 56.4 percent of attempts, tossing three touchdowns against seven interceptions and posting a 60.0 passer rating in parts of six games. Hackenberg wasn’t even active until Week 17, when he backed up Ryan Fitzpatrick, and a team source scoffed at the notion Thursday that the ex-Penn State Nittany Lion could be the Jets’ long-term solution. “He will never make it,” the source told Mehta. “Never.” Although Maccagnan stated that Hackenberg made progress during the season, the executive also implied that the Jets will look for an outside starter, revealing that “all options are on the table.”

More from New York and three other AFC cities:

As a reward for a strong debut season as the Titans’ GM, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk decided Thursday to make Jon Robinson the second-highest-ranking member of the organization. Robinson is now the team’s executive vice president/GM after helping the Titans go from three wins in 2015 to nine victories this season. “This is an acknowledgement of his work and it puts him on equal footing with others in the league who direct football operations,” Strunk said in a statement (via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).
Woody Johnson could be under consideration to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom when President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month, but the Jets’ owner downplayed it as speculation Thursday, per the Associated Press. If chosen, Johnson would reportedly hand control of the Jets over to his brother until the appointment ends.
Bills linebacker and pending free agent Zach Brown posted a message Thursday on Instagram referring to his time in Buffalo in the past tense, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com points out (on Twitter). After spending the first three years of his career in Tennessee, Brown signed a modest deal with the Bills last April. The 27-year-old then emerged as a major bargain, playing 16 games for the fourth time in a row and totaling an AFC-high 149 tackles to go with four sacks and two forced fumbles. Brown, whom Pro Football Focus graded an impressive 17th among 89 qualified linebackers, should fare much better on the open market this offseason.
The Raiders are still optimistic that Matt McGloin will be able to serve as the primary backup to Connor Cook in Saturday’s wild-card game round game in Houston, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. “Moxy,” who’s dealing with a shoulder injury, got some light work in Wednesday.
The Jets worked out Olympic sprinter Tre Houston on Thursday, writes Mehta. Houston competed in the 200 meters for Bermuda at the 2016 Rio Games and projects as a wide receiver.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Rams, 49ers, Jets, Draft

December 27th, 2016 at 9:41pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Rams owner Stan Kroenke only relocated the franchise from St. Louis to Los Angeles last winter, but his plan to swap Missouri for California went back several years, ex-head coach Jeff Fisher told ESPN Radio (via Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). On taking the Rams’ head coaching job in 2012, Fisher recalled, “I decided on L.A., or St. Louis, at the time, knowing that there was going to be a pending move.”

AFC Notes: Browns, Chiefs, Hackenberg, Jets

December 22nd, 2016 at 9:36pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Browns cornerback Joe Haden will play the final two games of the season and then undergo surgery to repair both groin muscles in early January, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Haden anticipates a two-month recovery time and will “for sure” be ready for offseason workouts, he told Cabot. The two-time Pro Bowler (and 2016 Pro Bowl alternate) has played through groin injuries for a large portion of the year, which would at least partially explain why his overall performance ranks just 97th among 121 qualifying corners at Pro Football Focus. Haden, 27, also started the year behind the 8-ball after undergoing ankle surgery last March, which prevented him from participating in offseason workouts and delayed his training camp debut until August.

Here’s more from the AFC:

If the Chiefs hadn’t brought linebacker Justin March-Lillard back from IR on Wednesday, running back Jamaal Charles likely would’ve been cleared to practice next week and play in January, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Charles theoretically could have been a playoff weapon for the Chiefs, though they apparently didn’t think he’d have contributed enough to justify bringing back this season. The four-time Pro Bowler has played in just eight games (three this year) dating back to last season because of knee issues, including a torn right ACL. Further, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star explained Wednesday, the Chiefs’ linebacker corps took a hit when Derrick Johnson suffered a ruptured Achilles earlier this month and March-Lillard could help fill his void.
“It’s possible” Jets rookie quarterback Christian Hackenberg will dress against the Patriots on Saturday, head coach Todd Bowles stated Thursday (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). The Jets used a second-round pick on Hackenberg in last spring’s draft, but – despite ugly performances by fellow signal-callers Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bryce Petty – he hasn’t been active this season. Bowles didn’t rule out playing Hackenberg, who would be a third-stringer, but it would take unfortunate circumstances. “If we get down to the third quarterback, we’re probably getting killed in the first place,” Bowles said.
Jets special teams coach Brant Boyer is only in his first year with the team, but his job is already in jeopardy, writes Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday. New York has the worst special teams unit in the NFL, per Football Outsiders, and gave up a blocked punt that the Dolphins returned for a touchdown in a 34-13 romp over the Jets last week. In their previous meeting with Miami, a 27-23 loss in Week 9, the Jets allowed a 96-yard kick return TD to Kenyan Drake with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter. That proved to be the game-winning score, and it sent the Jets to 3-6 when they had an opportunity to climb closer to the .500 mark. “It has been a frustrating year,” Boyer told Martin. “There have been some injuries, But there is no excuse for me. It’s my job to get these kids ready. We’ll get it done.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Draft, Kelce, Jets, Patriots

December 17th, 2016 at 9:14am CST by Ben Levine

The Browns and Titans have done an admirable job of setting themselves up well for the upcoming draft, writes ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. Cleveland acquired three extra draft picks this season, and they’re guaranteed to have at least two picks in each of the first four rounds. Despite the fact that the 2017 draft is expected to feature weak quarterback offerings, Seifert believes the Browns could still select a signal-caller with one of their many picks.

Meanwhile, the Titans have the Rams’ first-round and third-round picks in this year’s draft, and the presence of Marcus Mariota means they won’t have to reach for a quarterback. In total, the team will have eight picks, including five in the first three rounds.

Let’s check out some other notes from the AFC…

Travis Kelce is having a career season, but the Chiefs‘ tight end can’t help but wonder whether he’d be a bigger star in a larger market. “I talk to my manager about that a lot and it is what it is,” Kelce said on PFT Live (via ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio). “I mean it kind of played a part in terms of branching out into the TV world for me. It’s one of those things where you just kind of, you come out of the draft, you just want to be as marketable as possible I think. That’s one of the things about the NFL is that you have small-market teams, big-market teams. I feel like the bigger market teams do kind of have an advantage in terms of off-the-field money. I think when you have big-time businesses around that want to be part of the sports community and the athletic community it’s a huge advantage in the bigger markets. So without a doubt.”
The drafting of another quarterback would just confirm that the Jets are “clueless,” writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. By selecting a quarterback, general manager Mike Maccagnan would be acknowledging that he blew the Christian Hackenberg pick, and Cimini adds that it’s way too early to give up on the rookie. The writer does note that the Panthers followed a similar path in 2011, when they bailed on former second-rounder Jimmy Clausen in favor of rookie Cam Newton. Of course, as Cimini points out, there’s no Cam Newton-type talent in this year’s draft.
Patriots practice squad linebacker Trevor Bates saw his salary increased to $18K a week, reports ESPN’s Mike Reiss (via Twitter). For reference, minimum salary for practice squad players is $6.9K a week. The University of Maine product was a seventh-round pick in this past year’s draft, but he was cut by the Colts in mid-October.

Jets Notes: Hackenberg, Garoppolo, Raymond

December 2nd, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have a lot of questions to answer at the quarterback position and, at the same time, there are lots of question marks about second-round pick Christian Hackenberg. Hackenberg hasn’t played in any games this season and remains something of a mystery to the Jets.

“I think he’s a developmental player at this point, and there is a lot of talent there. The sky is the limit. But we don’t know yet,” offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said (via Darryl Slater of NJ.com).

Gailey says that Hackenberg has grown in practice, but it is strange that he has not been mentioned as an option in a year where three other QBs have started for the Jets. The Jets could go in a number of directions this offseason, but elevating Hackenberg to starter probably isn’t a viable option.

Here’s more on the Jets:

Jimmy Garoppolo would be the perfect quarterback for the Jets, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick would never let Gang Green have him, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News opines. Garoppolo is expected to be dangled this offseason and could fetch a high price for the Pats in a trade. However, the Patriots know better than to let their divisional rivals get a promising 25-year-old quarterback. As Mehta notes, Garoppolo’s value is enhanced by an uninspiring 2017 quarterback draft class that will likely include Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Clemson’s DeShaun Watson. Also helping his value is that he is due to make only $820K in 2017. In 2018, the team that has him could apply the franchise tag and hold off on giving him an expensive long-term deal.
The Jets tried to sign wide receiver Kalif Raymond off of the Broncos’ practice squad last week, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. To keep him, Denver bumped his salary. Then, today, they promoted him to the 53-man roster.
Yesterday, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis responded to the retirement rumors surrounding him.

East Notes: Jets, Bennett, D-Jax

November 13th, 2016 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from around the league as Week 10 gets underway in full force:

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com does not believe Jets head coach Todd Bowles will be fired at season’s end, but that does not mean that there will be no changes to the coaching staff. Cimini writes that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, for instance, will almost certainly be on the hot seat.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that, prior to signing his mega-deal this past offseason, Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson sat down with Bowles to discuss his past disciplinary issues. During that meeting, Wilkerson vowed to behave and assured Bowles that he understood the responsibility that comes along with such a lucrative contract, which makes last week’s letdown all the more disturbing (Twitter links). Wilkerson’s 2016 numbers are already down, and a floundering Jets team cannot afford for him to be a disappointment both on and off the field.
Bryce Petty will be getting the start for the Jets today, largely because Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s knee is not quite game-ready. However, Fitzpatrick is serving as Petty’s backup today, while Christian Hackenberg is inactive. That decision shows just how raw Hackenberg really is; as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets, it is clear that the Jets view an injured Fitzpatrick as a better option than a healthy Hackenberg.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that, when the Patriots acquired tight end Martellus Bennett this offseason, the two sides explored a scenario that would have added a year on to Bennett’s existing contract. However, no agreement was reached, and Bennett will consequently become part of New England’s large free agent class at season’s end.
DeSean Jackson is out this week with a rotator cuff injury, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Redskins wideout is likely to miss at least next week’s game as well. Rapoport’s source says that Jackson’s prognosis is “not good.”
Earlier today, we examined the quarterback dilemmas of the Jets and Cowboys.

Jets Could Make Quarterback Change

October 18th, 2016 at 9:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Jets head coach Todd Bowles pulled Ryan Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter of the team’s 28-3 loss to the Cardinals on Monday, but he gave the veteran quarterback a vote of confidence after the game.

“Fitz will be back next week … It definitely wasn’t Fitz’s fault. He barely had any time to throw,” said Bowles, whose team dropped to 1-5 (via NFL.com).

Bowles was far less definitive on Wednesday, indicating that he and his staff will decide on a starting signal-caller for Week 7 at a Tuesday night meeting, per Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.

That could open the door for backup Geno Smith to grab the reins from Fitzpatrick against the Ravens this Sunday. The 2013 second-round pick has been ineffective throughout his NFL career, though, and that continued Monday. After taking over late in the game, Smith completed 4 of 6 passes for 31 yards and an interception. In 32 games (29 starts), the ex-West Virginia star has tossed 36 picks against 27 touchdowns.

Despite his poor track record, Smith told ESPN’s Lisa Salters before the Jets’ loss to the Cardinals that he was “getting antsy” to play.

Bowles addressed that Tuesday, saying that he doesn’t “have any thoughts on backup players saying anything. They’re backups for a reason. but Bowles liked what he saw Monday. If they get a chance to play, they’d better prove themselves to be worthy of playing regardless of who they are.”

That’s a strong statement, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes, but Bowles did credit Smith for his brief appearance in relief of Fitzpatrick.

“(Smith) did show some promise when he was in there. He understood the game plan. He did good for the drive he was in there (for),” Bowles stated Tuesday (via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com).

Smith is in a contract year, so another chance to start for the 26-year-old would likely represent make-or-break time for his tenure with the Jets. Otherwise, the team also has two more recent draft picks – 2015 fourth-rounder Bryce Petty and rookie second-rounder Christian Hackenberg – on hand. Bowles revealed Tuesday that going to either of them sometime this season is “definitely possible.”

Having to use any of their reserve signal-callers obviously isn’t what the playoff-hopeful Jets had in mind entering the season. Thanks in part to a career year from Fitzpatrick, Gang Green went 10-6 and narrowly missed out on a wild-card berth last season. After a months-long offseason tug of war over a contract with Fitzpatrick, then a free agent, the Jets brought the journeyman back on a one-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $12MM in July. The 34-year-old now sits toward the bottom of the league in most notable passing categories, including last-place rankings in interceptions (11) and QB rating (63.4).

Although Fitzpatrick’s Jets career is on track to end after the season, he’ll still count $5MM against their salary cap in 2017.

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