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NFL Front Office Rumors: Bears, Panthers, Falcons, Titans, Cowboys

June 9th, 2023 at 9:44pm CST by Ely Allen

A number of teams have made some recent adjustments to their front office staff. The Bears are one of those teams, making adjustments to both their scouting and analytics staffs, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.

On the scouting side, Chicago named Drew Raucina as an area scout and Ryan Weese as a combine scout. Raucina was previously the team’s combine scout. He’s been with the Bears since 2018, starting as a scouting assistant and working his way up. Weese moves into the newly open combine scout role after joining the staff last year as a scouting assistant. Before coming to Chicago, Weese held a role at Montana State.

In analytics, the Bears announced Ryan Hubley as a football research analyst. Hubley joined the team last year as a football systems developer working under director of football analytics Krithi Chandrakasan. It sounds like he’ll remain in that department in an adjusted role.

Here are a few other front office changes from around the league:

  • The Panthers are another one of the above-mentioned teams, making several adjustments to their scouting staff, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt. After coming to Carolina two years ago from Washington as the new director of college scouting, Cole Spencer has been promoted to director of player personnel, where he’ll work alongside recently hired vice president of player personnel Adrian Wilson, who will focus on pro scouting while Spencer retains his focus on college scouting. Former assistant director of college scouting Jared Kirksey will fill Spencer’s old role as college scouting director. Kirksey joined the team in 2021 as an area scout. Formerly the Southwest scout, Eli Montague will now cover the Southeast area, with Corey Fuller moving from the West area to cover the Southwest. Scouting intern Caden McCloughan and scouting assistant Jordan Trgovac have been promoted to area scouts, and former safety Juston Burris will be a scouting intern for the team this year. McCloughan will cover the West and Trgovac the Mid-Atlantic.
  • Two Falcons scouts will be changing roles this year, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Former player personnel coordinator Rushell Harvey will now serve as the team’s Northeast area scout. Additionally, Ben Martinez, who has worked as a scout for the BLESTO service, will now be a pro scout for Atlanta. Both joined the Falcons in 2021. Lastly, Stratton also informs us that the team has parted ways with Peniel Jean, Atlanta’s former pro scout. Jean joined the team in 2017 and had served his most recent role for four years.
  • The Titans will have a new name atop their analytics department after hiring Sarah Bailey as director of football research and development. Bailey comes over from Los Angeles, where she started in 2017 as a football analyst for the Rams before being promoted to manager – football analytics in 2020.
  • Lastly, the Cowboys have added a new name to their front office, as well. After serving as director of football research for the Colts since 2016, John Park heads to Dallas to serve as director of strategic football operations, according to ESPN’s Seth Walder.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Elflein, Falcons

August 3rd, 2022 at 9:49am CST by Sam Robinson

A potential Alvin Kamara suspension does not appear to be coming to start the 2022 season. The Saints running back’s hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit battery and battery with substantial bodily harm, which was scheduled for this week, has been delayed 60 days, according to KLAS-TV’s David Charns. Kamara, Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons and two other men face charges in connection with a Feb. 5 assault committed against a man in Las Vegas. The Saints Pro Bowler is bracing for a six-game suspension, but depending on when this hearing ends up taking place, that potential ban may come either during the 2022 season or to start the ’23 campaign.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Tyrann Mathieu is back with the Saints. The offseason addition is making his training camp debut six days late after being excused for a personal matter, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Signed to a three-year deal worth $28.3MM, Mathieu is believed to have returned to New Orleans on Tuesday night. The 29-year-old All-Pro joins Marcus Maye as the safeties on track to replace the Marcus Williams–Malcolm Jenkins tandem.
  • Pat Elflein has played both guard and center for the Panthers, but Matt Rhule said recently the veteran will be working at the latter spot during training camp. Elflein is battling the recently signed Bradley Bozeman for the center gig. Despite Bozeman being one of the team’s offseason additions up front, along with projected starters Austin Corbett and Ikem Ekwonu, The Athletic’s Joe Person noted ahead of camp Elflein had a slight lead for the pivot job (subscription required). A former Vikings center starter, Elflein signed a three-year, $13.5MM deal with the Panthers in 2021. He started nine games with Carolina last season, though Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s worst interior O-linemen.
  • The Panthers made some changes to their scouting department recently. They bumped Rob Hanrahan from assistant director of pro scouting to pro scouting director and gave his old gig to Tyler Ramsey, Person tweets. Hanrahan will replace Matt Allen, whom the team parted ways with in February. Additionally, Robert Haynes will rise from the area-scout level to a national scouting post, and former Lions wide receiver Corey Fuller — brother of Kyle and Kendall Fuller — is moving from the assistant level to west coast area scout (Twitter link).
  • Jahri Evans and Ty Warren are attempting to break into the coaching ranks. Both are interning as Saints staffers at camp, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A 12-year veteran who made four straight All-Pro teams as a Saints guard, Evans, 38, hung up his cleats after the 2017 season. Warren, 41, spent 10 seasons with the Patriots and Broncos, being a starting defensive lineman for two Pats Super Bowl-bound squads. He retired after the 2012 season.
  • The Falcons also made some staff adjustments. They promoted Sal Conti to pro scout and Rushell Harvey to player personnel coordinator, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Both staffers joined the team last year under GM Terry Fontenot. The team also hired Donavan Ellison, previously a Panthers assistant, to work as a football analyst.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/7/17

November 7th, 2017 at 7:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

  • Promoted to active roster: DT Joey Mbu
  • Placed on injured reserve: WR Quan Bray
  • Waived: C Dillon Day

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Saints Reach 53-Man Roster Limit

September 2nd, 2017 at 10:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Every team had to get under the 53-man limit by Saturday’s deadline, but the Saints were the last to publicly announce their cuts. Here’s the full rundown of their moves:

Waived:

Released:

IR:

The Saints re-signed Cadet this offseason only to put him on the trade block in June. They didn’t find any takers then and they apparently couldn’t find any now. The Jets, who pursued him in free agency, could have interest in signing him.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/16

December 19th, 2016 at 5:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • The 49ers announced that they’ve claimed linebacker Carl Bradford off waivers from the Packers. San Francisco placed LB Nick Bellore on injured reserve earlier today, so Bradford, who’s appeared in four games for Green Bay this season, will add depth in the Bay Area as the Niners close out the 2016 campaign. San Francisco also announced that it has signed veteran tight end Jim Dray, who began the season with Buffalo.
  • The Jets have signed linebacker Randell Johnson from the Rams‘ practice squad to their 53-man roster, clearing a roster spot by waiving fellow LB Arthur Brown, the club announced today. Brown, a former second-round pick, has now been cut for the third time this calendar year.
  • The Cardinals announced that they’ve promoted 2016 sixth-round cornerback Harlan Miller. In a related move, Arizona waived CB Tharold Simon. Simon had been claimed off waivers earlier this year, but managed only 76 snaps with the Cards.
  • The Dolphins signed linebacker Trevor Reilly off the Patriots‘ practice squad and waived fellow LB Zach Vigil, per a club announcement. Vigil, a undrafted rookie, spent the first portion of this season on the NFI list.
  • The Saints have signed wide receiver Corey Fuller off the Lions‘ practice squad, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Fuller appeared in 28 games with Detroit from 2014-15.
  • The Rams are promoting defensive back Isaiah Johnson to the active roster, reports Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. Johnson had been signed to Los Angeles’ 53-man earlier this season, as well. Johnson takes the roster spot of DB Marqui Christian, who is going to IR, per Gonzalez (link).
  • The Giants will promote defensive lineman Ishaq Williams to the active roster, according to Dan Duggan of NJ.com.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/16

November 22nd, 2016 at 8:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..

  • The Bengals announced that they have formally cleared defensive tackle Brandon Thompson – previously on the PUP list – to return to practice. They now have an open spot on the roster. Thompson has spent four-plus seasons in Cincinnati, appearing in 39 games.
  • The Falcons announced the signing of punter Matt Wile to the 53-man roster. The deal could be a sign that Matt Bosher‘s hamstring will cause him to miss games. Before coming to Atlanta, Wile had contracts with Carolina and Dallas. He was a kicker at Michigan and a hopeful NFL kicker, but he’ll be punting for the Falcons.
  • The Jets signed wide receiver Jeremy Ross and waived linebacker Taiwan Jones. This marks the third time that the Jets have signed Ross in 2016. If the speedy wideout takes over return duties, the Jets could look to utilize C.J. Spiller in the running game.
  • The Lions announced that they have waived wide receiver Corey Fuller. The 2013 sixth-round pick had 18 catches for 288 yards over two-plus seasons in Detroit.
  • The Chargers have promoted cornerback Trovon Reed from the practice squad, the team announced. The former Auburn standout has yet to make an NFL appearance. The defensive back will be taking the roster spot of defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who was placed on the injured reserve today.
  • The 49ers have promoted safety Vinnie Sunseri from the practice squad, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). The former Alabama star last played in the NFL with the Saints in 2014. The 25-year-old will be taking the roster spot previously held by Eric Reid, who was placed on the injured reserve today.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

Lions Activate WR Corey Fuller From PUP

November 8th, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions announced that they have activated wide receiver Corey Fuller from the PUP list. To make room, the team waived tight end Khari Lee. Corey Fuller (vertical)

Fuller, 26, has appeared in 28 games for Detroit over the last two years. Unfortunately, he has been slow to recover from foot surgery but it now sounds like he’ll be able to suit up for Week 11 against the Jaguars. In total, Fuller has caught 18 of his 40 career targets for 288 yards and one touchdown. He’ll give Detroit a fifth receiver, something they haven’t really had all season long. The Lions have Golden Tate as their top WR target along with Golden Tate, Anquan Boldin, and Andre Roberts. It will be interesting to see where Fuller fits in with that group of big names.

Lee was claimed off waivers from Chicago in early September. The 24-year-old appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Bears and even made seven starts, but his role didn’t involve a ton of pass-catching. He was tasked with a similar job in Detroit as he drew just one target this year.

Lions Place Brandon Pettigrew On PUP

August 30th, 2016 at 9:56am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have whittled their roster down to the league-mandated 75 players, as they’ve placed tight end Brandon Pettigrew and wide receiver Corey Fuller on the PUP list. Additionally, Detroit announced that it has waived cornerback Brandon McGee.Brandon Pettigrew (Vertical)

[RELATED: Lions Release Geoff Schwartz]

Pettigrew and Fuller will now be sidelined for the first six weeks of the season as they deal with their respective injuries. The Lions will then have an additional three-week window during which they can choose to activate the two pass-catchers. Pettigrew’s absence is especially concerning, given that fellow tight end Eric Ebron is recovering from an injury of his own, while Andrew Quarless is suspended for the first two games of the year.

McGee, meanwhile, was a fifth-round pick of the Rams back in 2013. He’s bounced around the league since that time, as he’s also played for the Giants and Cowboys before signing with the Lions earlier this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

North Notes: Ravens, Jeffery, Harrison, Lions

June 15th, 2016 at 5:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The five-year, $37.5MM deal offensive tackle Eugene Monroe signed in 2014 is the worst contract the Ravens have ever given out, opines Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Monroe – whom the Ravens released earlier today – received $17.5MM in guaranteed money and, because of injuries, ultimately made just 17 starts after inking the contract. Hensley adds that the Ravens began souring on Monroe when he didn’t start their 2014 AFC divisional playoff game in New England because of an ankle injury. Monroe was healthy enough to be active for that contest, leading the Ravens to wonder about his toughness.

More from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Franchise-tagged Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery wants a long-term contract, but he’s content to play 2016 without one if an agreement isn’t reached by the July 15 deadline (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com). “It really doesn’t matter to me. Like I said, that situation will take care of itself. I’m here to play football and to focus on football,” said Jeffery, who’s currently slated to rake in $14.599MM under the tag.
  • Steelers linebacker James Harrison is 38, but he hopes to play for another two years, as ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes. “If you ask me that now, yeah [I can]. But that’s something I’ll deal with. I don’t know if I want to go that far, even though it’s only a couple of years away,” he said. Harrison also discussed his role with the team in 2016 and indicated that he is willing to do whatever is asked of him. The five-time Pro Bowler will surely play a smaller role this year than he did in his heyday.
  • Ravens LB Elvis Dumervil told reporters – including Clifton Brown of CSN Mid-Atlantic, via Twitter – that he underwent a preventative procedure on his foot and is unable to participate in minicamp as a result, though he should be ready by training camp. Teammate Steve Smith, who missed most of last year with a torn Achilles, is expected to sit out the entire preseason; however, he’ll be ready in time for Week 1, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • It appears that Lions receiver Corey Fuller had surgery on his injured right foot, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. That would help explain the Lions’ decision to sign Andre Roberts last week and also why the team hosted Anquan Boldin on a visit.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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