Doug Pederson - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles Will Keep Pederson, Roseman

January 2nd, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Rams, 49ers, Jaguars, Chargers, Bills, and Broncos are all in search of their next head coach. The Eagles won’t create a seventh NFL head coaching vacancy this offseason. The Eagles will retain coach Doug Pederson as well as executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman and vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas, according to a team source who spoke with Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Although the Eagles were hoping to do better than 7-9 this year, few expected the team to fire Pederson after just one year at the helm. Roseman only recently wrestled back control of the front office after the Chip Kelly ouster and there wasn’t much talk of him getting the boot either. Roseman has been with the organization since 2000 and has a strong relationship with team owners. Of course, the return of Pederson, Roseman, and Douglas doesn’t mean that there won’t be other changes made.

“I’m going to evaluate everything,” Pederson said recently when asked about potential staff changes. “Obviously right now, nothing, but we’re just going to get into the offseason and we’re going to take some time to evaluate, but I don’t anticipate anything.”

The Eagles’ first-round pick (No. 12) is owned by the Browns. However, they’ll be picking at either No. 14 or No. 15 thanks to the pick they acquired from the Vikings in the Sam Bradford trade.

Eagles’ Pederson Denies WR Trade Interest

October 26th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

Will the Eagles make a move for a wide receiver between now and the November trade deadline? Despite rumors linking them to Torrey Smith of the 49ers, coach Doug Pederson says that no such deal is brewing.

“I’m happy with the guys we have,” Pederson told reporters moments ago (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com).

Pederson went on to say that he is happy with the group of receivers that he already has. That group is anchored by Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, and Josh Huff with support from offseason trade acquisition Dorial Green-Beckham and waiver pickup Bryce Treggs. That may not be the most talented WR bunch in the NFL, but the Eagles might not need to tinker with things too much as they stand at 4-2. It’s also worth mentioning that both of the Eagles’ losses were tightly contested games. They fell 24-23 to the Lions and 27-20 to the Redskins. Meanwhile, they have notable wins over the Steelers and Vikings.

If Pederson opts to make changes to his receiver group, he could also turn to practice squad WRs Byron Marshall, Paul Turner, and David Watford.

NFC Notes: Wentz, Johnson, Palmer, Giants

September 17th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Further illustrating the Eagles‘ belief in Carson Wentz and their motivation to make the seminal trade with the Browns in April, new Philadelphia OC Frank Reich offered some high-end comparisons for the No. 2 overall pick.

“Physically, he reminds me a little bit of a combination of Andrew Luck — though, I’ve never played with him — just watching him play, but a guy that I did play with in Jim Kelly, the size, strength and just the toughness,” Reich said, via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com.

Wentz ran a tenth of a second slower in the 40-yard dash compared to Luck coming out of college (4.77 seconds to 4.67), but the quarterbacks are similar in size — both 6-foot-5 and around 235 pounds. The younger player will attempt to build on his breakthrough debut, one executed despite scant preseason reps and the anticipation he’d be the third-string passer.

Here’s more on Wentz’s potential rise and on some other NFC teams.

The Eagles trading Sam Bradford to the Vikings opened the door not only for Wentz to receive an early start on Sundays, but it cleared a path toward endless practice reps instead of a short-term future as Philly’s third-stringer, Jeff McLane of Philly.com writes. Reich told media, including McLane, there was “no question” the additional practice work would accelerate Wentz’s development compared to a season spent behind Bradford and Chase Daniel. Per McLane, Wentz did not speak up much in quarterback meetings while he was the No. 3 quarterback, instead deferring to the veterans. Daniel functions as the scout-team quarterback, and the meetings are geared around a Wentz-conducted offense.
Doug Pederson expected to hear something on Lane Johnson‘s lingering suspension by now, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com notes, but the league has yet to announce the expected 10-game ban. “You would think you would have heard something by now,” Pederson said. “If it does happen down the road, it just pushes everything back. Me personally, I’d rather know now than later. But until then, [Johnson] is the guy.” Pederson said Stefen Wisniewski would play left guard after current starter Allen Barbre swings to right tackle in the event Johnson’s ruling comes down. Wisniewski usurped Isaac Seumalo as the next guard up since the Eagles initially announced their Johnson contingency plan.
Earlier today, a potential Panthers plot to select Blaine Gabbert No. 1 overall emerged in advance of Sunday’s Panthers-49ers game. The Buccaneers‘ Week 2 opponent, the Cardinals, also employ a quarterback who will face a team that pursued him years ago. The Bucs attempted to trade for Palmer in 2013, but refusing to push then-starter Josh Freeman to a backup role did not make it an enticing fit for the then-Raiders quarterback as he looked for a team and a long-term deal, Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times writes, analyzing what could have been in advance of Sunday’s tilt. The Bucs joined the Cardinals and Bills in making a push for a then-33-year-old Palmer’s services. Then-Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano wasn’t enamored with Freeman, but the organization did not want to give up on the former first-round pick by automatically making Palmer a starter. Freeman lasted just three games into the ’13 season before being released.
The Giants worked out four linebackers on Saturday after cutting Deontae Skinner from their practice squad. Cassanova McKinzy, Deiontrez Mount, Eric Pinkins and Myke Tavarres worked out for the team, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Eagles Seeking Help At Linebacker

August 20th, 2016 at 11:35am CST by Sam Robinson

After losing promising seventh-round rookie Joe Walker to a torn ACL sustained during Thursday night’s second preseason tilt, the Eagles are indeed in the market for veteran linebacking help, Doug Pederson said Saturday (via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, on Twitter).

With Berman categorizing ex-UDFA Don Cherry as the team’s top backup linebacker, the Eagles could certainly use extra talent here to play behind starters Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham, the latter of which could be facing a personal-conduct suspension for an off-the-field incident in July.

Nothing has emerged on the Stephen Tulloch front, except that he’s not willing to take a deal too close to the veteran minimum. At least, that’s the word that’s coming out of Miami.

Two weeks ago, the Eagles were said to be in heavy negotiations with the former Lions middle linebacker and longtime Jim Schwartz charge. But those talks evidently did not progress to the 31-year-old middle linebacker’s liking. Tulloch was not interested, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, in taking a low-cost deal with the Dolphins. Philly’s depth problems could force the team to up its ante for a player who’s familiar with Schwartz’s system.

As Roster Resource shows, the Eagles’ competition for second-team slots is comprised of multiple UDFAs — Quentin Gause and Myke Tavarres — along with former Patriots reserve Deontae Skinner and ex-waiver claim Najee Goode. The non-rush linebacker market beyond Tulloch is pretty slim presently, with Danny Lansanah — whom the Dolphins signed then quickly cut earlier this month — residing as one of the better options. Entering what would be his seventh season, O’Brien Schofield also resides on the unemployment line.

Considering the Eagles were already pursuing a veteran linebacker before Walker went down, it looks likely they’ll add one in the coming days. Their cap is projected to be close to saturated in 2017 due to the bevy of extensions the team doled out this year, but Philadelphia currently possesses $6.6MM in cap room — plenty to lure a late defensive replacement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Bolden, Buccaneers, Raji

July 23rd, 2016 at 11:59am CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

After having worked under Andy Reid for several years, Doug Pederson is now in full control as the head coach of the Eagles. Reid had guided the Eagles to the playoffs during his second season as head coach in Philly, but Pederson believes he inherited a better team than his mentor. “This team today is better than that team,” Pederson told Jeff McLane of Philly.com. “I just think that we’re in a better position.”
Safety Omar Bolden was released by the Bears yesterday, but Troy Renck of Denver7 ABC tweets that the 27-year-old “will land on his feet.” Renck notes that the former Broncos draft pick could wind up in Denver, and he adds that his release from the Bears was due to the team’s “logjam” at defensive back.
If Buccaneers offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus proves to be nothing more than a backup to Demar Dotson, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times could see the team letting go of him and his $4.5MM salary. Other veterans who could find themselves on the hot seat include offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith, defensive end George Johnson, tight end Brandon Myers, and safety Major Wright.
The Packers had offered B.J. Raji a “lucrative” contract, indicating that they expected him to play a major role on their 2016 squad. However, as ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky writes, the defensive lineman’s one-year hiatus from the NFL suddenly changed the organization’s offseason plans.

NFC Notes: Cards, Abdullah, Redskins, Eagles

July 1st, 2016 at 7:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As their second-round pick approached in the 2015 draft, the Cardinals were in the midst of informing running back Ameer Abdullah over the phone that they were going to take him 55th overall. However, as shown on the new Amazon documentary series “All or Nothing,” the Lions traded a spot ahead of Arizona during the Cardinals’ discussion with Abdullah and stole the ex-Nebraska standout at No. 54 (link via Steven Ruiz of USA Today). With their Abdullah dream dashed, the Cardinals waited to address the position until the third round, selecting ex-Northern Iowa runner David Johnson 86th overall. Johnson emerged as a key member of the Cardinals’ offense as a rookie, totaling 1,038 yards (581 rushing, 457 receiving), averaging 4.6 yards per carry and piling up 12 touchdowns (eight rushing, four receiving). Abdullah, with 780 yards (597 rushing, 183 receiving), 4.2 YPC and three scores (two on the ground, one in the air), wasn’t nearly as successful in 2015.

Doug Pederson on Eagles, Final Roster, Absent Players

June 11th, 2016 at 5:54pm CST by Ben Levine

New Eagles coach Doug Pederson recently wrapped up his first mandatory minicamp, and the 48-year-old talked to Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com about the experience. The whole column is worth reading, but we pulled out some of the relevant quotes below…

There’s still a long way to go, but Pederson is already beginning to determine which of his 90 players will ultimately make the team. “I think you have an idea in the offseason,” he said. “You obviously know what you had coming back from last year, and of course your roster makeup and chemistry changes every year. It’s a new team, regardless of the new coaching staff or not. Next year we will be a new team, as well. Yeah, you begin to kind of go, ‘OK, pencil in guys here and there,’ and try to figure that out.”
Zangaro believes Pederson will have a particularly difficult time widdling down his group of tight ends and running backs, but the head coach already has a rough idea of how many players he’ll want for each position. “And again, as you know, once you get to the regular season and the way games are played, you want to make sure you’re covered in all areas,” he said. “But you go in having a general idea of how many you want at each spot.”
One thing that Pederson wasn’t focused on was his previously-absent players. Sam Bradford, Fletcher Cox, and Darren Sproles all missed parts of the previous voluntary workouts, but the coach stayed focused on the players who were present. “I didn’t necessarily worry myself too much about those situations,” he said. “Again, it goes back to just the way the offseason is set up and the fact that the entire program, outside of these last four days, is a voluntary program, and I just can’t – I’ve got to worry about the guys that are here during those times, and focus on those guys…I think at the end of the day, we’re just very fortunate that everybody is here this week and getting through this offseason and getting ready for camp.”

Eagles Pondering Darren Sproles Trade?

May 17th, 2016 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

12:25pm: The first-year Eagles coach denied the report of a potential Sproles trade, telling media (including Berman, via Twitter) “We had no decisions to do that. I want Darren Sproles on this football team. … He’s a big part of this team.”

11:57am: Doug Pederson has been in direct contact with Sproles this offseason and insists the veteran scatback is not unhappy, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The first-year coach’s stance on this matter is that Sproles wants to spend time with his family and preserve his legs, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets. Sproles will enter his 12th season and age-33 campaign.

10:16am: The Eagles received calls of trade interest on running back Darren Sproles during the draft, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Right now, it sounds like the Eagles are considering some of those offers. For now, Rapoport says, he’s staying away from OTAs until it’s all sorted out.

Sproles came to the Eagles in a 2014 trade with the Saints. At the time, Sproles was brought in to be a key part of the team’s backfield. Later on, however, the entire backfield was remodeled and Sproles found himself as the No. 3 tailback on the list behind DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews. Now, Chip Kelly is out of the equation in Philadelphia, but the Eagles are still not sure if they feel the diminutive back is essential to their offense.

The Eagles once again overhauled their backfield this offseason when they shipped Murray to the Titans in a surprising trade. That deal left the Eagles with Mathews as their lead back and Sproles as the No. 2.

Sproles, 32, saw time in every game last season and made four starts. In that span, the veteran ran for just 317 yards off of 83 carries but also contributed 55 receptions for 388 yards. For his contributions in the rushing, receiving, and return game, Sproles earned his second-straight Pro Bowl nod in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Rumors: Daniel, Bradford, Pederson

February 24th, 2016 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have question marks at quarterback and their new head coach apparently covets a signal caller who is under contract elsewhere. Doug Pederson is quite familiar with Chiefs reserve QB Chase Daniel and he told reporters today that Daniel could be a starter in the NFL, if given the right opportunity (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). As for incumbent Sam Bradford, Pederson says he believes Bradford wants to be there (link).

Here’s more on the Eagles’ QB situation and other news on Philly:

Pederson said the Eagles have contingency plans in place in case they can’t bring Bradford back, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
When asked about Bradford, Pederson said (Twitter link via Zach Berman of The Inquirer): “All I know is if Sam wants to be in Philadelphia, he’ll be in Philadelphia.” Pederson indicated that he would not tag Bradford in order to ensure his return to Philly and Berman believes that the coach’s implication is that it’s all up to the QB (link).
Rookie quarterbacks in the draft won’t affect the Bradford situation, the coach told reporters (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).
Pederson says there “are holes” on the team’s offensive line, as John Clark of CSNPhilly tweets. He says he will look to the draft and free agency to fill those needs.
Pederson said that he anticipates Mark Sanchez returning to the team as a backup quarterback (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Sanchez is already under contract for 2016.

NFC East Rumors: Gettleman, Pederson, Cousins

January 31st, 2016 at 7:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

When Ernie Accorsi retired as the Giants‘ GM after the 2006 season, he pushed hardest for Jerry Reese to become his successor despite Dave Gettleman‘s success within the organization, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes.

Reese, who coordinated the draft for Big Blue at the time, and salary cap expert Kevin Abrams joined Gettleman as the top in-house candidates to succeed Accorsi. Reese is now entering his 10th season as the Giants’ GM.

“And I felt sorry for Dave on the thing, I don’t think it was an easy decision for John Mara or the Tischs,’’ Accorsi told media, including Schwartz. “When Jerry got it, I could tell Dave was down. I said to him ‘Look, I have no idea if I’m ever going to be able to deliver on this, but if I possibly can take care of you, I will.”

Accorsi helped the now-64-year-old Gettleman ascend to the Panthers’ GM position as a consultant. Gettleman, per Schwartz, helped the Giants in free agency when they signed Super Bowl XLII bastions Plaxico Burress, Antonio Pierce and others. Gettleman laid the groundwork for Pierce, an outside linebacker mostly in Washington, to move to the middle full-time in New York.

The Browns passed over Gettleman twice, in 2009 and 2010, when they hired George Kokinis and Mike Holmgren, respectively, over Accorsi’s recommendation, while the Chiefs hired Scott Pioli over Gettleman in 2009 as well.

Following these shortcomings, Gettleman, then the Giants’ director of pro player personnel, informed Mara he sought to retreat into a part-time role before getting the Panthers’ job in 2013.

Here is the latest coming out of NFC East cities.

Alex Spiro, the attorney for Jay Bromley, doesn’t expect the Giants defensive tackle to be charged (Twitter links via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com) after a woman said he attempted to rape her. The 23-year-old Bromley has not been arrested in connection with Saturday morning’s alleged incident.
Doug Pederson‘s proactive approach regarding keeping the Eagles‘ talented young players comes in contrast to Chip Kelly‘s more volatile method on display last season, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com writes. Frank notes Pederson’s straight-forward style has helped stabilize the organization thus far after Kelly’s final days put staffers on edge, given the seismic moves he’d made. The new 49ers coach’s reluctance to compromise and employing an overmatched staff helped key his dismissal from Philadelphia, Frank writes.
The 49ers offered Pederson an assistant-coaching position in 2005, but the current Eagles coach turned it down to continue being a high school head coach in Louisiana, Zach Berman of Philly.com writes. Pederson continued to coach at a Shreveport, La., high school for four seasons and told the school’s athletic director he’d only leave if Andy Reid offered him a job in Philadelphia. He extended an offer to Pederson for an offensive quality control job before the 2009 season, leading to seven years of the pair working in tandem in Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Kirk Cousins‘ likely extension with Washington should be a four-year pact, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. He cites the majority of quarterback contracts agreed to in the past two offseasons being four-year deals — like those given to Eli Manning, Russell Wilson, or Philip Rivers — along with Cousins proving to be an effective, but not yet a game-changing quarterback, as the reasoning behind the estimation. Keim writes that Robert Griffin III can still be traded if he agrees to redo his fifth-year option ($16.15MM for 2016) but expects him to be released to help make room for Cousins’ deal.
Alfred Morris coming back to Washington after the running back put together his career-worst year in 2015 wouldn’t make sense, Keim writes. He also expects the team to bring in a back to compete with the thus-far-inconsistent Matt Jones for No. 1 runner responsibilities.