HEADLINES

Jordan Reed

East Notes: Barrett, Jets, Reed

January 24th, 2016 at 9:52am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins have hired Danny Barrett as their new running backs coach, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Barrett, 54, most recently served as the interim head coach at the University of Central Florida, but he has a varied background, having acted as a collegiate positional coach and as the head coach of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Now for some more notes from the league’s East divisions:

  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that the Jets will not look to retain free agent linebacker Demario Davis, regardless of what the team does in the draft.
  • In a full-length post, Cimini observes that Jets GM Mike Maccagnan is about to face his second major test. In his first year as GM, Maccagnan was armed with a great deal of cap space to supplement his roster, but in 2016, he not only has less cap space to work with, but six of the team’s eight highest cap charges belong to players who will be at least 31 next season (a statistic that does not yet includ 33-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick). Maccagnan will now have to make his team younger without sacrificing wins, one of the toughest things to do in professional sports.
  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com wonders if Washington should pursue a contract extension with Jordan Reed, noting that although the tight end is set to earn just $685K in 2016–the last year of his current deal–it may make more sense long-term to lock him up now, despite his injury history.
  • The Giants will of course run Ben McAdoo‘s West Coast offense in 2016, but who the offensive play-caller will be remains up in the air. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes, McAdoo himself is the most qualified, but he may prefer to get his head out of the play chart to better concentrate on the entire game. New York’s offensive coordinator, Mike Sullivan, and quarterbacks coach, Frank Cignetti, both have play-calling experience.
  • Despite his recent injuries, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo thinks he’ll be fine for the foreseeable future. “There’s no question, I will be able to play for awhile,” Romo told Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Romo, 36 in April, will reportedly undergo a CT scan this week to determine if he needs surgery on his collarbone.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Norman, Reed, Bears, Bucs

October 5th, 2015 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Panthers GM Dave Gettleman doesn’t negotiate contracts during the regular season, but David Newton of ESPN.com wonders if the bye week might be an exception. If it is, perhaps Carolina could explore getting something done with cornerback Josh Norman this week, but as Newton acknowledges, that seems unlikely. Norman reportedly turned down a contract offer worth about $7MM annually prior to the regular season and a new pact would likely require an offer of $10MM+ per year.

Here’s more out of the NFC..

  • Washington may be in the market for a tight end once again, as Jordan Reed is dealing with an MCL sprain, an ankle sprain, and a concussion, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Head coach Jay Gruden said he’s concerned about Reed’s status, though he’s not sure yet about the magnitude of the injuries.
  • Former Giants wide receiver Julian Talley has a workout scheduled with the Bears on Tuesday, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link). Talley was cut from the Giants’ roster at the end of the preseason, then released off the team’s practice squad last week.
  • With the Buccaneers searching for a new kicker to replace Kyle Brindza, head coach Lovie Smith said today that accuracy will be the team’s top priority — a big leg for kickoffs and longer field goal attempts would be a bonus (Twitter link via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com).
  • After Zach Hocker missed a late 30-year field goal against the Cowboys on Sunday, the Saints are planning kicker tryouts this week, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports tweets.
  • The Rams are expected to re-sign linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar to fill the roster spot of injured linebacker Alec Ogletree, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. However, they have not decided whether or not to sign him just yet (link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Mailbags: Newman, Norman, Bucs, Reed, Cowboys

June 20th, 2015 at 8:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

Our own Sam Robinson took you through some of the AFC Mailbags earlier today. Now to give the NFC some love, here are a few of the mailbags from that other conference:

  • The Vikings have been going with youth across the roster, and the secondary has been no exception with Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes slated to start on the outside. However, the team also signed 37-year-old corner Terence Newman to bring a veteran presence in the secondary, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Newman should take a little pressure of Waynes to be effective from day one.
  • The Panthers will definitely put a lot of focus into extending Luke Kuechly, but David Newton of ESPN.com expects that to come next offseason. Josh Norman is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and after performing well for the team he should be a priority for an extension.
  • Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com is guessing starters in his latest Buccaneers mailbag. He picks George Johnson and Jacquies Smith, Danny Lansanah as their third linebacker, and D.J. Swearinger over Chris Conte at safety.
  • Kyle Van Noy and Theo Riddick are a pair of players that have uncertain roles for the Lions in 2015. Van Noy could earn a starting job at linebacker, but won’t see starter’s snaps due to the likely reliance on nickel and dime packages, according to Mike Rothstein of ESPN.com. Riddick will also likely be an afterthough at running back, but should have ample opportunities to catch passes out of the backfield and in the slot.
  • With Jordan Reed‘s injuries, Washington could have used help at tight end either in free agency or the draft, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. While it is surprising, it means the team has confidence in Niles Paul, and believes contributions from the receivers and running backs catching passes could help them survive without Reed for some time.
  • In our lone entry from a non-ESPN writer, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News writes that with the versatility of Byron Jones and Corey White in the secondary, the Cowboys defense could give some very creative looks in 2015. Both players are nominally corners, but each has the ability to play safety as well, and that could let the team mix and match in the defensive backfield.