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Nick Foles

NFC Links: Quinn, Colston, Sanchez, Warner

December 13th, 2014 at 12:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the resurgence of the Seahawks‘ defense, the team’s defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has re-emerged as a top head coaching candidate this offseason, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

  • The Saints are looking at salary cap hell in the coming seasons, which could lead the team to move on from some veterans. According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, the Saints could release Brodrick Bunkley, David Hawthorne, and Marques Colston this offseason due to their high salaries.
  • The Falcons are 5-8 but in first place in the dismal NFC South. Despite looking at a playoff berth, the team has already started preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft. Their biggest need is at pass rusher, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He writes that the team will also look closely at receivers, a receiving tight end, and linebackers.
  • Eagles‘ quarterback Mark Sanchez has played well in starter Nick Foles‘ absence, but has looked bad against the Seahawks and Packers. He will likely need to impress during these next three games in order to keep Foles from usurping the starting job for the playoff run, if they even stay in contention with Sanchez, writes Jeff McClaine of the Philadelphia Inquirer. With the Eagles likely to only keep one of the two going forward into 2015, Sanchez could also be auditioning for next season.
  • With the Cardinals‘ quarterback situation potentially in ruins after losing Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton to injuries, thoughts of Kurt Warner returning to save the 10-3 Cardinals from an early playoff exit have been floated. Those hoping for Warner to save them shouldn’t hold their breath, according to Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. He writes that while Warner may have thought about it, the idea of him stepping in after not playing for five years is unrealistic.
  • Giants‘ quarterback Eli Manning has not been spectacular the last few seasons, but it isn’t time to look for his replacement, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The team has more pressing needs along the offensive line, at pass rusher, safety, and even possibly receiver, according to Vacchiano.
  • As the problems in Washington continue, Bill Simmons of ESPN and Grantland posed in interesting question to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post: Would the fans be willing to give up the team to another city and go without NFL football for three years, with the promise of getting an expansion team (retaining the rights to the colors and name if they want it) along with a new ownership group? Definitely a loaded question, but Steinberg initially thought 75% of fans would make that trade, and based on response from fans, he thinks he may have underestimated that number.

Monday Roundup: QB Dilemmas, Pitta, Lewis

December 8th, 2014 at 9:02pm CST by Rory Parks

After predictably non-committal responses in his post-game press conference yesterday, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said today that “it’s natural to lean the other way” when considering who his starting quarterback should be moving forward (per ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon) The “other way” in this case is, of course, Johnny Manziel, whom Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes will get the nod over the struggling Brian Hoyer in next week’s matchup against Cincinnati.

Now for some more links from around the league:

Eagles Notes: Sanchez, Herremans, Foles

November 7th, 2014 at 6:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 6-2 Eagles sit in first place in the NFC East as they prepare to take on the Panthers on Monday Night Football. Let’s look at some notes out of Philadelphia…

  • The free agent quarterback market might be intriguing in 2015, writes Albert Breer of NFL.com. As Breer notes, the FA QB crop is usually relatively weak, as teams simply don’t allow competent signal-callers to hit the open market. But with Mark Sanchez taking over for the Eagles, Ryan Mallett getting an opportunity with the Texans, and Brian Hoyer making the most of time in Cleveland, we could see several quarterbacks receive interest this offseason. Breer points to the Bills, Jets, Buccaneers, and Rams as clubs that could use an upgrade at QB.
  • As I noted earlier this week when the Eagles placed him on injured reserve, Todd Herremans is no lock to return to Philadelphia next season. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Herremans’ salary will rise from $3MM to $4MM in 2015, and he’ll count $5.2MM against the cap. McLane also looks at several Eagles’ veterans who don’t have guaranteed salaries for next year, including Trent Cole, Brent Celek, and James Casey, suggesting that all are candidates for release.
  • After addressing a report that the Eagles were “souring” on Nick Foles even before his injury on, Chip Kelly refused to say the Foles would return as the starting quarterback when he’s healthy. “I have no idea,” Kelly told reporters, including Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter), when asked if Foles would regain his job. “We could have no quarterbacks at that point in time.” It’s a typical response from Kelly, who as Mosher notes, refuses to answer hypothetical questions.
  • Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com looks at the battle between Matt Tobin and Andrew Gardner, who are competing to start at left guard in Herreman’s absence.

Chip Kelly Addresses Nick Foles Report

November 6th, 2014 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, Mark Eckel of NJ.com reported that some members of the Eagles organization, including general manager Howie Roseman, had “soured” on Nick Foles even before the team’s starting quarterback went down with a broken collarbone. Asked today about the story, and whether he’d considered demoting Foles in favor of Mark Sanchez, head coach Chip Kelly issued a strong denial, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com details.

“No, not at all,” Kelly said. “I don’t know where that stuff comes from. I know this: I know I control the roster. I think you guys can see first hand, I don’t talk to anybody. So whoever says they have a source in terms of what’s going to go on with roster maneuvers, people going up and people going down, then they never talk to the right person because that comes from me. That was never the case. I have great faith in Nick and I think he’s a hell of a quarterback.”

Kelly’s response is interesting on a number of levels. For one, it doesn’t really address the crux of Eckel’s report — the NJ.com scribe never wrote that the Eagles were considering making Sanchez the starter, or that Kelly himself was having doubts about Foles. The report instead indicated that Roseman and others were souring on Foles and were potentially considering other long-term alternatives at the position.

Of course, while Kelly may not have denied the specific details of Eckel’s report, his response seems to suggest that opinions held by Roseman and other members of the front office only matter to a certain extent. By stressing that he has the final say on the Eagles’ roster and personnel decisions, Kelly makes it clear that as long as he believes in Foles, the team believes in Foles. Based on the head coach’s comments, it’s fair to wonder if there’s some dissension within the organization about whether or not Foles is the club’s long-term answer at quarterback.

It should just be a matter of time until we find out which way the Eagles are leaning on Foles in the long term. Even if the team doesn’t reach any conclusions based on Sanchez’s run as the starter in the second half this season, Foles will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2015, and won’t have a fifth-year option for 2016. As such, if the two sides don’t agree to an extension within the next year or so, that would strongly indicate that Philadelphia may move in another direction.

NFC Notes: Rams, Cowboys, Foles, 49ers

November 5th, 2014 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

As rumblings about a potential Rams move to Los Angeles persist, the city of St. Louis and the state of Missouri are taking a proactive approach to attempt to keep the franchise in the midwest. As Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com details, Missouri governor Jay Nixon spoke to reporters on a conference call today to discuss the city’s and state’s plan to keep the Rams. According to Nixon, former Anheuser Busch president Dave Peacock and local attorney Bob Blitz have been appointed to spend the next two months putting together options for the city’s next stadium solution. The team’s current lease on the Edward Jones Dome expires at season’s end.

“Make no mistake about it, St. Louis is an NFL city,” Nixon said. “Being an NFL city is a matter of civic and state pride and one of international significance. An NFL team in St. Louis sends a clear signal that this city is a worldwide player and sets it in a special class when it comes to a competitive, global marketplace. The economic impact of the Rams team in St. Louis extends long beyond Sunday afternoon and sends a clear signal that this city is a worldwide player.”

Here are a few more Wednesday items from across the NFC:

  • Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant, who hired Roc Nation Sports to represent him as he approaches free agency, will be repped by CAA’s Tom Condon and Roc Nation’s Kim Miale, tweets Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal.
  • Appearing on The Ticket KTCK-AM 1310 in Dallas, TheMMQB.com’s Peter King suggested he thinks running back Adrian Peterson will play for the Cowboys at some point. While he stressed that he doesn’t have any inside info, King said that he’s always viewed it as a likely scenario, even before “Jerry [Jones] had that silly flirtation with him last year” (link via the Dallas Morning News).
  • Following up on a report suggesting that the Eagles were souring on Nick Foles even before his injury, Howard Eskin of 94WIP (Twitter link) says he spoke with multiple team sources and was told the Eagles never discussed making a change to Mark Sanchez prior to Foles going down with a broken collarbone. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily contradict yesterday’s report, which seemed to suggest the club was considering longer-term alternatives to Foles, rather than a short-term change.
  • Although running back Marcus Lattimore never played a game for the 49ers, the team paid him his full salary during his two years on the non-football-injury list, and won’t try to recoup any of his $300K signing bonus, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). According to Rapoport, Lattimore will also seek payment on his $1.7MM disability policy, and has a “great chance” of receiving that.

Nick Foles’ Future With Eagles In Jeopardy?

November 4th, 2014 at 6:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Nick Foles won’t be quarterbacking the Eagles for the next six-to-eight weeks after suffering a broken collarbone in Sunday’s game against the Texans, but there’s word that his reign in Philadelphia could have been in peril even if he hadn’t been injured. Sources tell Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger that Eagles brass, including general manager Howie Roseman, had doubts about Foles’ ability to maintain his outstanding 2013 level of play, and might’ve been considering options at quarterback.

Roseman wasn’t in favor of selecting Foles in the third round of the 2012 draft; instead, he was intent on picking Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins, who ultimately went to Washington in the fourth round. Ex-Eagles head coach Andy Reid (now with Kansas City) and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinwheg (now with the Jets) were proponents of drafting Foles. No member of Philaelphia’s current regime, from Roseman, to head coach Chip Kelly, to personnel man Tom Gamble, had a hand in bringing Foles on board. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility, as a league source tells Eckel, that Roseman might have been looking to make a quarterback change before Foles’ injury. “I think Howie is looking at quarterbacks,” said the source. “He’s kind of soured on Foles, and I don’t think he’s alone. The organization isn’t sold that he’s the guy going forward.”

Foles’ 2014 production certainly hasn’t matched his 2013 performance, but most didn’t expect the 25-year-old to maintain his impeccable touchdown-to-interception ratio from last season. Last year, Foles completed 64% of his passes for more than 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. This season, however, he was completing just 59.9% of his passes, with a 13:10 TD:INT ratio. Advanced metrics have noticed the Arizona product’s regression as well. After grading as the 17th-best quarterback in the league in 2013 per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he fell to 29th in 2014. Even more stark, Foles had fallen to 21st among QBs in terms of DVOA after finishing second last season.

As Eckel notes, Kelly has never been critical of Foles, and even lauded his play at Arizona while Kelly was at Oregon. But Kelly did re-sign Michael Vick prior to last season, and installed him as the starting quarterback before injuries forced Foles to take over. Additionally, Kelly played a part in drafting Matt Barkley in the fourth round last year, so it’s not as if the Eagles head coach has shown any allegiance to Foles. Granted, both of the moves noted took place before Foles’ outstanding 2013 season, but it speaks to the fact that Kelly isn’t afraid of having multiple options at QB.

If Philadelphia management is truly concerned about Foles’ talent, it could have a material impact on contract negotiations this offseason. Foles is making $615K in the third season of his four-year rookie deal, and he’s eligible to be extended after this year, though that may have been unlikely anyway. “Let’s just say the way things were going, he wasn’t going to get a contract extension that’s for sure,” a second source told Eckel before Foles’ injury. “Now, if he has a big second half, that could change.” Now, obviously, Foles won’t have the chance to change Roseman & Co.’s minds.

The Eagles could go in any number of directions quarterback-wise in 2015. Despite this news, it’s likely that Foles will remain on the roster and at least be an option to start. If Mark Sanchez plays well in Foles’ absence, it’s conceivable he could be given an opportunity to stick around. Barkley might still be Philadelphia’s plans, while this report will only fuel speculation that Kelly could make a move to draft his old college QB, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. With the Eagles sitting at 6-2, they’ll probably be picking too late in next year’s draft to acquire Mariota, but a trade-up will surely be discussed.

Nick Foles Avoids Surgery, Out 6-8 Weeks

November 3rd, 2014 at 4:00pm CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 4:00pm: Foles won’t require surgery on his fractured collarbone, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). While that’s good news for the signal-caller, he’s still expected to be sidelined for the next six to eight weeks or so, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That would put him in line to return near the end of the regular season.

SUNDAY, 9:14pm: Eagles’ quarterback Nick Foles has a broken clavicle, reports Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). Collarbone injuries often take between four and six weeks to fully heal, and Foles would most likely be expected to miss at least four games with the injury. He will have an MRI tomorrow to confirm how long he will miss, according to Gunn.

If Foles does miss that amount of time, Mark Sanchez will have ample opportunity to run the team’s offense. If the Eagles struggle, they could fall behind in the NFC East race by the time Foles returns. However, if Sanchez keeps the team winning over the next few weeks, head coach Chip Kelly is would have a hard time moving Sanchez back to the bench, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).

Aside from Sanchez, the only other quarterback on the roster is second-year player Matt Barkley, who has struggled in his limited game action so far.

If it has been confirmed that Foles has a broken clavicle, it is concerning that the team still has him scheduled for an MRI, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). Mosher suspects the team is worried that the Foles could have additional structural damage to his shoulder stemming from the hit he took that knocked him out of the game.

Injury Updates: Monday

November 3rd, 2014 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Bears defensive end Lamarr Houston and Jaguars cornerback Will Blackmon have both officially landed on their respective teams‘ injured reserve lists today, though both those injuries were suffered in Week 8 games. Teams are still diagnosing injuries suffered by players in Week 9, so we’ll provide the day’s injury updates in the space below, with the latest items added to the top of the page throughout the day….

  • As first reported by Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link), the Dolphins believe safety Michael Thomas‘ season is over due to a pectoral injury. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and James Walker of ESPN.com have since confirmed that Thomas will be out for the year and that he should land on IR later this week. The loss of Thomas will have an impact on the Dolphins’ special teams and on the nickel package of a defensive unit that’s coming off its best game of the year.
  • Although the Broncos feared that linebacker Nate Irving suffered structural damage to his knee ligaments, the initial diagnosis suggests he has a sprained MCL and should return this season, according to Jeff Legwold and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Still, Irving will undergo more tests before the team determines his potential recovery timetable.
  • Head coach Chip Kelly confirmed today to reporters, including Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), that Nick Foles has a crack in his clavicle and underwent an MRI this afternoon. The Eagles signal-caller is expected to be sidelined for several weeks as his collarbone heals.

Injury Updates: Sunday

November 2nd, 2014 at 5:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While we don’t cover every injury here at PFR, we will detail health concerns that could force teams to make significant roster moves. We’ll keep a running list of such injuries here, with the newest updates being added to the top:

  • Cowboys’ defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford suffered a troubling knee injury that involves MCL damage, reports Tim MacMAhon of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
  • Texans‘ running back Arian Foster suffered a groin injury during the loss to the Eagles earlier today, but fortunately it does not look to be serious, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates

  • Eagles quarterback Nick Foles left today’s contest against the Texans and will not return, the team announced. A source tells Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that the club fears Foles may have a clavicle injury. Mark Sanchez is on in relief of Foles at QB.
  • Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph will not return today after suffering a concussion, tweets John Clayton of ESPN. Meanhwhile, running back Arian Foster headed to the locker room with a head injury, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • Jets quarterback Michael Vick also went to the locker room after suffering an injury against the Chiefs, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). With Geno Smith inactive, Matt Simms has taken over at QB.
  • Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans suffered a non-contact injury, and had to be carted off the field, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Dolphins running back Lamar Miller suffered a shoulder injury against the Chargers and is questionable to return.

East Notes: Foles, Cousins, Mayo

October 19th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

As the games get underway, let’s take a look at some notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Although the Eagles are currently sitting pretty with a 5-1 record, Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Nick Foles has been neither very good nor very bad in the team’s first six games, and he wonders “[w]hether [head coach Chip] Kelly is fine with Foles as the long-term guy.”
  • Speaking of NFC East signal-callers, John Keim of ESPN.com writes that the Redskins have not lost confidence in QB Kirk Cousins, but he has to prove that he can handle adversity better.
  • We heard earlier today that the Cowboys may have interest in dealing for Bills RB C.J. Spiller in advance of the October 28 deadline, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes that it makes no sense for the Giants to consider adding Spiller to their backfield.
  • Although Jerod Mayo‘s injury certainly hurts the Patriots on the field, it may actually help Mayo financially, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Volin writes, “Per [Mayo’s] contract…$4.5 million of his $6.25 million base salary is guaranteed for injury only. If he had stayed healthy this year and through the offseason, Mayo would have $0 in guarantees in 2015. But if he can’t fully return from the injury and the Patriots decide to move on, he’ll have recourse to still collect a fat check.”
  • We learned earlier that the Patriots may be targeting offensive line, defensive line, and linebacker help prior to the trade deadline.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork has a few more notes on new Jets wideout Percy Harvin.
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