HEADLINES

Ron Hill

East Rumors: Redskins, Elliott, Cutler

September 17th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Rory Parks

Redskins safety Su’a Cravens is expected to report to the team Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Cravens, of course, informed the club several weeks ago that he intended to retire only to reverse his decision almost immediately. Cravens has been in contact with head coach Jay Gruden, and the two have discussed football and life issues. As Rapoport suggests, the fact that Cravens is reporting does not necessarily mean that he will suit up right away, given that he is battling an injury and, as his recent history suggests, may be at a crossroads in his young life. Nonetheless, it is a positive step for one of the more promising defensive talents in the league.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

  • The Redskins reshuffled their front office in June, but per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the team considered adding another executive during training camp. Washington reportedly brought in James “Shack” Harris, Charles Bailey, Bill Kuharich, and Ron Hill to watch practice and meet with other staffers, but the team ultimately decided to stand pat and does not plan to make any other additions at this time.
  • Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has never been arrested or charged with a crime, but since June 2014, Elliott’s name has appeared in at least four investigations concerning assault, battery, domestic violence, and disorderly conduct, as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes. The entire piece is well worth a read, and it suggests a troubling pattern of behavior that Elliott will need to correct in order to live up to his sky-high potential.
  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler has impressed the team with his demeanor and work ethic, and if he plays well this season, Salguero writes that Miami would consider re-signing him and trading Ryan Tannehill, thereby creating a great deal of cap room and netting an early draft choice in the process. We are a long way from that happening, of course, but if Cutler somehow becomes a modern-day Jim Plunkett, Tannehill could be on a different sideline in 2018.
  • We recently learned that the Dolphins were interested in trading for Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Miami went hard after the star DB, making attempts to land him both back early in the free-agency signing period and as recently as last month.
  • Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower was riding a stationary bike after he left the team’s Week 1 contest with a right knee injury, leading to optimism that he might be ready for Week 2. However, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that Hightower sought a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews last week, which Hightower did not deny. Problems with his right knee forced Hightower to begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list, and given that New England’s defense clearly needs him, this is a situation worth monitoring.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Colts, Jets, Browns

January 27th, 2017 at 11:05am CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL is continuing to investigate a June incident in which an intoxicated Aqib Talib accidentally shot himself in the leg, the league’s vice president of communications, Brian McCarthy, told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. The Broncos cornerback isn’t facing any legal ramifications – the Dallas Police Department wrapped up its investigation in October – but the league could nonetheless hit the first-team All-Pro with some form of punishment. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has multiple run-ins with the law to his name, which could factor into the league’s decision, notes Jhabvala.

More from the AFC:

  • Vikings assistant general manager George Paton‘s interview with the GM-needy Colts went “extremely well,” sources told Chris Hagan of FOX 59 (Twitter links). Paton has turned down as many as 10 opportunities to leave Minnesota’s front office in recent years, but he’d finally be willing to depart if the Colts were to offer him their GM job, according to Hagan. Of course, Paton’s also in the running for the GM role in San Francisco, where he’s a finalist for the position.
  • Thanks to head coach Gary Kubiak‘s retirement, the Broncos’ offense will transition from a zone blocking scheme to a blend of zone and power under new coordinator Mike McCoy and line coach Jeff Davidson, writes Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. That will, of course, play a role in how the Broncos repair a line that was a liability in 2016. The group is loaded with question marks, opines Wolfe, who contends that its only building block is center Matt Paradis.
  • In addition to the previously reported Aaron Murray, the Jets worked out free agent wide receivers Brian Tyms and Kyle Prater earlier this week, tweets Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com. Tyms, unlike Prater, has regular-season experience, having appeared in a combined 18 games with Miami, Cleveland and New England from 2012-14. The 27-year-old has amassed seven receptions and a touchdown in his career.
  • The Browns and senior player-personnel associate Ron Hill are mutually parting ways, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link). Hill, a longtime scout and executive with several teams, joined Cleveland in 2014 under then-GM Ray Farmer.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Cromartie, Jets, Pats

January 29th, 2015 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

ESPN’s Bill Polian, formerly a general manager for the Bills, Panthers, and Colts, turned down the opportunity to return to Buffalo in a senior advisory role earlier this offseason, but that didn’t end the Bills‘ search for a new addition to their front office, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Carucci reports that the Bills are still “very much in the market” to hire someone as an advisor for football decisions, and are targeting an exec with the experience necessary to provide guidance for GM Doug Whaley when it comes to evaluating talent.

According to Carucci, one potential target on Buffalo’s radar is Browns senior player-personnel associate Ron Hill. Hill comes highly recommended by the league, which has been providing counsel to new Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula, and Cleveland likely wouldn’t stand in his way since the job in Buffalo would be a promotion.

Here are a few more Thursday morning notes from around the AFC East:

  • Cardinals cornerback Antonio Cromartie will be eligible for free agency once again this offseason, and the veteran appears very willing to entertain the idea of a return to New York after leaving the Jets a year ago, as Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. “My door is always open to returning,” Cromartie said. “Everybody knows I didn’t want to leave. I’m going to keep my door open and see what happens.”
  • Appearing on ESPN Radio in New York on Wednesday, Jets owner Woody Johnson told Mike Lupica that he would “never tell the general manager not to spend money,” shifting the blame for the team’s lack of spending to former GM John Idzik. As Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com points out, those comments don’t quite line up with what Johnson said earlier in the 2014 season, but they do suggest he’s ready to get back to being aggressive in free agency.
  • As the Patriots prepare to play in their sixth Super Bowl this century, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines how the franchise goes about building a roster that can sustain success over an extended period of time.