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AFC South Notes: Texans, Grigson, Titans

January 1st, 2016 at 6:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look around the AFC South:

Rick Smith has been the Texans’ general manager since 2006, but his role might change sometime during the offseason – perhaps after the draft – tweets Neil Stratton of Inside the League. According to Stratton, Smith could get a promotion (possibly to team president), thus elevating director of player personnel Brian Gaine to GM.
Speaking of AFC South GMs, Mike Wells of ESPN.com took a look at whether Ryan Grigson deserves to continue running the Colts. The reasons to fire Grigson exist in greater quantity than the ones to keep him, Wells writes. One excuse to let Grigson go: a 2013 trade that went horribly awry. Back then, Grigson sent a 2014 first-rounder to Cleveland for running back Trent Richardson, who spent two unproductive seasons in Indy and is now out of the NFL. Further, the imperious Grigson has meddled in the affairs of head coach Chuck Pagano – who’s also a candidate for the chopping block.
Titans interim head coach Mike Mularkey has a supporter in tight end Delanie Walker, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Walker, who easily leads the Titans in receptions (85), yards (994) and touchdowns (six), thinks Mularkey is capable of fixing the team’s problems if he is promoted to the full-time head coaching role. That seems unlikely, however, especially given Mularkey’s lack of results as a head coach. He’s just 18-37 in three-plus seasons with the Bills, Jaguars and Titans.
If the Titans do move on from Mularkey, Bob Brookover of Philly.com offers his version of the perfect replacement: erstwhile Eagles coach Chip Kelly. Of course, Kelly and Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota were together previously at Oregon and helped the Ducks to a 12-1 record and second overall ranking in 2012. Brookover thinks a Kelly-Mariota reunion should be too enticing for Tennesee to let go by the wayside.

Extra Points: Colts, Browns, B. Kelly, Bears

December 31st, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We learned earlier today that the Colts are not expected to retain head coach Chuck Pagano, and Bob Kravitz of WTHR provides details on at least one reason why — the contentious relationship between Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson. The entire article is well worth a read, as sources tell Kravitz that Grigson has repeatedly overstepped his responsibilities as GM and interfered with the coaching staff, whether by forcing Pagano to play Trent Richardson and Josh Cribbs, or forcing the hire of ex-offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

Here’s more from around the league…

Browns safety Tashaun Gipson hasn’t had any talks with the club since Week 1, he tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), and though he’s open to returning, he’s also interested in reaching the open market. Meanwhile, fellow free-agent-to-be Mitchell Schwartz also says he’d like to re-sign with Cleveland, but allowed that business is business (Twitter link via Nate Ullrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has long been rumored as a future NFL coach, but he doesn’t sound all that eager to make the leap, writes James Kratch of NJ.com. As Kelly expresses, he has full autonomy at Notre Dame, where he essentially acts as owner, general manager, and coach. Unless a club was willing to hand him full roster and personnel control, Kelly doesn’t seem to have an incentive to jump to the professional ranks.
If Adam Gase is able to land a head coaching opportunity, the Bears will be in need of a new offensive coordinator, and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes John Fox will have plenty of options. Ken Whisenhunt, whom Fox nearly hired in Denver, Pat Shurmur, and Mike McCoy (if fired by the Chargers) could all be on the table for Chicago.
Offensive tackle Zach Strief wants to retire a Saint, and he doesn’t plan on moving to another team if New Orleans lets him go. “I will come back here until they tell me to stop coming,” Strief told Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Strief is set count $4.6MM against the club’s cap next season, and Terrell believes New Orleans would ask the veteran to restructure his deal to stick around.

Colts Not Expected To Retain Chuck Pagano

December 31st, 2015 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

3:26pm: Colts owner Jim Irsay issued a statement this afternoon, tweeting, “As of today, no decision has been made with respect to any structural changes within the Colts organization for 2016 and beyond.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Pagano – or Grigson – won’t be let go next week, but it’s a reminder that nothing is official yet.

2:37pm: This weekend’s game against the Titans will likely be Chuck Pagano‘s last as the Colts’ head coach, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, who reports that Indianapolis isn’t expected to bring back Pagano for the 2016 season (Twitter link). Even taking account that they were without Andrew Luck for about half the season, the Colts have underachieved this year, so Pagano’s ouster would come as no surprise.

Although the Colts are planning to dismiss Pagano, it’s not yet clear what the future holds for general manager Ryan Grigson. According to Wells (Twitter link), Grigson is expected to remain with the team at least through the search for a new head coach, but there’s no guarantee he’ll keep his job beyond that, despite his strong relationship with owner Jim Irsay.

Having to find a new GM as well as new head coach may result in the Colts missing out on some head coaching candidates while they focus on hiring a GM, but it still seems unusual that the club might allow Grigson to help find a coach, only to part ways with him afterward. Generally, a new general manager prefers to bring in his own head coach.

As Wells wrote earlier today, the relationship between Pagano and Grigson has deteriorated this year. Sources tell Wells that the two men have had little communication this season, with one source describing their relationship as “toxic.”

After finishing with an 11-5 record and an AFC South crown for three straight seasons, the Colts entered 2015 with Super Bowl aspirations, but took a significant step backward. At 7-8, Indianapolis is an extreme long shot to win the division again this year.

While the Colts’ struggles could be attributed, at least in part, to injuries and questionable roster construction, Pagano was already under pressure to win heading into the year, with the team offering him only a one-year extension rather than any sort of longer-team deal — he turned down that offer. Pagano holds a 40-23 record during his four years in Indianapolis, which includes the time he missed in 2012 due to cancer treatments.

AFC South Notes: Pagano, Colts, Titans

December 29th, 2015 at 8:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Head coach Chuck Pagano turned down a one-year extension from Colts owner Jim Irsay in the offseason that included a modest raise but he says that he has no regrets about that, as Amanda Rakes of CBS4 writes.

Pagano has had a rough year with Andrew Luck sidelined for a good portion of the season, but his ground-and-pound method hasn’t worked either, as Indianapolis is tied for 30th in both rushing yards (1,211) and per-carry average (3.6). The Colts have also been dismal through the air, coming in at 31st in yards per attempt (6.4) and 29th in rating (77.6).

Here’s more from out of the AFC South:

It’s hard to pin down what Irsay’s offseason plans are for the Colts, but fans shouldn’t necessarily bet on general manager Ryan Grigson being let go, says Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
A general manager change could be in the works in Tennessee, so Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com identifies some potential GM candidates the Titans could consider if they move on from Ruston Webster.
Veteran safety Michael Griffin has spent nine years and 140 games with the Titans, but with his cap hit set to increase to $8.3MM in 2016, the second-highest charge on the team, he knows that his future in Tennessee is uncertain. Griffin spoke to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com about his situation, acknowledging that “there’s never a guarantee for next year.”
If the Titans don’t re-sign Byron Bell, they could decide to select a tackle with their first overall pick, speculates Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Tennessee can secure the No. 1 pick with a Week 17 loss.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Colts, Harvin, Jets, Browns

November 6th, 2015 at 6:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 3-5 Colts, losers of three straight games and one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams, are a strong bet to drop their fourth consecutive contest this Sunday when they match up with the 7-0 Broncos. Their season has also gone poorly away from the field, as speculation regarding the statuses of beleaguered general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano has abounded and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton lost his job earlier this week.

Indy’s players – specifically team leaders Robert Mathis and D’Qwell Jackson – are cognizant of the organization’s off-field turmoil and called a meeting among themselves last week in an effort to galvanize each other. At the meeting, the players encouraged one another to ignore distractions coming from the front office and coaching staff, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star reports. One issue players are unhappy with centers on the front office – not the coaching staff – making certain lineup decisions, a dysfunctional action that takes a significant amount of power from Pagano & Co.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Bills receiver Percy Harvin could end up on injured reserve with a knee injury, general manager Doug Whaley told The Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci (Twitter link). Harvin’s knee “flared up,” Whaley said (via Twitter). The seventh-year man has 19 catches on 30 targets this year. He has been out of the Bills’ lineup with injuries since mid-October.
Jets cornerback Dee Milliner is back to full health after undergoing wrist surgery during the summer, but the team is unlikely to activate him from short-term injured reserve for this weekend’s game against the Jaguars, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini (Twitter link). On why Milliner won’t be in the lineup, head coach Todd Bowles said (via Howie Kussoy of the New York Post), “It’s just a numbers thing.” If the Jets don’t activate Milliner by Tuesday, they’ll have to place him on season-ending IR.
Browns head coach Mike Pettine said cornerback Charles Gaines, who had been on short-term IR because of a hamstring injury, is likely to start playing soon (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). Gaines, a sixth-round rookie out of Louisville, hasn’t appeared in an NFL game yet.
The Jets worked out two free agent receivers – LaRon Byrd and Damarr Aultman – on Friday, according to Cimini (Twitter link). Byrd is the only of the two who has seen action in the league, though it was for just four games back in 2012. He has one career catch.

AFC Notes: Patriots, Grigson, Thomas

November 1st, 2015 at 9:54pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Patriots have been very active in midseason trades in recent years, but playing on Thursday didn’t give them a big advantage in terms of trade talks ahead of the Tuesday deadline this year, writes Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. “Teams are involved with games here, yesterday, today, so even though we had a little time, I’d say teams have their rosters set for this game and probably wouldn’t want to do something, maybe a disruptive move at the end of the week,” Belichick said. “I don’t really think there’s not too much talk going on in the league. We’ll see what happens next week.”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

Reports that Andrew Luck has been playing through broken ribs for much of this season has forced Colts general manager Ryan Grigson to defend his injury reports, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Colts have been accused of not accurately communicating player injuries with the league in wake of the Luck news. “Our injury reports are accurate,” Grigson said. “If people have any questions about player injuries, they should refer to our injury reports.”
Browns All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas may be on the trading block, but that doesn’t mean he is looking to get out of Cleveland. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Thomas does not want to be traded. “I’m not a quitter,” said Thomas. “I’m not a guy that gives up on my goals and my goal from day one was to be part of the turnaround here and that hasn’t changed.”

La Canfora’s Latest: Colts, Texans, Trades

November 1st, 2015 at 9:02am CST by Sam Robinson

With 2015 shaping up to be Chuck Pagano‘s last in Indianapolis, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes, the Miami Hurricanes job could be in play for the fourth-year coach.

The rest of the Colts‘ staffers are set for an uncertain future, with Jim Irsay considering changes after the thus-far-underwhelming team’s Week 10 bye.

Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton‘s job is on the line. Pagano, per La Canfora, wanted associate head coach Rob Chudzinski to run the offense, and longtime organizational staffer Clyde Christensen also looms as an OC candidate in the event Pagano’s preferences are no longer relevant.

Pagano’s Miami connection stems from being the Hurricanes’ secondary coach from 1995-2000.

Irsay hopes to lure a top head-coaching candidate to Indianapolis next year, and that would mean GM Ryan Grigson would almost certainly be shown the door, the CBS reporter notes.

Here are some additional notes from La Canfora on Week 8 Sunday.

The schism that formed in Houston recently between Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith regarding now-ex-Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett will lead to a change in the organization’s power structure, La Canfora reports. The ninth-year GM could see a reassignment if O’Brien is to assume more control, as he’s used to the head coach having from his years with the Patriots. The present setup involves both O’Brien and Smith reporting to owner Bob McNair separately, and McNair doesn’t see that as a sustainable model in light of the Mallett incident. It’s caused a divide within the organization, sources told La Canfora. “It’s gone from a slow drip to a waterfall,” a team source told the CBS scribe, describing the rift that’s become off-putting for McNair.
Matt Forte and Brian Cushing are available for trades, La Canfora notes, mentioning the Bears, Texans and 49ers as the teams most likely to operate as sellers in advance of the Nov. 3 trade deadline. The 49ers have also entertained teams’ interest on offensive lineman Alex Boone and have fielded calls on Vernon Davis. The Seahawks are a team that is willing to trade a depth piece to acquire an offensive lineman to help fix their biggest issue, La Canfora reports. The Ravens and Chargers, despite carrying 11 losses between them, are viewed as being more hesitant to sell off veterans.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Texans, Foster

October 26th, 2015 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

No NFL division has fewer wins on the season than the eight compiled by the AFC South, and the division had another forgettable Sunday in Week 7. The Colts and Texans – who entered the weekend as the South’s top two teams, trailed by a combined score of 61-0 after the first halves of their respective games on Sunday.

Needless to say, it hasn’t been a pleasant Monday morning in either Indianapolis or Houston. Here’s the latest from around the AFC South:

Colts owner Jim Irsay and general manager Ryan Grigson engaged in a “heated conversation” after the team’s loss to the Saints, says Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. While Keefer doesn’t go into details about the specifics of the conversation, neither Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano is currently considered a lock to remain in Indianapolis beyond the 2015 season.
For his part, the typically mild-mannered Pagano delivered an “animated, emotional” halftime speech that featured “plenty of expletives,” according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, who provides more details on a frustrated Colts locker room.
Following the Texans’ most embarrassing loss of the 2015 season, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle writes that GM Rick Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien could be on the hot seat if the team continues to struggle, and wonders why quarterback Ryan Mallett is still on the roster.
There was speculation on Sunday that if Arian Foster’s Achilles injury is indeed a season-ender, he may have played his last game with the Texans, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) echoes that sentiment today. According to Cole, given the probable severity of Foster’s most recent injury, along with his history of health problems, his age, and his contract situation, there are plenty of factors pointing to Houston potentially moving on from him on the offseason.

AFC South Notes: Grigson, Mariota, Titans

October 23rd, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Colts GM Ryan Grigson could be on the hot seat alongside coach Chuck Pagano, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The criticism for Grigson, Cole says, has been primarily about player acquisitions, including the trade for Trent Richardson and the selection of first-round pick Bjoern Werner.

There have also been grumbling within the organization about Grigson’s meddling in the team’s day-to-day operations, according to Cole, who wonders whether Grigson could get pushed aside or pushed out altogether if Colts owner Jim Irsay goes after a high-end coach like a Nick Saban or a Sean Payton.

Here’s more from around the AFC South:

The Titans announced today that Marcus Mariota is making some progress, but isn’t ready to start on Sunday, meaning Zach Mettenberger will get the call against Atlanta (all Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com). As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com observes (via Twitter), a strong showing in Mariota’s absence could give Mettenberger a better chance to play for another team in 2016, since it would boost his trade value.
Free agent defensive lineman Christo Bilukidi has a workout lined up with the Titans next Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Bilukidi, who worked out for the Vikings earlier this week, was drafted by the Raiders in 2012 and has seen action for Oakland, Cincinnati, and Baltimore since then.
One more Titans note: Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link) expects wide receiver Rico Richardson to be promoted from the team’s practice squad, with Harry Douglas out this week. Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com agrees, tweeting that tight end Chase Coffman and running back Terrance West are candidates to be cut.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Colts, Decker, Raiders, McCown

September 22nd, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Prior to the season, we heard some reports about potential tension and unease between Colts general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano, and rumors of that possible rift have only intensified with the team off to a disappointing 0-2 start.

As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk observes, a comment made by Pagano about the team’s offensive line struggles was viewed as the head coach coming down hard on Andrew Luck, but it could also interpreted as a shot at Grigson. Mike Wells of ESPN.com notes that it was Grigson who decided not to completely address the offensive line in the offseason, leaving the unit as one of the biggest question marks on the team heading into the regular season.

Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link) hears from several sources that the Grigson/Pagano rift is a result of the two men having different agendas, with the GM focused on player development and the head coach looking to win now.

As we wait to see if the Colts can bounce back from their slow start, let’s check in on a few other teams from across the AFC….

Jets wide receiver Eric Decker suffered a knee injury in last night’s game vs. the Colts, but he was told that he won’t require surgery on it, and that it may be a PCL issue, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). Decker, who is having an MRI today, said he’ll be smart about it and won’t rush back, so the Jets could add another receiver if they expect the veteran to miss some time. The club auditioned wideout Corey Washington today, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link), but Washington said he isn’t saying with the Jets at this time (Twitter link).
Former Rams draft pick Daryl Richardson will try out for the Raiders, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets.
The Jaguars have a workout on their schedule for ex-Bengals linebacker Jayson DiManche this week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Since being waived off Cincinnati’s injured reserve list earlier in the month, DiManche has also tried out for the Browns.
Speaking of those Browns, their veteran quarterback, Josh McCown, remains in the concussion protocol for now, but he could be as cleared as soon as Wednesday. If he is, he’ll receive strong consideration for the club’s starting role, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Even if new acquisition Will Davis doesn’t help Baltimore immediately, the move sends a message to the Ravens‘ cornerbacks that Sunday’s performance was unacceptable, Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. On Monday, Baltimore sent a seventh-round pick to the Dolphins for the former third-round choice. As Brown notes, Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb, and Kyle Arrington all had bad moments Sunday despite playing very well Week 1 against the Broncos.

Zach Links contributed to this post.