Woody Johnson - Pro Football Rumors

Growing Sense That Todd Bowles Is Safe

December 11th, 2016 at 8:33am CST by Rory Parks

Second-year Jets head coach Todd Bowles, widely thought to be on the hot seat as a result of his club’s disappointing 2016 campaign, has a good chance of righting the ship in 2017, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Cimini reports that sources familiar with owner Woody Johnson‘s thinking say that Johnson remains a Bowles supporter and is not planning to cut him loose.

The reason, Cimini writes, is that Johnson feels he would be punishing Bowles–and GM Mike Maccagnan, both of whom were hired in January 2015–for the sins of previous regimes. Although the duo nearly lifted Gang Green to the playoffs last season with considerable help from veteran free agents, that performance was something of an illusion, as the core of the team was weak, and that weakness has manifested itself in a big way this year. As Cimini observes, only five current starters remain from the 2008 to 2014 drafts: Muhammad Wilkerson, Brian Winters, Quincy Enunwa, Calvin Pryor, and Sheldon Richardson. It is difficult to hold a new head coach and GM responsible for that poor level of inherited talent, and Johnson is therefore expected to give Bowles and Maccagnan a little extra rope (Maccagnan and Bowles are equals and report to Johnson directly, so Maccagnan has no say in Bowles’ fate).

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is apparently thinking along the same lines as Cimini, tweeting that there is a growing sense that Bowles’ job is safe.

Of course, Johnson is an impulsive owner who is capable of changing his mind at the drop of a hat. But whether or not Bowles keeps his job, Cimini does expect there to be at least one major change in the coaching staff, and that change would likely be the ouster of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reiterates the notion that Bowles is safe (Twitter link), but Rapoport is expecting a significant roster overhaul, with several big-money veterans jettisoned from the club. Players who fit that description include Ryan Fitzpatrick (whose contract will expire at the end of 2016 anyway), Darrelle Revis, Brandon Marshall, and Nick Mangold. With respect to Mangold, Cimini reports that his ankle injury is pretty significant and at least one source close to the 33-year-old would not be surprised if he decided to call it a career.

But Johnson may not even be the one operating the Jets when all these decisions need to be made. As Rapoport writes in a separate piece, Johnson is a leading contender to be the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom under President-elect Donald Trump, and if that were to happen, Johnson would likely not be running the team on a day-to-day basis. In addition, Johnson would almost certainly resign from NFL committees on which he currently serves (the NFL’s Media Committee, Finance Committee, and Business Ventures Committee).

AFC East Notes: Sheard, Patriots, Jets

November 26th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Ben Levine

Following a productive 2015 season, many expected Patriots defensive end Jabaal Sheard to get paid this offseason. Instead, the Patriots have continued to reduce the 27-year-old’s playing time, culminating in the former second-rounder being inactive for last weekend’s game against the 49ers.

For what it’s worth, the impending free agent isn’t sweating his reduced role.

“It is what it is,” Sheard told WEEI’s Ryan Hannable. “I can only control what I can control.”

Sheard has compiled 18 tackles and 3.5 sacks this season, and he still has plenty of time to pad those numbers before he reaches free agency. Ultimately, the veteran understands that there’s only so much he can control.

“Just do my job, I think,” Sheard said. “Everything else, leave it up to coach. Just practice hard and when I get the opportunity play hard.”

Let’s check out some more notes out of the AFC East…

Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com examines what the Patriots could do with all of their cap space this offseason. The writer believes the team will look to retain many of their key free agents, including Dont’a Hightower, Malcolm Butler, and Martellus Bennett. Curran notes that Sheard and defensive tackle Alan Branch “don’t figure to be high-priority guys at this juncture.”
The Jets will likely miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season, and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News says it’s time for owner Woody Johnson to “tear it down and set a proper foundation.” The writer believes it’s best to build through the draft, and he cautions that the organization should avoid “the quick fix” signings.
If the Jets finish the season with a 5-11 or 6-10 record, ESPN’s Rich Cimini believes coach Todd Bowles will keep his job. The writer notes that the organization is valuing continuity, and firing Bowles after only two seasons would certainly contradict that strategy.

AFC Notes: Ravens, Jets, Hightower, Broncos

May 26th, 2016 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Following an NFL investigation into the Ravens‘ use of full pads during their rookie minicamp, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley reports that the team has been forced to cancel a week of organized team activities. The organization was fined $343,057, while coach John Harbaugh was fined $137,223.

The team reportedly put players in pads for a single five-minute stretch. However, the league believes the organization wasn’t actually ignorant to the rule, thus explaining the hefty punishment.

Harbaugh took full responsibility for the violation earlier today:

“It’s on me,” Harbaugh said. “It’s completely me. It was my decision. That’s the situation that we’re in and we’ll adjust and we’ll adapt. We’ll still become the best football team that we can be.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

Jets owner Woody Johnson told Bob Glauber of Newsday that the team had considered Mike Holmgren for the team’s previously vacant head coach opening. “This was for coaching, just coaching,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t for general manager or anything else. That setup doesn’t work normally. You get too many jobs for one person. But I was flattered he took the call. It’s Mike Holmgren we’re talking about. He’s a legendary figure, a great coach. I enjoyed talking to him.”
Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower is set to be a free agent at the end of this season, but the 26-year-old isn’t anxious to discuss his contract situation. “I don’t have anything to do with any of that,” Hightower told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “I’m just out here trying to get better with my teammates.”
Broncos offensive tackle Russell Okung sounds like he’s content with his decision to join the organization. When asked if he received the best deal for himself this past offseason, the veteran said he got the “best deal in the best place” (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post on Twitter).
After not having his fifth-year option picked up, Broncos defensive tackle Sylvester Williams views the slight as motivation. “I have to go out there and prove myself again,” he said (via Jhabvala). “I look at it as it benefited me.”

Woody Johnson Talks 2015 Season, Bowles, Revis

January 30th, 2016 at 8:43am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets finished 2015 with 10 wins, making it the organization’s most successful season since 2010. Still, there was some disappointment surrounding the team after they blew a chance to make the playoffs in the season finale.

Owner Woody Johnson still hasn’t gotten over that loss, which was clear in his talk with Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. The whole interview is worth checking out, but we’ve grabbed some of the notable quotes below…

On the team’s season-ending loss to the Bills:

“When you lose a game of football, it’s never pleasant, I can tell you that. It’s a hard thing to live through. I wish we had completed a few more passes, or we could have won that easily.”

“Those things stay for a long time. Kind of indelible ink. But you’ve got to move on. Move forward, and learn from what happened in that game.”

On whether he was satisfied with his team’s 2015 performance:

“I don’t think as an owner you can ever be satisfied until you do win the Super Bowl. We haven’t had one for now, (let’s see) this is Super Bowl 50, that was Super Bowl III, so it’s been a while. Until we get there, we’re going to work as hard as we can.”

On Todd Bowles’ and Mike Maccagnan’s first seasons in New York:

“So far, so good…I like them. This is a refreshing start. The 10 (wins). We were in every game. Rebuilt the way we had to.”

On the offseason addition of Darrelle Revis:

“It’s always great to have somebody, a Hall of Famer-type player like Darrelle. So we’re very happy to have him. Both on the field and off the field, the leadership and the way he plays and just his presence for us.

“He played pretty well last year. He’s 1 or 2 in the league.”

Extra Points: Rodgers, Jets, Jaguars, 49ers

January 29th, 2016 at 10:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in the days following the team’s Jan. 16 playoff loss to Arizona, Jason Wilde and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com report. A source indicated that the procedure was a “clean-up of an old injury.” Rodgers should be ready for the Packers’ offseason program in April, according to Wilde and Demovsky. Rodgers told Wilde that he’s “doing well” and “recovering on schedule” (Twitter link via Demovsky).

East Notes: Kraft, Revis, Cowboys

February 1st, 2015 at 10:55am CST by Rory Parks

As the Patriots prepare to represent the AFC East in the Super Bowl tonight, let’s take a look at some notes regarding the Pats, their division rivals, and a few items from the NFC East:

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that the league’s handling of “Deflategate” has thawed the relationship between Roger Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has been one of the commissioner’s biggest supporters and who publicly backed Goodell during the Ray Rice fiasco. Reiss notes that, if Goodell were to lose Kraft’s support, his hold on the commissioner’s job could become a bit more tenuous.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Patriots star corner Darrelle Revis will be courted not only by his current team this offseason–after New England inevitably declines his 2015 option–but he expects the Bills and Jets to be in on Revis as well. Joel Corry tweets that Revis will have a great deal of leverage, as the Patriots cannot put the franchise tag on him if they decline the 2015 option.
Jets owner Woody Johnson received the Steinberg DeNicola Humanitarian Award on Saturday, and before receiving the award, he provided a few clues to his team’s offseason plans. In response to criticism he received earlier this week, when he announced that the Jets would be aggressive in free agency, Johnson stated that although he was not afraid to spend money on free agents, he would not waste money. He specifically mentioned cornerback and strong safety as positions that could be addressed in the free agent market, and he also touched on a possible extension for Muhammad Wilkerson and the team’s quarterback situation (article via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
If Washington is to become competitive again in the NFC East, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com says new GM Scot McCloughan must move away from the team’s historic reliance on big-ticket free agents.
After hearing that the Seahawks have offered Marshawn Lynch a lucrative extension, Joel Corry tweets that the Cowboys will have to substantially increase their offer to DeMarco Murray if they are serious about keeping him.
Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looked at the Cowboys linebacker situation in 2015, both with and without impending free agent Rolando McClain. Fortunately for Dallas, Anthony Hitchens showed that he can play any of the linebacker spots in his rookie season. If McClain comes back, he’ll play in the middle and Sean Lee will be on the weakside. If McClain doesn’t come back, Machota thinks it will be Lee in the middle with Justin Durant/Hitchens on the weakside.
More from Machota, who writes that he’d be surprised if Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley, a restricted free agent, gets plucked away by another team. Linebacker Bruce Carter, however, is a different story. Carter has freakish athleticism and he was a projected first round choice in 2011. There could be teams out there that believe they can better utilize his abilities than Dallas has, perhaps by making him an inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

Zach Links contributed to this post

East Notes: Fangio, Foles, Rolle

January 18th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Rory Parks

After dining with Washington brass last night, Vic Fangio will have a lengthy, official interview today for the team’s vacant defensive coordinator post, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Fangio, who also met with the Bears regarding their defensive coordinator vacancy, is widely regarded as Washington’s top choice.

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

Although a new GM and new defensive coordinator could change things, John Keim of ESPN.com appears convinced that Brian Orakpo will not return to Washington next year.
They have some in-house matters to take care of first, but Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com writes that the Eagles, although not flush with cash, will have enough money to be players in the free agent market. McManus suggests if the team makes a big splash, it will come at the corner or safety positions.
In the midst of rumors that Nick Foles may not be the Eagles‘ long-term solution at quarterback, star running back LeSean McCoy defended his signal caller, McManus writes. “I like Nick,” said McCoy. “The person and the player that everybody thought he was, he is. There were a lot of injuries this year — Nick obviously got injured. He gets all the blame and he shouldn’t. I think Nick is a good quarterback, he is the leader of this team, and things just didn’t work out for him this year due to injury. But we’ve got his back.”
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com does not believe Antrel Rolle will return to the Giants next year, and he looks at how that will affect the team’s free safety position. Raanan also looks at a few possible cap casualties.
Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News writes that, even if his hires of Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan turn out poorly, owner Woody Johnson should at least get credit for taking the right approach in making those hires.
Brian Costello of the New York Post provides a behind-the-scenes look at those Jets hires from Charley Casserly, who served as Johnson’s adviser during the hiring process.

Tampering Charges Filed Against Jets

January 18th, 2015 at 11:53am CST by Rory Parks

At a press conference last month, during which he discussed the firing of Rex Ryan and John Idzik, Jets owner Woody Johnson also touched on former Jet and current Patriot Darrelle Revis. Johnson said simply, “I’d love for Darrelle to come back.” Since that statement was made about a player currently under contract with another club, and since the league maintains that “Any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club’s player to that player’s agent or representative, or to a member of the news media, is a violation of the Anti-Tampering Policy,” tampering charges have been filed against the Jets, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

As Schefter writes, “the league is trying to determine whether there was a violation and if there was, how severe of a fine should be levied against Johnson and the Jets.” Of course, New England is likely to decline Revis’ $20MM option for 2015, which would make him a free agent and which would allow the Jets to talk to him without fear of repercussions.

AFC Coaching Notes: McDaniels, Kubiak, Jets

January 10th, 2015 at 4:34pm CST by Rob DiRe

We have already looked at some of the NFC’s biggest coaching stories, and to follow up here are some of the most important AFC rumors:

The early game today features a pair of offensive minds that could have head coaching opportunities this offseason, in Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, writes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). McDaniels has drawn interest from the Falcons and 49ers, while Kubiak has ties to both the Jets and Bears.
Kubiak has not interviewed yet, choosing to wait until the team’s season is over. However, even if Baltimore is eliminated, Kubiak may not interview for a head coaching job. He loves the Ravens and has friends with the organization, reports Rapoport (via Twitter).
As former Jets head coach Rex Ryan interviews for potential head coaching jobs, one question teams are curious about is who he plans to bring in as an offensive coordinator. Ryan is pitching a potential union with former Bears coach Marc Trestman, reports Rapoport (via Twitter).
Trestman and Raiders quarterback coach John DeFilippo are in the running to replace Kyle Shanahan as the Browns‘ offensive coordinator, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Fowler writes that the most important qualities Cleveland is looking for in an offensive coordinator are the ability to work with Johnny Manziel and scheme flexibility in case the team moves on from its young quarterback.
The Browns have also asked for permission to interview Raiders assistant coach Al Saunders, who has experience as an offensive coordinator and head coach during his 30 years in the NFL, reports Steve Corkran of the San Jose Mercury News.
If former Bills coach Doug Marrone cannot land another head coaching job this year, he would likely be welcome to join the Texans’ staff as a consultant, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN (via Twitter). Marrone is close with Texans coach Bill O’Brien.
The Jets could be waiting for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, but owner Woody Johnson should be worried about his ability to get the in-demand Seahawks assistant, writes Conor Orr of NFL.com. If the Jets wait on Quinn and loses him to another suitor, it could leave the team in a bad spot.

Jets To Fire Rex Ryan, John Idzik

December 29th, 2014 at 7:28am CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 7:30am: The Jets have officially informed Ryan he has been fired, tweets Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. The Jets themselves have confirmed as much (via Twitter), adding that Idzik’s firing has been made official as well.

SUNDAY, 11:10pm: Not that this should come as much of a surprise as Black Monday approaches in the NFL, but the Jets and owner Woody Johnson are prepared to fire head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik, according to Chris Mortenson of ESPN (via Twitter).

Mortenson writes that Idzik will be fired as expected, and that Johnson will not keep Ryan hanging as to wait on the next general manager to decide that.

In the recent days, Pro Football Rumors has monitored the situation with the Jets’ head coach and front office very closely, constantly updating on the hirings Johnson has made and the general feeling surrounding both Ryan and Idzik.

Ryan was 45-50 as head coach of the Jets, including this disastrous 2014 season which saw the team win only four games. In his first two seasons, Ryan and quarterback Mark Sanchez won four road playoff games en route to back-to-back appearances in the AFC Championship game.

It was reported over the weekend that Johnson’s consultants had already made calls concerning available coach and general manager candidates, so the move does not come as a shock.

Ryan will be a highly desired coach on the open market this offseason, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). Fitzgerald does believe Ryan will do better long term if he sits out a year before coming back to coaching.

A PFR poll tallied in mid-October had a majority of readers believing Ryan would most likely be working in TV in 2015, but a significant number thought he would still be coaching in the NFL somewhere, with those votes split amongst a few teams.

Atlanta seems like the obvious fit, and after being embarrassed today against the Panthers and failing to make the playoffs, Mike Smith could be out as head coach there. Owner Arthur Blank reportedly considered Ryan a front runner back when that job was open in the first place.

Idzik’s tenure with the Jets was far less celebrated, lasting only two seasons with the team. It would be difficult to imagine him achieving another general manager job in the NFL anytime soon, but he could go back to Seattle – where he had past success – or pursue another front office job with an NFL team.