There is a definite post-Super Bowl lull in the NFL world right now, and while we will soon be talking about free agent rumors and the April draft in earnest, today is not that day. But there is still professional football to watch if you’re interested, and there are a few NFL items of note to discuss, so let’s get to them:
Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic examines how the Rams might address some of their biggest needs this offseason. The club is projected to have about $41MM in salary cap space, and Bonsignore suggests that LA must find a dominant edge rusher to take some pressure off of Aaron Donald. Luckily, this year’s draft features quite a bit of pass rushing talent if the Rams choose to steer clear of the pricey free agent market for edge defenders.
Todd Gurley will obviously be back with the Rams, but given his history of knee problems, and the impact that his most recent knee injury had on the team’s playoff run, Bonsignore says LA will think long and hard about adding another back to share the load (we learned last week that the club is interested in bringing back C.J. Anderson). He also suggests that the Rams could bring back Ndamukong Suh on a two-year deal, and that Mark Barron could be a cap casualty.
The Bengals will hire Jemal Singleton as their running backs coach, per Jeremy Rauch of Fox 19 (via Twitter). Singleton previously served in the same capacity with the Colts from 2016-17 and with the Raiders in 2018.
Jenna Laine of ESPN.com examines a few free agents that the Buccaneers might consider, a list that includes safety Tyrann Mathieu — who of course has a history with new head coach Bruce Arians — and kicker Matt Bryant.
After the recent exodus of coaching talent, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com names a few Patriots coaching assistants who could be elevated to position-coach roles. Cole Popovich, Mike Pellegrino, DeMarcus Covington, and Brian Belichick could all be promoted in short order.
Pro Football Focus released its list of the top 10 players eligible for free agency in March and projected the contracts those players might land. Five of the top six players are edge rushers, including Jadeveon Clowney, the top player on the list, whom PFF expects to land a six-year, $135MM deal with $85MM in guarantees. Clowney, of course, is expected to be hit with the franchise tag, so if he gets a contract of that size this year, it will likely come from the Texans.
February 3rd, 2019 at 3:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson
The NFL’s current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2021, but labor negotiations between the league’s owners and the players’ union may begin within the next sixth months, sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com.
NFLPA president Eric Winston discussed the possibility of a work stoppage earlier this week, preparing players for a worst-case scenario (a lockout such as the one that occurred in 2011). Winston, of course, is protecting the players that rely on his counsel, but a “core group” on both the owner and player side of discussions are optimistic that talks will begin early.
Per Mortensen, the union will focus on expanding the players’ share of revenues. Currently, the CBA mandates that players average at least 47% of revenues over the life of the 10-year contract. An NFLPA spokesperson recently indicated that while the players’ share typically fluctuates between 47% and 48.5%, it’s currently at the higher end of that range. The NFLPA will also seek to expand player benefits, per Mortensen.
NFL owners, meanwhile, intend to push for a deal that will include the ability to work out new television contracts. Owners will also attempt to get more stadium credits, a concept with was detailed by Niners Nation when the new CBA was signed in 2011.
On Saturday, the 2019 Hall of Fame class was announced and Tony Gonzalez, Ty Law, Ed Reed, Champ Bailey, Kevin Mawae, Gil Brandt, Pat Bowlen and Johnny Robinson all found out they would be enshrined in August.
While eight inductees is certainly a full class, several other players, coaches and contributors were left just short of receiving their spot in Canton. Those individuals are likely to have a good shot at crossing the threshold in 2020, as only Troy Polamalu is likely to enter from the new class of eligible players on his first ballot. Others first-timers who could hear their names called include 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis and Colts receiver Reggie Wayne.
Of the 2019 snubs, who is the most deserving?
Steve Atwater – Made the Pro Bowl in eight of his ten seasons with the Broncos and earned two First Team All-Pro honors. His hard-hitting play at free safety helped Denver advance to three Super Bowls and win titles in his last two seasons with the team. He reportedly gained a lot of steam in the discussion room this season, so he will enter 2020 as a favorite to receive the honor. He will be on the ballot for the third time in 2020.
Tony Boselli – Among players who were not enshrined, Boselli seemed to be the name that generated the most buzz in 2019. According to NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco, the Jaguars’ left tackle’s case was argued for 26 minutes and 10 seconds, the second-longest of any player up for discussion behind Law (27:16). Though he only played seven seasons, Boselli was arguably the league’s best offensive lineman, earning five Pro Bowl nods and three First Team All-Pro selections. Terrell Davis earning induction in 2017 undoubtedly helps his case a short-career hopeful. He will be on the ballot for the fourth time in 2020.
Isaac Bruce – When Bruce called it quits following the 2009 season, only one player in NFL history had tallied more receiving yards — Jerry Rice. Though he has since been passed by Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald and Tony Gonzalez, the Rams wide receiver produced eight 1,000-yard campaigns, earned four Pro Bowl selections and was a central figure in St. Louis’ “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. No first-team All-Pro selections certainly doesn’t help, but his accumulation of stats could put him over the top in 2020, his fourth year on the ballot.
Don Coryell – If you like the passing revolution in the NFL, then you probably think Coryell should be in Canton. An offensive innovator, the Chargers coach’s “Air Coryell” offense led the league in passing yards in seven of his nine seasons and ranked second in 1984. In his tenure with the Chargers, Coryell amassed a 72-60 record, won three division titles and appeared in a pair of AFC Championship games. Unfortunately, he was never able to get over the hump into the Super Bowl. Still, his offensive innovations paved the way for today’s NFL. He will be on the ballot for the sixth time in 2020.
Alan Faneca – A brick wall at left guard for Pittsburgh from 1998-2007, Faneca earned a Pro Bowl selection in every year of the 2000s and was named a First Team All-Pro an astounding six times. He was also a central figure on a tough Steelers squad that claimed a Super Bowl title during the 2005 season. Though he will be on his fifth ballot in 2020, Faneca is a safe bet for enshrinement in the coming years thanks to his All-Decade Team selection.
Tom Flores – A trailblazer on the field and on the sidelines, Flores was the first hispanic quarterback in league history and later became the first hispanic head coach. Apart from that, Flores is also one of 13 coaches to win multiple Super Bowls, after leading the Raiders to titles in Super Bowl XV and XVIII. A coach for 12 years, Flores spent his first nine with the Raiders and compiled an impressive 83-53 mark. He would be a finalist for the second time in 2020.
Steve Hutchinson – Between Seattle and Minnesota, Hutchinson paved the way for two of the most dominant running backs of the last two decades in Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson. The guard was rewarded for his efforts in those rushing attacks, earning seven consecutive Pro Bowl selections and claiming five First Team All-Pro honors. It is thought that he and Faneca split votes due to playing the same position. With a more open field in 2020, Hutchinson could receive the good news on his third year on the ballot.
Edgerrin James – One of four players in NFL history with 1,500 rushing yards in four different seasons, along with Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson and Barry Sanders, James was one of the most dominant and versatile backs of the 2000s. A four-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time First Team All-Pro, James helped form one of the most unstoppable offenses of the decade in Indianapolis with Peyton Manning. His accolades don’t look as sterling due to a stable of stellar backs in the decade, but James unquestionably has the statistical pedigree of a Canton inductee. He will be on his fourth ballot in 2020.
John Lynch – A third-round selection in 1993, Lynch helped turn Tampa Bay from a league laughing stock to one of the best defenses in history during his tenure with the Bucs. A star in the team’s signature Tampa-2 defense, Lynch earned five Pro Bowl selections with the Buccaneers before joining the Broncos in 2004 and earning another four selections before retiring in 2007. The hard-hitting safety will be on the ballot for his seventh time in 2020.
Richard Seymour – The only defensive lineman on the ballot in 2019, Seymour couldn’t muster enough support to enter the hall in his backyard of Atlanta. He will be in the running for 2020, however, thanks to his seven Pro Bowl selections, three First Team All-Pro honors and three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots. An instrumental figure in New England’s run of three titles in four seasons, Seymour could receive votes as a tribute to the team’s dynasty. Even without those votes, Seymour was one of the most versatile defensive ends of his era and could receive the necessary support in 2020, his second year as a finalist.
So who do you think is most deserving from the 2019 finalists to enter the Hall of Fame in 2020? Vote and then back up your case in the comments.
That only increased the uncertainty surrounding his status, but Panthers fans got some good news today. Newton is recovering well, and the Panthers’ coaching staff is “optimistic that Newton will fully rehabilitated by training camp”, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. Rodrigue had head coach Ron Rivera speaking on the record, and he sounded fairly confident that Newton isn’t in any danger of missing any regular season time.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network followed up with a tweet pointing out that the “surgery was not to his rotator cuff like last year’s was”, so it wasn’t necessarily an aggravation of the previous injury. In Rodrigue’s piece, which is worth a read, Rivera details how Newton was dealing with crippling pain the second half of the season that significantly limited his range of motion in his arm and hurt his accuracy.
It doesn’t sound like a Luck situation is going to play out, and while Rodrigue notes that the team plans to take it easy with Newton this spring, we should see him at close to full speed this summer. Rivera said Newton has already shown “marked improvement” and that “he has gotten a lot of range of motion back.” The Panthers started the year 6-2, but everything went downhill when Newton popped up on the injury report with his shoulder issue. The team went 1-7 the rest of the way, and Newton was shut down for the final two games of the season.
January 30th, 2019 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links
Kevin O’Connell is the Redskins’ new offensive coordinator, but things could have played out differently. Before Washington promoted him to the OC role, other teams inquired about trying to hire him for the same position, sources tell ESPN.com’s John Keim. Right now, it’s not clear which teams reached out to O’Connell, but it sounds like there was interest from multiple clubs.
O’Connell, 33, was bumped up on Tuesday, putting him in the role formerly occupied by Matt Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh, meanwhile, has been moved to a role as the team’s senior offensive assistant.
Prior to the big promotion, O’Connell was Washington’s quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator in 2018. He’s young, but, lately, NFL teams have been happy to eschew experienced candidates for more energetic personalities.
Meanwhile, the Redskins have yet to determine whether O’Connell will call plays, Keim hears. Cavanaugh did not call plays as the team’s OC, but Sean McVay did when he donned the headset in D.C.
January 28th, 2019 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links
As we’ve outlined before, there are a number of different ways to follow Pro Football Rumors via Facebook, Twitter, and RSS. If you don’t want to follow all the site’s updates, you can subscribe to team-specific or transaction-only Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. Although we don’t have Facebook pages or Twitter feeds for specific players, it’s easy to follow all our updates on your favorite player as well.
If, for instance, you want to keep track of all the latest news and rumors on Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell as he prepares for free agency, you can visit this page. If you’re interested in keeping tabs on the latest news involving Alex Smith, you can find his page right here.
In addition to dedicating pages to players, we also maintain archives for certain specific non-NFL topics. For example, all our posts relating to the XFL can be found here, while our updates on the Alliance of American Football (AAF) are here.
Every player we’ve written about has his own rumors page, and each of those players also has his own RSS feed, making it even easier to follow the latest updates. Links to RSS feeds for specific players are all located on this page. You can also find links to RSS feeds for various miscellaneous categories there. For instance, if you only want to receive one update every Sunday recapping the week’s notable headlines, you can subscribe to our Week in Review RSS feed, right here.
GaryKubiakwill not be joining the Broncos, but he’d still be open to other coordinator openings. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the long-time coach “still has an interest in being an offensive coordinator.” Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic echoes the report (via Twitter), saying the Broncos wouldn’t stand in the way of the current executive pursuing another gig.
One team that could have interest in Kubiak is the Jaguars, according to Schefter. Jacksonville has been connected to Darrell Bevell and Todd Monken as they’ve searched for a replacement for Scott Milanovich.
It was believed that Kubiak would be hired as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator on Vic Fangio‘s new staff. However, talks apparently broke down between the two parties, with reports noting that they had “different ideas on staffing and offensive philosophies.”
Let’s check out some more coaching notes from around the NFL…
Speaking of the Broncos, offensive line coach SeanKugler interviewed with the Vikings and is set to meet with the Cardinals, reports Mike Klis of 9News (via Twitter). Klis notes that there’s some optimism that he’d ultimately be hired for the Cardinals gig. Kugler’s tenure in Denver could be over, as the team is reportedly eyeing Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak for the position.
The 49ers denied the Packers and head MattLaFleur permission to interview his brother, wide receivers coach MikeLaFleur, according to Schefter (on Twitter). San Francisco also denied the Browns and Vikings requests to interview the younger LaFleur.
The Browns are set to interview Packers run game coordinator/offensive line coach JamesCampen today, reports ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (via Twitter). Green Bay’s longest-tenured assistant coach has been with the organization since 2007, and he was promoted to position of run-game coordinator prior to this season. Campen is under contract for next season, so it’s a bit surprising that Green Bay didn’t deny the Browns’ request to interview the coach.
Some assorted coaching hirings and firings: running backs coach StumpMitchell is returning to the Cardinals (via Alex Marvez of SiriusXM on Twitter), the Packers have fired passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. (via Schefter on Twitter), and the Buccaneers have hired University of Arizona offensive line coach JoeGilbert for the same position (via TampaBay.com’s Rick Stroud on Twitter).
On Friday, Antonio Brown, through his rep, declined to comment on prospective trade talks. However, the receiver is reportedly open to either being traded or returning to the Steelers in 2019, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.
According to Fowler, the perennial Pro Bowl pick is “open/eager” to prove he can thrive in any offense, but is fine with returning to Pittsburgh “if things shake out that way.” This comes a day after Steelers president Art Rooney II said it would be “hard to envision” Brown with the team next season.
This has all spiraled out of control fast since Brown’s blowup leading up to Week 17, which led head coach Mike Tomlin to bench him for a pivotal game against Cincinnati. Shortly thereafter, it was reported the star receiver was requesting a trade.
Thanks to the $19MM signing bonus he received in his four-year, $68MM extension and the $12.96MM restructuring bonus he later secured, cutting or trading Brown would result in a $21.12MM cap charge in 2019.
While it could be difficult to deal the wideout financially, the Steelers seem willing to explore trading Brown. Despite the hefty price tag, Brown is sure to find suitors looking to get its hands on the most consistent receiver from the last five years.
When the Rams’ postseason run comes to a close, the Bengals are expected to offer quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor their head coaching position. With the expected move, Cincinnati cleaned house on Friday, dismissing the previous staff of Marvin Lewis, including offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, ESPN’s Katherine Terrell writes. Among the other assistants let go include running backs coach Kyle Caskey and tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes.
This move, of course, is not unexpected. Most head coaches will bring in their own guys and Taylor — or whoever ends up with the job — is no exception.
A longtime NFL assistant, Lazor began his tenure with the Falcons as an offensive quality control coach in 2003 before moving to the Redskins as an offensive assistant in 2004. After a handful of other jobs, including a stint in the college ranks with Virginia, Lazor landed the offensive coordinator role with the Dolphins in 2014. After serving there two seasons, he joined the Bengals as quarterbacks coach in 2016 and was promoted to offensive coordinator the following season. In two seasons running the show in Cincinnati, Lazor ranked in the bottom 10 in yards and bottom half in points both seasons.
Here’s more from the AFC’s coaching carousel:
Sticking in the AFC North, Browns new head coach Freddie Kitchens cleaned house after getting the job. Once person he didn’t let go, however, was Ryan Lindley, who will serve as his quarterbacks coach next season, AZCardinals.com’s Mike Jurecki tweets. Lindley, who played in the NFL from 2012-15 as a quarterback, served as the Browns running backs coach in 2018.
Also with the Browns, the team added former Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer as its special teams coordinator, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero [Twitter link]. Priefer filled the same role in Minnesota from 2011-18, but declined to re-sign with the team after his contract expired after this past season. Priefer was born in Cleveland and coached two seasons at nearby Youngstown State in the 1990s.
New Broncos head coach Vic Fangio is bringing back special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, News9 in Denver’s Mike Klis tweets. McMahon concluded his 12th season in the NFL this past season, his first as special teams coordinator with the Broncos. He previously held the same position with the Colts, Chiefs and Rams.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
Rob Gronkowski is arguably the greatest tight end of all time, and as the regular season winds down, we could be seeing the end of Gronk in a Patriots uniform, opines Tom Curran of NBC Sports. Curran breaks down all the drama between Gronkowski and the New England front office regime over the past couple of years, and thinks that the fact that Gronkowski has been severely underpaid for years played the main role in the thawing of the relationship.
Both sides are unhappy with one another, and the Patriots already tried trading Gronkowski this offseason. Given that they already deemed him non-essential before the season began it won’t be at all surprising if they want to move on at the end of the year, and it’s highly possible Gronkowski will want to move on as well, as Curran writes he’s grown tired of the ‘Patriot Way.’ Curran thinks the writing is on the wall that things are coming to an end, and Gronk is having a very disappointing season by his lofty standards. His body has been breaking down, and he hasn’t been his usual game-breaking self most times this season. If it is indeed the end, it’ll be an end of an era in Foxborough.
Here’s more from around the league:
On the subject of the Patriots, the team brought in CFL players defensive back Tevaughn Campbell and receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert for workouts, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN (Twitter link). Since CFL players aren’t eligible to be signed until after the season, these workouts are likely for consideration for reserve/futures contracts to be handed out in 2019.
While he’s already rewritten the rule book about what a running back can do at his age, Adrian Peterson isn’t done yet. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer wants to continue playing, and wants to be back with the Redskins next year,per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. Signed at the last minute when Derrius Guice went down with a torn ACL, Peterson has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2018 NFL season, rushing for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s slowed down a bit as the season has gone on, but Washington could bring him back as a veteran mentor and change of pace option behind Guice.
Speaking of veterans who want to keep playing, quarterback Matt Schaub hopes to be back with Falcons next year, according to Matt Winkeljohn of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Schaub is aware his NFL career might be coming to an end, as most teams are trending toward having younger players as their backups. But the 37-year-old signal caller, once one of the league’s better starting quarterbacks, hopes to be back in the place where he’s taken on a coach-like role behind Matt Ryan. If he does end up hanging up his cleats, Schaub said he wants to stay “around sports in some form or fashion whether it’s trying to do broadcasting or with an organization somehow.”
While the Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, at least one player did get some good news. Receiver Jarius Wright got a $200K bonus for hitting his catch incentives, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). So far this season the 2012 fourth round pick out of Arkansas has 41 catches for 427 yards and a touchdown. He should be back in Carolina next year at his $2.5MM salary.
