Uncategorized - Pro Football Rumors

NFC West Notes: Rams, Boldin, Cardinals

January 27th, 2016 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Before he threw a single regular-season pass for the Rams, Nick Foles signed a two-year extension that ensured he wouldn’t be eligible for free agency this winter. Although Foles is sticking around, he won’t be handed the starting quarterback job in 2016, according to Rams general manager Les Snead.

Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio from the Senior Bowl, Snead told Mark Dominik and Alex Marvez that he expects Foles, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion, and any other offseason QB additions to battle for the No. 1 job this summer (link via Marvez at FOX Sports). “If I learned one thing last year, we should have let the quarterbacks have a competition from the start and the best man win instead of just passing the torch to Nick,” Snead said.

The Rams are paying Foles like the starter, as the former Eagles will count for $8.75MM against the cap in ’16. By comparison, Mannion will have a cap hit under $1MM, while Keenum – a restricted free agent – likely won’t make more than $2-3MM. Still, it sounds like Foles’ higher price tag won’t guarantee him anything.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC West…

49ers wideout Anquan Boldin, who is eligible for free agency this winter, spoke briefly to Chip Kelly after the new head coach joined the team, but said today that he has yet to engage in negotiations with anyone from the Niners’ front office about a new contract. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle has the details, along with Boldin’s quotes.
Former Missouri edge defender Michael Sam plans to take “one more shot” at making an NFL roster this year, he tweeted on Tuesday. Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted when he was selected by the Rams in 2014.
After bringing him in for a workout last month, the Cardinals have tried out defensive back Joel Wilkinson again, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Earlier today, veteran Cardinals long snapper Mike Leach announced his retirement. Our full story can be found right here.

NFL Combine To Remain In Indy Through 2020

January 23rd, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL Scouting Combine will remain in Indianapolis through the 2020 season, reports Mike Chappell of CBS4. The new deal between the league and the city runs through 2017, followed by three one-year extension options, confirmed Chris Gahl, vice president of Visit Indy.

“We basically had been working on a year-to-year contract,” said Gahl. “The combine and the NFL were seeking a longer-term agreement because of the logistics involved and putting on an event the size of the combine. This allows everyone involved to know the dates are secure and the venue is secure. It allows for longer-term planning.”

More than 2,000 NFL coaches, executives, and other employees (plus about 300 draft-eligible prospects) migrate to Indianapolis each year in advance of the draft. The event, which has become so popular that it’s now aired on the NFL Network, has been hosted in Indianapolis since 1987. Rumors had swirled that the combine could move to Los Angeles as part of the league’s recent relocation efforts, but it appears that won’t happen any time soon.

This year’s combine will take place February 23-29.

South Notes: Tillman, Titans, Hasselbeck

January 12th, 2016 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Panthers cornerback Charles Tillman will have ACL surgery on Wednesday, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Tillman is, of course, sidelined for the playoffs and, at this time, he has not decided about his football future. Tillman, who turns 35 in February, had a nice bounce-back season in Carolina this year after playing in just 10 total games for the Bears in 2013 and 2014.

Let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFL’s South divisions….

Multiple Titans GM candidates, if they were hired, would choose against retaining Mike Mularkey as head coach, a source with knowledge of the team’s interview process told Jason Wolf of The Tennessean.
Matt Hasselbeck will wait a few weeks before making a final decision on whether or not to retire, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Hasselbeck’s contract with the Colts is set to expire, so he’ll have to sign a new deal with Indianapolis or another team if he intends to continue his playing career.
On the heels of a five-turnover performance by Brian Hoyer in the game that eliminated the Texans from the postseason, GM Rick Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien recognize that finding a “big-time quarterback like many of the other playoff teams” is the top priority for the franchise, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has exerted greater control of the New Orleans Pelicans recently, but that’s only temporary, with Tom Benson‘s NBA team expected to bring in Joe Dumars to run the front office. Check out our sister site, Hoops Rumors, for the latest on Loomis’ involvement with the Pelicans.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Coach Rumors: Gase, Eagles, Pederson, Jets

January 7th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have not yet scheduled a second interview with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching position, a league source familiar with the club’s thinking tells Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. While Frank suggests that this contradicts a previous report on Gase, that Wednesday report didn’t actually say a second interview had been formally set up by the Eagles — just that the team wanted to bring him back for a second meeting.

Although it hasn’t been scheduled yet, a second interview between Gase and the Eagles could still happen. However, Frank suggests that the club may not finish its first round of interviews and regroup until next week sometime.

In other coaching news out of Philadelphia, Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson will interview with the Eagles on Sunday for their head coaching job, regardless of how Kansas City does in its playoff game, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Here are several more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:

The Jets have parted ways with special teams coach Bobby April, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Special teams assistant Steve Hagen and assistant offensive line coach Ron Heller have also been let go by the club.
If he doesn’t get a head coaching job somewhere, look for ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith to be a candidate for the Buccaneers‘ defensive coordinator job, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Leslie Frazier is on his way out in Tampa Bay.
Panthers GM Dave Gettleman says he has talked to several teams looking for a head coach about defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. At the moment, only the Browns have formally asked for an interview, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. McDermott has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Eagles and Giants as well.
Per Mike Wells of ESPN.com, the Colts have officially confirmed several previously-reported changes to their coaching staff, including the dismissal of defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. The club also announced it has parted ways with strength and conditioning coach Roger Marandino and running backs coach Charlie Williams.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Coach Notes: Dolphins, Gase, Raiders, 49ers

January 6th, 2016 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins announced on Tuesday evening that they have completed head coaching interviews with former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

The Dolphins have several more candidates lined up this week, including Bills assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, former Bills head coach Doug Marrone, and their own interim head coach Dan Campbell. However, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears that, at the start of the search, team owner Stephen Ross‘s favorite candidate is Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is scheduled to meet with Miami on Thursday.

Having seen multiple coaches with previous head coaching experience fail in Miami over the last decade or so, Salguero is unconvinced that Gase is the right man for the job, suggesting that the Dolphins need a more seasoned NFL coach for the role. As we wait to see if the team agrees with that assessment and passes on Gase in favor of someone with more experience, let’s round up a few more Wednesday morning coaching notes…

Speaking of Gase, the Eagles confirmed that they interviewed the Bears offensive coordinator for their head coaching position on Tuesday. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), Tuesday’s marathon meeting lasted for about eight hours.
A year after Jack Del Rio took over as the team’s head coach, the Raiders don’t plan to make any changes to his coaching staff, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
There’s a good chance that the 49ers‘ new head coach will be a quarterback-friendly, offensive-minded candidate, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. A few of the candidates already linked to the Niners, including Sean Payton, Hue Jackson, and Mike Shanahan, definitely fit that bill.
After firing defensive coordinator Greg Manusky on Tuesday, the Colts also parted ways with tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts and secondary coaches Mike Gillhamer and Roy Anderson, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Earlier today, we recapped the latest updates on the Giants‘ head coaching search.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Eagles Rumors: HC Search, Peters, Bradford

January 4th, 2016 at 8:24am CST by Luke Adams

Two current NFL head coaches, Sean Payton of the Saints and John Harbaugh of the Ravens, are atop Jeffrey Lurie‘s wish list to replace Chip Kelly in Philadelphia, writes Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.

While the team may have a shot at Payton, there’s essentially no chance of landing Harbaugh, a former Eagles assistant. Harbaugh still has two years left on his contract, and Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes that, despite the Ravens’ disappointing 2015 campaign, the team has no plans to move on from its head coach.

As the Eagles consider head coaching options, here are a few more notes of interest out of Philadelphia:

Mike Shanhan, who is interviewing for the Dolphins’ head coaching job and has interest in the 49ers’ vacancy, has also expressed interest in the Eagles’ head coaching opening, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). It’s not clear yet whether that interest is mutual, or whether the Eagles will schedule an interview with Shanahan.
Pat Shurmur‘s head coaching interview with the Eagles is taking place today, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirms (via Twitter). Shurmur will be the second in-house candidate to interview for the job, with running backs coach Duce Staley having also met with the team.
In a piece for the Inquirer, McLane examines what kind of coach the Eagles should be targeting, with veteran left tackle Jason Peters suggesting “a strong guy, somebody like Andy Reid.”
Of course, it’s not a lock that Peters will be back with the team, but he wants to return to Philadelphia, and expressed confidence that he’s the best option at left tackle for the Eagles, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News details. “I can still play tackle,” Peters said. “I’m the best we’ve got. Who they going to put there? Who’s better than me in this locker room? Nobody. Who can they draft, better than me? Nobody. Who can they pick up, better than me? Nobody.”
Sam Bradford is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, so he may have played his last game with the Eagles, but the quarterback’s performance on Sunday showed why the team should strongly consider bringing him back, writes Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

NFC Notes: Saints, Packers, Eagles, Panthers

December 22nd, 2015 at 8:12pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Saints‘ season winding down, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com revisits the September trade that sent defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to New England in exchange for tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. As Woodbery writes, neither player has made a huge impact for his new team, though New Orleans has had to play Kevin Williams a little more than expected to compensate for the loss of Hicks, and the Saints’ lack of depth.

Having landed on injured reserve on Monday, Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery will undergo surgery on his ankle next week, agent Damarius Bilbo tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Although the rookie’s high ankle sprain – sustained in October – had healed, there’s still cartilage damage that needs to be repaired.
The Eagles could be without their starting nose tackle as they make a run for the postseason, Derrick Gunn of CSNPhiladelphia.com reports (via Twitter) that Bennie Logan could be out for the remainder of the season. A source tells Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News that Logan will miss this weekend’s contest against Washington.
The Panthers will have a roster exemption for defensive end Wes Horton until next Monday, tweets Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange. Horton has been reinstated from his four-game suspension, but won’t be able to return to action until Carolina places him on its 53-man roster.

Following Specific Players On PFR

December 18th, 2015 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

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 Kirk Cousins as he plays out the final year of his contract in Washington and approaches possible free agency, you can visit this page. If you’re interested in keeping tabs on the latest rumors involving Josh Gordon, who will be eligible to apply for reinstatement from his suspension in less than two months, you can find Gordon’s page right here.

In addition to dedicating pages to players, we also maintain archives for certain specific topics. For example, all our posts relating to the city of Los Angeles can be found here, while our updates on the 2016 NFL draft 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.

Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

December 17th, 2015 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

As the NFL’s 2016 offseason approaches, you can follow all the latest news and rumors with the Trade Rumors app for iOS and Android devices! Here are some of the features of the app:

Customize your home screen. The app has feeds for Pro Football Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, and Hoops Rumors by default, but if you’re more of a one- or two-sport person, you can easily remove and reorder feeds. You can also add a feed for any of the 92 MLB, NFL, or NBA teams, as well as the thousands of players in the archives of our three sites. Please note that the default ordering puts MLB Trade Rumors on your home screen, but you can easily go into Settings to reorder and add or remove feeds.
In addition to customizing your feeds, you can also set up notifications at the sport, team, or even player level, and receive a notification as soon as a new article is posted on that topic.
We’ve also allowed for filtering of all stories versus top stories, for what is shown on the home screen as well as for notifications. This allows you to limit yourself to just the most important news for a feed, if you prefer.
Article sharing options are plentiful: choose Facebook, Twitter, email, and text message.
Once you’ve clicked an article in a feed, you can swipe to read the next article in that feed.

Best of all? The Trade Rumors app is free! Download it today for iOS or Android.

NFC Notes: Michael, Jeffery, Trattou, Cousins

December 16th, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks inked running back Christine Michael to a contract earlier today, his second stint with the organization. The former second-rounder was traded prior to the season, and with all of the injuries in Seattle’s backfield, he’s hoping his second chance ends better than his first.

“I’m just here to work and give you guys all I have,” he told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “That’s all I can do. All I want to do. And I told them just like that.’’

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

Alshon Jeffery ranked number two in the first installment of our 2016 free agent power rankings, but he’s not the only important Bears player on an expiring deal. Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com takes a look at four more to go along with Jeffery.
After re-signing with the Vikings, defensive end Justin Trattou admitted that he got an offer from another team during his brief time as a free agent, but turned it down because he wanted to remain in Minnesota. “I really didn’t want to go anywhere else,” Trattou said, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m happy where I’m at.”
While Panthers cornerback Josh Norman is considered one of the top free-agents-to-be at any position for 2016, there are plenty of other corners who should be in line for nice deals, including Sean Smith of the Chiefs and Janoris Jenkins of the Rams. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at the cornerback market.
Former sports agent (and current writer for CBSSports.com) Joel Corry examined what Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ next contract will look like. Corry wonders if Cousins could receive a deal similar to the two-year, $24.5MM (worth up to $38MM) extension between the Rams and Nick Foles.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

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