HEADLINES

Uncategorized News & Rumors

Staff Rumors: Licht, Bowles, Bills, Patriots

December 14th, 2023 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jason Licht built a Super Bowl-winning Buccaneers roster, doing so after luring Tom Brady to Tampa and completing an all-in effort that kept the Bucs as an elite team in 2021 as well. The 10th-year GM did not oversee a playoff team until Brady’s arrival, and the team regressed after the all-time great unretired last year. But the Bucs are back atop the NFC South, in another bad year for the division, with Baker Mayfield at the helm. This status aside, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes Licht and second-year HC Todd Bowles may be on the hot seat. Pointing to ownership’s interest in starting over to begin a rebuild, La Canfora indicates each of the Bucs’ top two decision-makers could be in trouble.

In his sixth season as a head coach, Bowles is overseeing a No. 13-ranked defense (DVOA places the unit 17th). The former Jets HC has taken heat for his clock management, and the Bucs have certainly dipped as a whole compared to the two Brady-Bruce Arians years. Bowles one-and-done rumors emerged late last season, and the Bucs dropped from 3-1 to 4-7 this year. With a clear chance to either qualify for the playoffs as the NFC South champ or as a wild card, the Bucs do not profile as a clear-cut candidate to dismantle their setup. But this does look to be a consideration.

Here is the latest from the coaching and front office ranks:

  • Weathering a storm of his own making last week, Sean McDermott has the Bills at 7-6. While that is a disappointing record given the team’s plus-104 point differential, Buffalo looms as a dangerous team in the AFC wild-card race. Prior to the report about McDermott using the 9/11 hijackers as an example of teamwork back in 2019, the seventh-year HC was viewed as close to a lock to return in 2024. The Bills HC, however, may not be completely in the clear, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes. The Bills still have matchups against the Cowboys and Dolphins. While McDermott has led a recovery effort that has featured five playoff appearances in six years, not advancing to this year’s bracket — in a conference littered with backup QBs — would be a major disappointment. Would that fate be enough for the Bills to cut bait?
  • On the subject of the Bills’ staff, the team hired another assistant following Ken Dorsey‘s firing. Former Buffalo University OC DJ Mangas is now on McDermott’s staff as an offensive assistant, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets. Mangas also was on the 2019 LSU staff alongside current Bills OC Joe Brady. Mangas, 34, spent this season as the MAC program’s OC; he was LSU’s pass-game coordinator in 2021. The Bills added Mangas to their staff during their Week 13 bye, ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg tweets. This is Mangas’ first NFL gig.
  • Syracuse firing longtime HC Dino Babers will have ramifications for the Patriots. The ACC program will poach Ross Douglas from New England, per ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel, who notes the three-year Pats assistant will work as the wide receivers coach under new Orange coach Fran Brown. Douglas, 29, climbed to the role of Patriots wideouts coach this year. While the Patriots are expected to move on from their legendary HC after the season, it is not known if Jerod Mayo would replace Bill Belichick and retain a number of assistants. An outside staffer coming in would point to the Pats’ staff being mostly sacked.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Leonard, Cowboys, Giants, Commanders, Del Rio

December 6th, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shaquille Leonard‘s free agency decision brought additional intrigue due to its NFC East-only nature, and Jerry Jones said during an interview with 105.3 The Fan (h/t The Athletic’s Jon Machota) the chase did not come down to money. The Colts still owe Leonard $6.1MM guaranteed for the rest of this year. The sixth-year linebacker will collect $416K in prorated base salary from the Eagles, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. That checks in above the veteran minimum, and Yates adds the Eagles included a $100K incentive and $17K per game in roster bonuses.

Leonard played 2 1/2 seasons on a five-year, $98.5MM accord — one that topped the ILB market until the Ravens’ Roquan Smith deal earlier this year — but saw two 2022 back surgeries impact his career. Visiting both the Cowboys and Eagles (ahead of the NFC East powers’ rematch Sunday), Leonard said (via AllPhly.com’s Zach Berman) his bond with Nick Sirianni played a key role in the Eagles choice. Sirianni was the Colts’ OC from 2018-20, Leonard’s first three NFL seasons (all of which resulted in All-Pro honors). He will attempt to recapture that form ahead of another free agency run in 2024.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

Jaylon Johnson Wants To Stay With Bears Beyond 2023; Team Sought Big Return

November 1st, 2023 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Easily Jaylon Johnson‘s most eventful day on this website, Tuesday brought a spree of news pertaining to the contract-year Bears cornerback. The Bears gave Johnson permission to seek a trade, deviating from their previous stance, and discussed him with multiple teams. Ultimately, Johnson is still in Chicago. But Tuesday brought some important status updates.

Most notably, GM Ryan Poles said (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin) it would have taken an offer including a first- or second-round pick to pry Johnson from the Bears. This is in line with a report from Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson, who notes the Bears were seeking a second-rounder in a deal Tuesday. Chicago wanted at least a Day 2 pick for the fourth-year starter, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds.

The Bears appeared ready to move Johnson, to the point the ascending cover man expected to be traded, per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. Even with the stream of trade rumors and potential destinations — from Buffalo to San Francisco — swirling, Johnson still wants to be with the Bears beyond this season, Finley adds. Poles also wants Johnson to be with the team beyond 2023; that will require a hefty contract extension. Johnson also said in June he wanted to sign his second contract with the Bears, though negotiations have not gone smoothly.

Johnson, 24, has shown some well-timed growth. His coverage numbers, via Pro Football Focus or Pro-Football-Reference, are among the best in the league. The 2020 second-round pick ranks third among corners, per PFF, and his completion percentage yielded (50.0), yards per target (5.3) and passer rating as the closest defender (48.1) are considerably better than what he showed in the past. PFF had never previously rated Johnson higher than 50th in a season at his position. Johnson added a two-interception game, including a pick-six, against the Raiders in Week 7.

This profile may lead to some teams being leery of a big payment, and Johnson himself said he is not trying to reset the cornerback market or establish a new positional record. More consistent corners are candidates to do that, but Josh Norman once used a monster contract year to break the CB salary record — back in 2016, when the Panthers rescinding his franchise tag sent him to the market. Even if a Norman path is not viable, Johnson has made himself some money to start his contract year.

The Johnson camp’s ask prompted the Bears to let him look elsewhere, with a midday rumor circulating the team only did this to see what other clubs were willing to pay him. Poles said (via The Athletic’s Adam Jahns) the Bears and Johnson have not engaged in extensive negotiations, pointing to the team’s final offer having not yet emerged. Teams’ apparent unwillingness to include a second-rounder in trades also stands to shape the next round of Johnson talks with the Bears.

Montez Sweat now being in the extension picture, as the key variable in that equation, complicates matters for the Bears and Johnson. Sweat looks to have jumped the line for franchise tag priority. Considering the Bears drafted two second-round corners (Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson) in Poles’ first two years, it would certainly seem Sweat is the priority. If the recently initiated Sweat extension talks produce a deal, a tag would be open for Johnson. The corner tag is projected to come in north of $19MM, however. No team has tagged a corner since the Rams cuffed Trumaine Johnson twice (2016-17).

QB Notes: Watson, Pickett, Herbert, Cards

October 2nd, 2023 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a Week 3 bounce-back effort, Deshaun Watson sat out Week 4 due to a shoulder injury. The Browns endured a 28-3 loss. While Kevin Stefanski said the team is on the same page with its high-priced quarterback medically, the fourth-year HC added (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) Watson was cleared to play against the Ravens.

“He knows is body, he’s played through serious pain before, very, very serious injuries,” Stefanski said. “It wasn’t a matter of pain tolerance. He just did not feel like he had his full faculties.”

The 2022 trade acquisition had missed one game due to injury since the ACL tear that ended his 2017 rookie season, being sidelined for a 2019 contest. The Browns, who saw Watson predecessor Baker Mayfield struggle when playing through a shoulder injury in 2021, traded away their Watson backup — Josh Dobbs — just before the regular season, leading to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking the keys.

Here is the latest from the QB landscape:

  • After limping off the field in Houston, Kenny Pickett received good news upon going through an MRI. The second-year Steelers QB did not sustain serious damage to his knee, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. Pickett sustained a bone bruise and a muscle strain, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, but he has a chance to play this week. With the Steelers’ bye in Week 6, it would make sense for the team to hold its starter out. Mitchell Trubisky, who signed an offseason extension, remains in place as Pickett’s backup. After being usurped by the 2022 first-rounder, Trubisky was needed after Pickett sustained two concussions as a rookie.
  • The Chargers also received fairly good news on their starter. Justin Herbert is not expected to miss time after suffering a finger injury in Week 4. That said, Rapoport notes Herbert did suffer a finger break on his nonthrowing hand. Herbert playing through early-season injuries is, of course, nothing new. The star passer battled rib trouble after a Week 2 injury last year. The Bolts’ franchise centerpiece has never missed a game due to injury.
  • With Kyler Murray not particularly close to returning, Dobbs’ unexpected starter run will continue. The Cardinals pursued Dobbs in free agency, and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes the team made him an offer to rejoin OC Drew Petzing. While Dobbs preferred a Cleveland return, he ended up back with Petzing — the Browns’ QBs coach last season — in Arizona via the “out of the blue” Cards trade offer. Dobbs became Arizona’s surprise starter due partially to the new staff’s concerns about Colt McCoy‘s lack of mobility, per Urban. McCoy, 37, did not impress as the starter during training camp. Murray’s two-year backup, who had signed a two-year deal worth $6MM in 2022, remains a free agent.

Free Agent CB Casey Hayward Medically Cleared

September 10th, 2023 at 12:27pm CST by Rory Parks

Veteran cornerback Casey Hayward signed a two-year contract with the Falcons during the 2022 offseason but played just six games for the club before suffering a shoulder injury that ended his first season in Atlanta prematurely. Shortly after the Falcons swung a trade for former No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah in April, the club released Hayward with a failed physical designation.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Hayward has received full medical clearance and is ready to take part in his 12th NFL season. As of the time of this writing, there has been no reported interest in his services, but once Week 1 is in the books, that could change.

As a vested veteran, Hayward’s full 2023 salary would have been guaranteed if he were on an active roster for Week 1. Since that will not be the case, an interested club could sign him for what would likely be a modest sum and, if necessary, release him with minimal financial ramifications.

Given Hayward’s track record and the league-wide need for cornerback help, it would be fair to expect Hayward to find a new employer soon. In his last full season in 2021, Hayward started all 17 of the Raiders’ regular season contests, recording 46 tackles and nine passes defensed. Pro Football Focus considered him a top-15 corner that year, and he parlayed that performance into the above-referenced deal with Atlanta.

The Packers draftee, who just turned 34 yesterday, is unlikely to return to the elite form he exhibited during his peak years with the Chargers. During his five-year tenure with the Bolts from 2016-2020, Hayward earned two Pro Bowl nods, and he led the league with seven interceptions in 2016.

Still, Hayward yielded a meager 80.7 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction during his brief time with the Falcons last year, making it clear that he has something left in the tank. Even if he were to be deployed on more of a rotational basis, he could certainly be an asset to any number of CB depth charts.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Lions, Hockenson

September 7th, 2023 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashan Gary is all set to debut in Week 1, completing his recovery from the ACL tear that ended his 2022 season in November. But the Packers will begin their top pass rusher on a pitch count to start the season, Matt LaFleur confirmed (via Packers Wire’s Zach Kruse). This could open the door for early-season Lukas Van Ness development. The Packers still roster Preston Smith, who is going into his fifth season with the team, and Van Ness contributed as an inside and outside rusher at Iowa. The team has versatile linebacker Justin Hollins and 2022 fifth-rounder Kingsley Enagbare, who became a primary starter after Gary went down last season, as options while Gary ramps up to a full workload.

Additionally on the Green Bay injury front, David Bakhtiari, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are viewed as game-time decisions for Sunday’s opener against the Bears. Bakhtiari, who has seen knee trouble sidetrack his career to a degree over the past two-plus years, is listed on the injury report with more knee trouble. He expects to play, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein tweets. Both starting receivers are battling hamstring maladies and have not practiced this week. Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • As for tonight’s game, the Lions ruled out cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. Although Detroit activated Moseley off its active/PUP list before roster-cutdown day, the free agency addition underwent a second knee procedure this summer and was viewed as a long shot to start the year on time. Moseley is finishing up a recovery from an October 2022 ACL tear.
  • Isaiah Buggs started 13 games at nose tackle for last season’s Lions edition, but the veteran was informed in advance he would be a healthy scratch tonight, the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers notes. The Lions gave Buggs a two-year, $4.5MM deal in March but gave more snaps to rookie Brodric Martin and Benito Jones during camp. Buggs believes his lack of offseason attendance affected the team’s decision, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The former Steelers contributor said his wife giving birth led to him staying away during OTAs. Jones and Alim McNeill are expected to start in Kansas City, Birkett adds.
  • Going into free agency, the Bears did extensive work on Dre’Mont Jones, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. Although the Bears carried plenty of cap space into free agency, they chose to stand down on Jones and spend for the likes of Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis, T.J. Edwards and DeMarcus Walker. The team later addressed its D-tackle needs in the draft, choosing three — Zacch Pickens (Round 2), Gervon Dexter (Round 3) and Travis Bell (Round 7) — on Day 2. This duo should be expected to play bigger roles down the line, but in Week 1, Justin Jones and Andrew Billings are slated to start. A four-year Broncos regular, Jones ended up with the Seahawks on a three-year, $51MM deal.
  • T.J. Hockenson‘s four-year, $66MM Vikings extension comes with $29.29MM fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. That number checks in fourth among tight ends — behind Kyle Pitts‘ rookie deal and the extensions for Mark Andrews and George Kittle. Hockenson’s 2024 base salary is fully guaranteed. His $10.9MM 2025 base salary is guaranteed for injury at signing, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes that number shifts to a full guarantee a year early (March 2024). The Vikings did not use the year-out guarantee structure for Hockenson’s 2026 setup, giving them more flexibility. Hockenson has $2.3MM of his 2026 base ($15.4MM) guaranteed for injury; it does not shift to a full guarantee until March 2026, giving the Vikings additional flexibility. Hockenson’s cap number will climb from $5MM this year to $14.1MM in 2024, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Pinnock, Cowboys

August 9th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles both signed five-year starter Terrell Edmunds and used a third-round pick on Sydney Brown. Both safeties factor into the team’s plans, but they are not outflanking Reed Blankenship thus far through training camp. Blankenship has been a first-team mainstay, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, who adds Edmunds and Brown have rotated at the other safety spot. Indeed, The Athletic’s Zach Berman notes Blankenship — a 2022 UDFA out of Middle Tennessee State — has been the Eagles’ top safety in camp (subscription required).

This reminds of Marcus Epps‘ rise last year. Despite the Eagles re-signing Anthony Harris and adding Jaquiski Tartt in 2022, Epps earned a starting job — one that eventually led to a two-year, $12MM Raiders payday. The Eagles brought in C.J. Gardner-Johnson via trade just before last season. That transaction could signal none of Philly’s safeties should be too comfortable, but Blankenship — Gardner-Johnson’s injury sub last year who played 291 defensive snaps — looks like the best bet to start among the in-house group.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • Staying on the subject of safeties in this division, the Giants may be moving toward giving Jason Pinnock the starting job alongside Xavier McKinney. A Jets fifth-round pick in 2021, Pinnock started five games for the Giants last year, operating as McKinney’s injury fill-in. He has received consistent first-team work in camp, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes. Pinnock has distanced himself from Dane Belton and veteran Bobby McCain, having been Big Blue’s first-teamer since the fourth training camp practice. The Giants, who lost Julian Love in free agency, claimed Pinnock shortly after the Jets waived the converted cornerback on cutdown day last year. Two seasons remain on Pinnock’s rookie contract.
  • Malik Hooker‘s 2023 Cowboys cap hit climbed from $4.32MM to $4.57MM as a result of his recent extension, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. The incentives in the three-year, $21MM contract include $500K bumps involving playing time and INT production. Five picks and the Cowboys making the playoffs would result in a $500K increase, Archer adds, noting the other incentive requires Hooker to play 85% of Dallas’ defensive snaps and the team to make the postseason (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys, who turned Micah Parsons from an off-ball linebacker to a fearsome edge rusher, are giving Leighton Vander Esch some reps on the edge, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News notes. While the sixth-year linebacker received sparse edge work in games last season, Gehlken adds this is the first time he has received extensive instruction in a defensive end role. Rostering Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Sam Williams, the Cowboys are much deeper on the edge than at linebacker. It would stand to reason LVE’s role will likely remain mostly as an off-ball defender.
  • The Giants recently added longtime safety Mike Adams to their coaching staff, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets. A 16-year veteran, Adams will replace Anthony Blevins as the Giants’ assistant defensive backs coach, the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard adds (on Twitter). Adams, 42, hung up his cleats after the 2019 season. Blevins left the Giants during the summer to accept an XFL HC position.
  • While Devon Allen did not see any game action for the Eagles last season, Berman writes the two-time Olympian hurdler is in play to make the team as a backup this year. Allen, 28, has not played in a game since working as an Oregon slot receiver in 2016. Shifting to track full-time proved beneficial for Allen, who is one of the best 110-meter hurdlers in U.S. history. But he opted to give football another try last year. He suffered an injury at the U.S. Championships last month, exiting the 110 hurdles competition before the finals in order to preserve his body for his second Eagles camp. The Eagles activated Allen from the PUP list Tuesday.
  • Given a reserve/futures deal along with Allen in February, Matt Leo landed on the Eagles’ reserve/retired list last month. The team hired the former practice squad defensive end a defensive and football operations assistant.

Keep Up With NHL Free Agency At Pro Hockey Rumors

July 1st, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Josh Erickson

NHL free agency is about to begin, and Pro Hockey Rumors (@ProHockeyRumors on Twitter) is your go-to source for all the breaking news, rumors, and transactions involving all 32 teams in the league.

In the weeks leading up to free agency, we’ve already witnessed a flurry of trade activity that has set the stage for what promises to be an exciting offseason. Former All-Stars and marquee players like Alex DeBrincat, Connor Hellebuyck, and Mark Scheifele have been at the center of trade speculation as teams look to make big moves and reshape their rosters for the upcoming season in a tight salary cap environment.

One of the most surprising moves so far was the trade that sent original expansion draft selection Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Smith, who sits near the top of many franchise leaderboards for Vegas, was not expecting to be on the move, but the Penguins acquired the veteran fresh off a Stanley Cup so that Vegas had the cap room to re-sign Ivan Barbashev to a long-term extension.

But keeping up with free agency, there are several intriguing names hitting the market this year. Veteran forward Matt Duchene, who was bought out by the Nashville Predators yesterday, is expected to draw significant interest from contending teams looking to bolster their top-six forward group. There’s also one of the greatest American-born players of all time available in former Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, who’s coming off a hip resurfacing procedure that could impact his market value. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is also one of the top players available after a strong end to the season with the record-setting Boston Bruins.

Pro Hockey Rumors will be your one-stop destination for all the latest updates on these stories and more. Our writing team will provide comprehensive coverage of the free agency frenzy as teams look to make key acquisitions and bring their 2023-24 rosters into focus. Stay tuned to Pro Hockey Rumors on Twitter – @ProHockeyRumors – for real-time updates and analysis. The NHL offseason is about to heat up, and we’ll be there every step of the way to keep you informed and entertained.

Check Out The Latest On NBA Free Agency At Hoops Rumors

July 1st, 2023 at 9:33am CST by Rory Maher

NBA free agency officially got underway yesterday evening, and our sister site Hoops Rumors has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams.

39 players reportedly signed contracts yesterday, including seven players receiving nine-figure deals. Three contract extensions are also in the works, including a couple of rookie scale max extensions for Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane.

This morning, we’ve already seen a three-team sign-and-trade that will send Max Strus to the Cavaliers after a strong playoff run with the Heat, while reigning EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov will be coming stateside, agreeing to a three-year, $20MM contract with the Kings.

Plenty of players on our top-50 free agents list are still on the board, including a couple of former All-Stars in D’Angelo Russell and Brook Lopez. And we’re still awaiting news on former MVP James Harden‘s next destination after he requested yet another trade.

For the latest updates on those stories and more, check out Hoops Rumors today! There will be a whirlwind of activity over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters for next season, and we’ll be covering it all. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.

Follow NBA Free Agency At Hoops Rumors

June 30th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Rory Maher

NBA free agency kicks off this evening at 5:o0 p.m. CT, and our sister site Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors on Twitter) has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams.

We’ve already seen quite a bit of trade activity in the weeks leading up to free agency, including blockbuster deals involving former All-Stars like Chris Paul, Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, as well as the 2021/22 Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart. Young veterans on pricey multiyear contracts (Jordan Poole, John Collins) have also changed teams.

There were several surprises yesterday, including 10-time All-Star and former league MVP James Harden exercising his $35.6MM player option with the Sixers. However, instead of staying with Philadelphia, he’s working alongside the club to find a new team via trade, which would mark his fourth team in four years.

While this free agent class may not have as much top-end talent as some previous years, it’s deep with quality players and features several highly accomplished veterans, including Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton and Fred VanVleet, among others. One of the hot names on the market is Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown, who helped Denver win its first championship earlier this month.

For the latest updates on those stories and more, check out Hoops Rumors today! There will be a whirlwind of activity over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters for next season, and we’ll be covering it all. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.

Load More Posts