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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:

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/23

December 5th, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • Waived from PUP list: LB Drew White

A 2021 third-round pick, Rice started 10 games over his first two seasons. Although the Titans cut Zach Cunningham and let David Long sign with the Dolphins, they brought in Azeez Al-Shaair and have used second-year UDFA Jack Gibbens as starters this season. Rice has been strictly a backup, and a post-transaction tweet suggested the young defender was not too broken up about this Tennessee cut.

Hyder joined the Texans earlier this season. The 49ers had waived the rotational pass rusher after trading for Randy Gregory. Reuniting with DeMeco Ryans, Hyder spent much of his Texans stay on their practice squad. The team used the defensive end in two games this season, giving him 40 defensive snaps as a backup. Hyder would be eligible to return to Houston’s P-squad if he clears waivers.

Bears To Evaluate HC Matt Eberflus During Offseason; Team Interested In Eric Bieniemy?

December 5th, 2023 at 10:47am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears have had an up-and-down season in Year 2 under head coach Matt Eberflus. As a result, his name has been floated as a candidate to be replaced this offseason, but it remains to be seen if the team’s front office will authorize a change.

Both Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles will be evaluated after the 2023 season, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). New president Kevin Warren has signficant sway in the team’s direction, and Russini notes he has spent his time in Chicago “getting a feel for the organization.” Warren will have a major say with respect to changes on the sidelines and in the front office, but the Eberflus-Poles pairing still has time to make a positive impression.

The Bears currently sit at 4-8 on the season, one in which improvement from last season’s tear-down campaign was expected. Chicago began the year with five losses out of the first six games, but a 3-3 record since then has likely helped the cause for Eberflus, Poles and quarterback Justin Fields to remain in their current positions. The latter could easily be replaced this spring given the Bears’ strong chance of owning the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, but he appears to still have the backing of the team at this point.

Nevertheless, it would not come as a shock if Eberflus were to be let go after the campaign. In that event, a number of candidates would no doubt be on the team’s radar. One of those is Eric Bieniemy, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports. The longtime Chiefs offensive coordinator took the OC position in Washington this offseason in a move which granted him play-calling duties and the added title of assistant head coach.

In the eyes of many, it also set Bieniemy up for his first NFL head coaching position in the event he were to remain with the Commanders in 2024 and beyond. Current head coach Ron Rivera is widely believed to be on the way out at the conclusion of this season, and Bieniemy’s work with respect to developing second-year passer Sam Howell has drawn praise. The Commanders rank 10th in the league in total offense despite a mediocre ground game, but the team’s defense has floundered in recent weeks in particular and resulted in a 4-9 record.

The Bears are in a similar position in the win-loss column, but improved play on defense – Eberflus’ familiarity dating back to his coordinator days – has been evident at times in recent games. Chicago ranks 11th in yards allowed per game this season (319) and first against the run (79). Eberflus has served as the defensive play-caller since the sudden resignation of DC Alan Williams in September. That move, along with the acquisition and extension of defensive end Montez Sweat, has not yielded a strong performance in the pass-rush department, however.

Eberflus and Poles were mentioned in a September report as being on the hot seat, but the former later expressed the support he had received from the organization. Plenty is still to be determined over the closing weeks of the season, but the Bears’ organizational direction will be a major storyline to watch upon the conclusion of the campaign. With the prospect of two top-10 picks in April’s draft, the team’s HC position could be an attractive one for Bieniemy if he were to find himself in consideration for the job, though he could also receive interest from other teams this offseason.

DT Jonathan Allen Addresses Commanders Future

December 4th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders’ defensive front saw major changes made this season with Montez Sweat and Chase Young dealt at the trade deadline. The team still has a pair of former first-rounders along the D-line in defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen, however.

The former was one of several DTs to land lucrative second contracts this offseason, inking a four-year, $90MM deal. That has him on the books for the foreseeable future, but the same is not the case for Allen. He is under contract for 2024 and ’25, but no guaranteed salary exists on his pact for those two seasons. Moving on from the 28-year-old via trade or a post-June 1 release could thus yield cap savings and clear one of the team’s top cap hits for the near future.

Notably, Washington made it clear no trade offers for Allen would be considered this fall. The Commanders were willing to part ways with Sweat and, after lowering their asking price, Young in lieu of signing one or both to new deals in the offseason. That is not a concern for Payne or Allen, but the latter’s latest remarks on the state of the franchise suggest he would be willing to depart the nation’s capital.

When asked about whether he has contemplated playing on another team during an appearance on 106.7 The Fan, Allen said, “1000%. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. I play this game to win and I would love to win here for sure but I want to win first and foremost. So that’s always going to be at the front and center of my mind and everything I’m going to be doing in my career is going to make sure I’ll have an opportunity to win” (h/t Grant Paulsen of NBC Sports Washington).

The Commanders recently moved on from defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, and head coach Ron Rivera is widely expected to be replaced this offseason. Those changes could bring about an uptick in on-field performance for Washington, but a transition period under new owner Josh Harris could very well result in at least a brief rebuilding phase. In that case, it would be interesting to see how the team would proceed with Allen.

The two-time Pro Bowler has posted 5.5 sacks this season, putting him on pace to finish near his career-best output of nine in that regard in 2021. Allen has added nine tackles for loss, meaning he will likely reach double-digits for the fourth time in his career. He would carry signficant value for interested teams in terms of performance, but his contract would be a burden for an acquiring team.

Allen is set to carry cap hits of $21.5MM and $23MM over the next two seasons, figures which would make his pact difficult to move. Nevertheless, the Commanders are on track to miss the postseason for the sixth time in Allen’s seven years in Washington. His willingness to remain with the franchise in 2024 and beyond will be a key storyline for the transitioning team this offseason.

NFC East Rumors: Giants, Prescott, Lewis, Garcia

December 3rd, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

The reported rift between Giants head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has gotten weird. After recent reports of tension between the two coaches and rumors that both the team’s coordinators are in danger of losing their jobs, New York elected to deny, deny, deny. And then deflect, deflect, deflect.

The day of our initial report, a New York Post contribution by Mark Cannizzaro relayed multiple accounts from players and staff pushing back on the idea of a rift. Daboll himself expressed his “respect” for Martindale to the media last week telling them, “I’d say the biggest argument that Wink and I have had is who has the last piece of pizza.”

Daboll is known for running a bit of a closed-door operation intent on eliminating outside distractions, so taking his statements at face value is difficult to do. Especially when the following day, Pat Leonard of New York Daily News provided a description of a press conference in which general manager Joe Schoen and Daboll failed in their attempts to play it cool.

For the second straight day, Daboll made a joke about him and Martindale being avid eaters, saying, “I just met with Wink a little while ago. We had donuts.” This was followed by Schoen repeatedly deflecting questions about Martindale’s future with the team to Daboll, claiming that Daboll had already discussed these things with the media, which he hadn’t.

It seems like opinion for now, but those in the room seem to firmly believe in the supposed rift between Daboll and Martindale. The Giants’ attempts to get the media looking in the opposite direction don’t seem to be effective.

Here are a few other rumors from the NFC East:

  • Our own Adam La Rose recently provided a strong breakdown of the potential extension situation for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. In it, La Rose relayed the team’s plan to wait until the offseason to solidify a new deal for their two-time Pro Bowler. Well, today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided a bit more detail on the situation, cluing us in to a potential deadline for an extended contract. Rapoport speculates that, since Prescott is due a $5MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the new league year, if an extension is going to happen, it’s going to be before then. The 2024 League Year is set to start on March 13, giving the team until March 17 to get a deal done.
  • A few weeks into the season last year, we saw Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis undergo season-ending surgery for a Lisfranc injury. At the time, we questioned what the injury meant for Lewis’s future as he was set to enter a contract year and an injury plus the breakout of then fifth-round rookie DaRon Bland could threaten his job security. Apparently, we should have been worried about his future for a different reason as Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News told us recently that Lewis’s injury had the potential to threaten his football career. The team’s director of rehabilitation, Britt Brown, told Gehlken that “a lot of guys…wouldn’t have come back from that.” Brown continued, “When that initially happened, his career was immediately in jeopardy.” Lewis, though, fought to return and has played in every game past Week 1 for the Cowboys this year, displaying impressive resiliency in the face of dour odds.
  • The Commanders had to turn to some new leaders on the defensive side of the ball this week after firing Jack Del Rio a little over a week ago. Cristian Garcia, who was recently tabbed as the team’s interim defensive backs coach, is reportedly whom head coach Ron Rivera will rely on, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 29-year-old assistant coach was asked this week to “handle a larger role in game planning and on gameday.” While it’s surely an exciting challenge for Garcia, facing the Dolphins in his first week with increased responsibilities was certainly a daunting task.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/2/23

December 2nd, 2023 at 4:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s gameday callups and minor moves heading into Sunday:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

The Chiefs have ruled out running back Jerick McKinnon for tomorrow’s game against the Packers, necessitating some extra depth at the position. The team will turn to Prince, an undrafted free agent who has spent the entire season on Kansas City’s practice squad. Prince had a breakout season at Tulsa in 2022, finishing with 813 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.

Winfrey, a 2022 fourth-round pick, was cut by the Browns last July after being investigated for pulling a gun on a woman. He joined the Jets practice squad in early November and will finally earn his first promotion of the season. Winfrey got into 13 games for Cleveland last year, collecting 22 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

At age 36, Irvin will be making his debut for a sixth NFL team. The veteran pass rusher signed with Detroit midway through November and will finally have a chance to extend his streak of regular season appearances to 12 straight years. The only absence on the Lions’ front-seven will be linebacker Alex Anzalone, so Detroit may be looking to stand Irvin up to help the team’s depth at linebacker.

 

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 1st, 2023 at 1:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Week 13 underway, the picture at the top of the NFL draft board continues to become clearer. Plenty is yet to be determined with respect to the top of the order, however.

The Panthers’ ongoing struggles led to Frank Reich‘s firing, but the Bears own Carolina’s top pick this year due to the 2023 swap which landed Bryce Young via the No. 1 selection. Chicago being able to have the top pick once again – coupled with their own selection landing in the top-10 – would make the Bears a team to watch closely come April. The race for the top two or three slots (and, as such, the ability to draft QBs Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, along with wideout Marvin Harrison Jr.) will also be a key late-season storyline for the Cardinals and Patriots.

The Commanders have lost three straight games, overshadowing a promising season from first-year starter Sam Howell. After deciding to move on from defensive ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat at the trade deadline, the team’s defense has continued to struggle. DC Jack Del Rio is out as a result, and head coach Ron Rivera‘s position is not believed to be on strong footing. A top-five pick could make the job in Washington more attractive presuming a opening arises this offseason.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. Arizona Cardinals: 2-10
  3. New England Patriots: 2-9
  4. Chicago Bears: 4-8
  5. Washington Commanders: 4-8
  6. New York Giants: 4-8
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-7
  8. New York Jets: 4-7
  9. Los Angeles Chargers: 4-7
  10. Tennessee Titans: 4-7
  11. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-7
  12. New Orleans Saints: 5-6
  13. Green Bay Packers: 5-6
  14. Los Angeles Rams: 5-6
  15. Cincinnati Bengals: 5-6
  16. Buffalo Bills: 6-6
  17. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  18. Denver Broncos: 6-5
  19. Atlanta Falcons: 5-6
  20. Minnesota Vikings: 6-6
  21. Seattle Seahawks: 6-6
  22. Indianapolis Colts: 6-5
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-4
  24. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  25. Miami Dolphins: 8-3
  26. Detroit Lions: 8-3
  27. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-3
  28. Dallas Cowboys: 9-3
  29. Kansas City Chiefs: 8-3
  30. San Francisco 49ers: 8-3
  31. Baltimore Ravens: 9-3
  32. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-1

Commanders, Patriots Pursued QB Tommy DeVito

November 30th, 2023 at 8:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito has guided the Giants to two-straight victories, tossing four touchdowns vs. no interceptions in wins over the Commanders and Patriots. While the sudden breakout has shocked many, it probably wasn’t much of a surprise to the two teams he beat.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported last weekend that after DeVito went undrafted in this past year’s draft, he received an offer from Washington. In fact, that offer featured more guaranteed money than the contract that DeVito ultimately signed with the Giants. However, the rookie quarterback grew up in New Jersey and wanted to play for Brian Daboll, two factors that played major roles in him taking the lesser deal.

Then, when DeVito was cut by the Giants at the end of the preseason, the Patriots approached the rookie quarterback about joining their practice squad. Instead, DeVito stuck with the Giants’ taxi squad, and he earned a promotion to the active roster in October after backup Tyrod Taylor went down with an injury.

After entering Week 9 in place of the injured Daniel Jones, DeVito has started every game for the Giants. In total, the rookie has completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 697 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions. He’s also added 83 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

NFC East Notes: Neal, Cowboys, Commanders

November 30th, 2023 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Giants have seen Andrew Thomas become one of the NFL’s better tackles — en route to a $23.5MM-per-year extension — they have not observed their right tackle make a second-year leap. Evan Neal has missed time with injuries and struggled when on the field. Thomas was a Dave Gettleman draft choice, while Neal went in Joe Schoen‘s first draft in charge. Pro Football Focus has assigned this season’s third-worst tackle grade to Neal. The Alabama product was seen as a player who could potentially slide to guard at some point, having played there at times in college. For the time being, Schoen is not entertaining such a switch.

“No, I don’t think so,” Schoen said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “We are looking forward to getting him back, but he knows there are some things he can do better — and that’s what we expect from him. … I went back and watched the Alabama stuff: The kid can play. We just have to get him to be more consistent. I have a lot of confidence in Evan.”

In 20 starts over two seasons, PFF charges Neal with 10 sacks allowed. Just two of those have come this year, but the former No. 7 overall pick has missed five games. Neal has missed five of the Giants’ past six contests; the team has not placed him on IR. The Giants will certainly hope to see signs of promise from Neal down the stretch.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • DaRon Bland has morphed from a 2022 fifth-round pick into an NFL record holder, via the fifth pick-six he notched on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys could see two cornerbacks become first-team All-Pros in three seasons, after Trevon Diggs‘ 11-INT season landed him on the 2021 top team. Diggs’ 2023 replacement played at Division I-FCS Sacramento State and then spent a year at Fresno State. Cowboys scout Ross Wuensche identified Bland as a target, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes (video link), and the team brought him in for a visit. Describing Bland as a late-blooming prospect, Rapoport adds interest came in late enough he could not turn all his invitations for “30” into meetings before the 2022 deadline. With Stephon Gilmore‘s contract up after this season, the Cowboys extended Diggs and have Bland signed through 2025.
  • Recent Cowboys pickup Martavis Bryant remains in redevelopment mode. The team has not elevated its practice squad stash for a game yet, making it now more than five years since the former Steelers starter has played in an NFL game. No timetable is in place for a Bryant move to the active roster, but executive VP Stephen Jones said (via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill) the team sought the recent XFL wideout for his size-speed combo. The Cowboys are fairly well stocked at receiver, but Bryant’s 6-foot-4 frame would be a new dimension for this particular Dallas receiving cadre. It remains to be seen if the soon-to-be 32-year-old pass catcher still has NFL-viable form left.
  • Having fired DC Jack Del Rio after a Cowboys Thanksgiving romp, Ron Rivera is set to call the Commanders‘ defensive plays. The team also fired multi-stop Del Rio lieutenant Brent Vieselmeyer, who was Washington’s DBs coach this season. To help manage the workload, Rivera hired Jimmy Salgado as an interim staffer, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Salgado had spent six seasons on Sean McDermott‘s Bills staff, but the team fired him this offseason. Salgado spent the 2023 season at Michigan State, working as the Spartans’ cornerbacks coach.

WR DeSean Jackson To Retire

November 29th, 2023 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the great deep threats in modern NFL history, DeSean Jackson is not planning to play a 16th season. The veteran wide receiver instead intends to announce his retirement as a member of the Eagles, according to the team.

Jackson, who had joined the Raiders and Ravens as an in-season addition over the past two years, played 15 seasons for six teams. While the 2008 second-round pick will primarily be remembered for his contributions in Philadelphia, he made an impact in a few cities. Jackson started 159 games and is one of just 40 players to surpass 11,000 receiving yards for his career.

“DeSean Jackson was a dynamic playmaker who captivated Eagles fans with his game-breaking speed, unique skill set, and explosive play,” Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie said in a statement. “What made DeSean truly stand out during his accomplished 15-year career was his ability to make miraculous plays look routine.”

The Cal product spent time in Philly, Washington, Tampa, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Baltimore during his NFL run. He led the NFL in yards per reception in four seasons, most recently in 2018 with the Buccaneers, and remained a coveted player into his mid-30s. Jackson will turn 37 on Friday, choosing that notable date to retire with the team that drafted him.

While no wide receivers went off the board in the 2008 first round, the second produced quality performers. Jordy Nelson and Eddie Royal also became Round 2 picks 15 years ago. Jackson made a quick impact, becoming an immediate long-range threat for Donovan McNabb on an Eagles team that voyaged to the 2008 NFC championship game. Jackson became the fifth player to reach 900 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons; he eclipsed 1,000 in two of those slates. Over the course of his career, Jackson produced five 1,000-yard seasons; the most recent came with Washington in 2016.

Jackson scored 66 touchdowns over the course of his career; one will probably stand out as his most memorable. Used regularly as a punt returner early in his career, Jackson finished off a 24-point Eagles rally to stun the Giants in Week 15 of the 2010 season, completing a walk-off 65-yard punt return. This came a week after he accumulated a career-high 210 yards against the Cowboys, helping the Eagles to the NFC East title in Michael Vick‘s first season as the team’s starter.

Although the deep passing game was more prominent in prior eras, Jackson stood out on that front in this one. Only Devery Henderson produced a higher yards-per-catch average in a season than Jackson’s 22.5 (2010) during the 21st century. Despite Jackson’s deep-ball brilliance, he wore out his welcome in Philly in 2014. Deemed a poor fit during Chip Kelly‘s second offseason in charge, Jackson wound up in Washington on a four-year, $24MM contract. This came after the Eagles had given the 5-foot-10 weapon a five-year, $47MM extension in 2012, Andy Reid‘s final year at the helm.

Washington’s Jackson and Pierre Garcon additions ignited Kirk Cousins, who set single-season franchise records for touchdown passes and passing yards while targeting the two free agency pickups in the mid-2010s. Jackson topped 1,000 yards in 2014 and ’16, but Washington let both veterans walk in 2017 — a year before losing Cousins. While Jackson’s post-Washington years did not generate the same kind of production he offered during his initial run in the NFC East, Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s 9.6 yards per attempt in 2018 came with significant Jackson contributions. The then-Mike Evans sidekick finished that season with a 18.9 yards per reception.

The Eagles reacquired Jackson via trade in 2019, sending a fifth-round pick to the Bucs. But injuries marred Jackson’s second Philly stint. In two seasons back with the Eagles, Jackson suited up for just eight games. The team cut him once again in 2021.

After the Rams released Jackson during the 2021 season, the veteran pass catcher was linked to a few teams. He ended up helping the Raiders to a surprising playoff run, which came after the exits of Jon Gruden and Henry Ruggs. A Ravens team that lost Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay to season-ending injuries sporadically used Jackson while limping into the playoffs last season. Jackson did not play in Baltimore’s wild-card game, however. He operated as the NFL’s oldest receiver in 2022.

Jackson made three Pro Bowls and earned more than $91MM over the course of his career. While Jackson ranks 39th in both career receiving yards and yards per catch, his 17.6 yards per grab rank second among 21st-century wideouts.

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