HEADLINES

Month: February 2017

Staff Notes: Chargers, 49ers, Falcons, Colts

February 10th, 2017 at 6:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith is interviewing for the Chargers‘ linebackers coach position, according to Jack Wang of the Orange County Register. Smith was fired by Atlanta on Wednesday after leading a defense that finished just 27th in DVOA, but linebackers are his specialty, as he’s coached the position at four other NFL stops. Smith’s interview could mean Los Angeles expects Robert Saleh, the team’s other candidate for ‘backers coach, to land the 49ers DC gig.

Here’s more from the 2017 hiring cycle:

  • New 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has lured yet another former Falcons staffer to San Francisco, as ex-Atlanta assistant Mike LaFleur will be the 49ers’ next wide receivers coach, tweets Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. LaFleur, who spent the previous two seasons with the Falcons after working in Cleveland during the 2014 campaign, is the brother of Matt LaFleur, who recently left Atlanta to become the Rams’ offensive coordinator. The 49ers also announced they’ve hired Nick Kray (administrative assistant to the head coach), T.C. McCartney (offensive assistant), and Ray Wright (strength and conditioning).
  • Although Chris Ballard left Kansas City to become the Colts‘ new general manager, Chiefs GM John Dorsey doesn’t expect Ballard to poach any KC staffers “right now,” tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Typically, an executive will try to bring at least a few low-level front office employees along to a new job, but it sounds like Ballard will be starting from scratch, and rolling with the incumbent Indianapolis staff for the time being.
  • The Falcons promoted Marquand Manuel to defensive coordinator earlier today, but that wasn’t the only change the club made to its defensive staff. As expected, Bryant Young has been named as Atlanta’s defensive line coach, replacing the fired Bryan Cox, while defensive assistant Doug Mallory has been promoted to secondary coach, taking over for Manuel, the club announced today.
  • Broncos assistant defensive backs backs coach Samson Brown had been set to join ex-Denver coordinator Wade Phillips on the Rams‘ coaching staff, but he’s experienced a last-minute change of heart and will be staying in Denver, per Marvez (Twitter link). It’s unclear how Brown’s decision will affect longtime NFL coach Johnnie Lynn, who was reportedly hired to replace Brown with the Broncos.
  • The Buccaneers have made a series of changes to their coaching staff and personnel department, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, who reports the Bucs have promoted Zack Grossi to offensive quality control coach, hired Anthony Perkins to replace Grossi as the club’s assistant to the head coach, and hired former NFL tight end Alex Smith as a pro scout. Tampa Bay has also hired Skyler Fulton as an offensive assistant, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • Vikings offensive assistant Drew Petzing could be a candidate for the club’s vacant wide receivers coach role, reports Andrew Kramer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). Longtime Minnesota WRs coach George Stewart defected for the Chargers earlier this offseason.

Five Teams Interested In WR Pierre Garcon

February 10th, 2017 at 5:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

At least five clubs are expected to express interest in Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who reports the Rams, Eagles, Bears, Cowboys, and 49ers are among the teams intrigued by the veteran pass-catcher. Garcon, for his part, would prefer to return to Washington, but as of earlier this week, the Redskins have not engaged in contract talks with the 30-year-old.Pierre Garcon (Featured)

[RELATED: Top 3 Offseason Needs — Washington Redskins]

Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco are all engaged in various stages of rebuilding, and as Jones notes, each club would view Garcon as a “security blanket” as they continue to develop young quarterbacks. In the case of the Bears and 49ers, of course, that youthful signal-caller is likely not yet on the roster, but the Rams’ Jared Goff and Eagles’ Carson Wentz could each use new weapons as they head into their second NFL campaigns. Of the four clubs mentioned here, none finished higher than 16th in offensive DVOA in 2016, with Chicago leading the way and Los Angeles — dead last at No. 32 — rounding out the list.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, are in a different boat altogether, and are squarely in the 2018 Super Bowl conversation following a season that saw the breakout of quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, continuous excellence from the offensive line, and viable receiving threats that allowed the unit to rank third in DVOA. However, with both Terrance Williams and Brice Butler scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next month, Dallas could be on the lookout for a dependable No. 2 wide receiver, a description that Garcon ably fits.

In his ninth NFL season, Garcon led the Redskins in both receptions (79) and receiving yards (1,041) while managing three touchdowns, and finished 10th in DYAR and 15th DVOA among wideouts. Coming off a five-year deal signed in 2012, Garcon averaged an $8.5MM salary during his time with Washington.

49ers Interviewing Jerome Henderson & Robert Saleh For DC

February 10th, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers are interviewing Falcons defensive passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson and former Jaguars linebackers coach Robert Saleh for their defensive coordinator vacancy today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Alex Marvez of the Sporting News reported earlier this week that Henderson and Saleh were in consideration to serve as co-defensive coordinators in San Francisco.Jerome Henderson

[RELATED: Colin Kaepernick Undecided On Opt-Out]

Henderson, 47, was hired by the Falcons last offseason after previously serving as the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach. Working with the rather unique title of defensive passing game coordinator (a role that Raheem Morris held in Atlanta before Henderson’s arrival), Henderson instructed the Falcons’ defensive backs alongside secondary coach Marquand Manuel, who was named as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator — a job to which Henderson was also linked — earlier today.

An extremely popular candidate during the 2016 hiring cycle, Henderson interviewed for the Browns’ head coaching vacancy last offseason, met with the Jaguars regarding their defensive coordinator position, and was linked to gigs on the Dolphins’ staff. Ultimately, however, Henderson landed with Atlanta, despite previously vowing he wouldn’t leave Dallas unless he were offered a DC title.

If Henderson is hired, he’ll be the latest coach to follow former Falcons offensive coordinator and new 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan across the country to San Francisco. Thus far, Shanahan has lured Bobby Turner (running backs), Mike LaFleur (wide receivers), and Mike McDaniel (run game coordinator) to the Bay Area, and is also expected to name former Atlanta staffer Rich Scangarello as the club’s new quarterbacks coach.

Saleh, meanwhile, may follow former Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley and join the Chargers’ staff, but the role of co-defensive coordinator in San Francisco is presumably more enticing. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports was the first to link Saleh to the 49ers, reporting earlier this week that the 38-year-old was a candidate to work under Shanahan. An NFL coach since 2006, Saleh previously worked for the Titans and Seahawks before joining the Jaguars.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Garoppolo, Ravens

February 10th, 2017 at 4:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Josh McCown, who was recently released by the Browns, would endorse the team trading for Jimmy Garoppolo, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes.

“I’ve seen him on tape because we had a common opponent in Miami,” McCown said. “He made some high level throws and did some things that would get you excited about his ability to maybe carry a franchise. That’s definitely on the tape.”

Garoppolo, reportedly, is a leading target of the Browns’ front office this offseason. The 25-year-old made two starts while Tom Brady was suspended last season, completing 43 of 63 pass attempts for 502 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s not a large sample size to go on, but execs around the league have been raving about the youngster for some time now.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

Vikings Cut Brandon Fusco, Mike Harris

February 10th, 2017 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have cut a pair of offensive linemen. The team announced on Friday that Brandon Fusco and Mike Harris have been released. Mike Harris (vertical)

Harris, 28, stepped up for the Vikings in 2015 when their O-Line was ravaged by injuries. In a season in which both John Sullivan and Phil Loadholt went down, Harris started in every game for the team and finished out the year as Pro Football Focus’ No. 23 ranked guard. Although he re-signed with the team prior to the 2016 season, he was unable to suit up due to an undisclosed illness or condition. It’s not immediately clear whether he plans on continuing to play football.

Fusco appeared in 14 games (all starts) for the Vikings in 2016. The advanced metrics at PFF weren’t very impressed with his play, however, leaving him with one of the worst scores of any qualified guard in the league last year. His only quality season, per PFF, came in 2013 when he made 15 starts at right guard for Minnesota. Fusco, a former sixth-round pick, will turn 29 this summer.

Latest On Tyrod Taylor

February 10th, 2017 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Tyrod Taylor says that he wants to stay in Buffalo, but he won’t restructure his deal in order to facilitate a reunion. Taylor is unwilling to take a pay cut before reaching the open market, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News hears. Tyrod Taylor (vertical)

Agent Adisa Bakari firmly believes that Taylor will at least match his scheduled contract and possibly exceed it on the open market. If the Bills keep Taylor, they’ll have to pay him a guaranteed $30.75MM. Despite his ups and downs in 2016, Taylor’s rep believes that a better contract awaits him in March. In his defense, there are several clubs with major question marks at quarterback and this year’s so-so crop of draft QBs should only help Taylor’s value.

The Browns are said to have Taylor on their radar if they cannot land Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade with the Patriots. The Jets and 49ers also face major uncertainty at QB and Taylor could be of interest to them. And, despite some rocky games last year, Taylor did rank as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 QB on the year thanks to his strong 87.5 score for running.

In my book, it would be foolish of Taylor to accept a reworked deal from the Bills at this time. At minimum, if he is secretly willing to accept less, he should wait until the March 11 deadline draws closer before settling.

Redskins C Kory Lichtensteiger To Retire

February 10th, 2017 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

Redskins center Kory Lichtensteiger is retiring, according to Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post (on Twitter). The offensive lineman spent nine seasons in the NFL. Kory Lichtensteiger (vertical)

This year, Lichtensteiger was scheduled for a non-guaranteed base salary of $3.25MM. Given his injury troubles in recent years, he was unlikely to collect on that sum. Between 2015 and 2016, Lichtensteiger appeared in just nine regular season games.

In September 2016, Lichtensteiger was placed on IR after suffering a calf injury. When he went down, Washington turned to Spencer Long and added veteran John Sullivan as a backup. Long turned out to be a bright spot for Washington and he could be in line for a lucrative extension this offseason. Without a starting job or even a surefire 53-man spot, Lichtensteiger is opting to move on from the game at the age of 31.

DeSean Jackson Wants To Stay With Redskins

February 10th, 2017 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

As he nears free agency, DeSean Jackson says that he would like to remain with the Redskins. Of course, that comes with the usual caveats.

“I do want to still be here,” Jackson told Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com. “My family and my house, I have everything here and I don’t want to be in a transaction and move. First things first, I do want to be here and hopefully we can make it work. But once again this is a business so things happen. I’m just really excited about the opportunity I have to sit and now the ball’s in my corner a little bit and see what we can do. I’m just excited and I’m going to let my agent care of all that. Ready to just sit back and whatever offers come in but obviously, like I said, I do want to be here.”

In late 2016, we heard that Jackson is eyeing a reunion with the Eagles. Those rumors gained steam when Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham and ex-Eagles running back LeSean McCoy indicated that Jackson had told them the same thing. Jackson may be intrigued by the idea of closing out his career in Philly, but he’s also making it known that he would like to remain in D.C. Meanwhile, the Redskins might not want him back and they may prefer the idea of keeping Pierre Garcon.

In 15 games this season, Jackson had 56 catches for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns.

Steelers Want To Re-Sign Lawrence Timmons

February 10th, 2017 at 10:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have bigger fish to fry this offseason, but they have shown interest in re-signing linebacker Lawrence Timmons, Mark Kaboly of DKPittsburghSports.com writes. For his part, Timmons has said throughout the season that he hopes to remain in Pittsburgh. Lawrence Timmons (vertical)

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The Steelers have a host of important free agents this offseason and that list is headlined by Le’Veon Bell. The team is also looking to extend wide receiver Antonio Brown and defensive end Stephon Tuitt. Once the team gets a handle on how much money needs to be allocated towards those deals, they’ll turn their attention to Timmons, a player who provides valuable veteran leadership in the front seven.

Timmons, 31 in May, played in 92% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2016 despite talk that he would be supplanted by Vince Williams. He started all 19 games for the Steelers (16 regular season games + three playoff games) and led the team with 114 tackles in the regular season. Timmons also added 4.5 sacks and two interceptions.

Timmons carried a $15MM+ cap number in 2016 after restructuring his pact multiple times. He won’t make the same kind of money on his next deal, but he could still get a nice payday on a multi-year deal that would allow him to retire in black and yellow.

Albert Breer On Draft, Mixon, Trubisky

February 10th, 2017 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

Could teams strike gold in this year’s draft? Those in the know tell Albert Breer of The MMQB that this is an exceptionally deep class.

“Depth-wise, it’s great,” said one AFC executive. “What I like about it is, if we do our job, and have faith in our scouts, we can get starters into the fifth round.”

“It’s a very good draft,” a top personnel executive for an NFC team added. “If you’re in a position like Cleveland is with a lot of picks—and you still gotta pick the right guys—but it’s an excellent draft. Very deep across the board.”

Breer’s entire column is worth a read, but here’s a look at some of the highlights:

  • There has been a lot of talk about Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon going undrafted, but one area scout is insistent that he’ll be taken. “It needs to be the right market, a team that can handle the onslaught, the right PR staff, because you’ll have to weather the storm,” said one area scout assigned to the Sooners. “But the guy the Chiefs drafted (Tyreek Hill), Joe Mixon isn’t half the douchebag that guy was. … You’d have to search to find people that don’t like him. Maybe the parking-lot attendant. Everyone there loves him. And I believe them.”
  • This year’s class of quarterbacks might not be as weak as advertised, according to some officials. “It’s a good quarterback class,” said our NFC exec. “Realistically, all five of those guys (Mitch Trubisky, DeShaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Patrick Mahomes, and Davis Webb) go in the first two rounds.” That’s a bold prediction on the part of that anonymous exec since there have been only five drafts (2014, ’12, ’11, ’07, ’06) since 2000 in which five QBs went inside the first two rounds.
  • Meanwhile, it sounds like Trubisky is still the leader of the pack. “I’ll be shocked if Trubisky’s not the first one off the board,” said one AFC exec. One AFC scout is confident that he’s a “top two or three pick.” However, as Breer notes, the UNC QB doesn’t project as a superstar and it remains to be seen whether a team is willing to burn a top pick on someone who projects to be more of an Andy Dalton than a Tom Brady.
  • The strength of this year’s class will be in the secondary and at running back, Breer writes. There’s also depth when it comes to wide receiver and tight end. Where this class is lacking, however, is on the offensive line. NFL execs tell Breer that they are worried this is not a one-time instance, but a sign of things to code. The spread offense and practice restrictions, they say, are hurting the quality of college offensive linemen.

 

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