2017 December - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Place Dee Ford On IR

December 7th, 2017 at 7:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dee Ford‘s back injury has become serious enough the Chiefs placed the outside linebacker on IR.

The team announced the move and the signing of Eagles practice squad cog Justin Hamilton, a defensive tackle, to the 53-man roster.

Ford had missed the past four Chiefs games with the back ailment. He is signed through the 2018 season via fifth-year option. The Chiefs exercised Ford’s guaranteed-against-injury option of $8.72MM back in May. However, Ford did not have the kind of year he did when he broke out in 2016. He will finish his season with just two sacks and six games played. The 2014 first-round pick registered 10 last season, emerging after two years largely spent sitting behind Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.

Kansas City’s plan was to have Hali rotate in behind Houston and Ford this season, but Ford’s injury prevented this. No. 4 pass rusher Frank Zombo has been forced into extensive action.

The Chiefs have missed Ford’s presence during their losing streak, one that has them at 6-6 after a 5-0 start. Kansas City will already be without Marcus Peters in Week 14 due to a team-imposed suspension, and Hali missed last week’s game with a knee injury. However, he’s expected to play against the Raiders.

Hamilton played in three games for the Eagles this season, the UDFA’s rookie campaign. Hamilton has bounced around the league since entering in 2015 as a Bills UDFA. He’s also spent time with the Packers and Seahawks.

Latest On Ryan Shazier’s Condition

December 7th, 2017 at 5:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Shazier was stable enough to return to Pittsburgh after spending multiple nights in Cincinnati, but the frightening injury the linebacker suffered required spinal surgery.

Shazier underwent spinal stabilization surgery on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, the Steelers announced (on Twitter). Recovery timetables are difficult to pin down at this point.

The 25-year-old player will face a months-long recovery process, sources informed Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), adding he’s going to miss the rest of this season. In speaking to a spinal doctor, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes the best-case scenario for a Shazier recovery ranges from six weeks to three months.

“This is a surgery on your spine,” said Brock Bowman, medical director at the Spinal Cord Injury Center at Shepherd Center in Atlanta (via Bouchette). “And if something is altered, even if there was no injury to the spinal cord, that may be enough to take you out of the 1 percent of the 1 percent of the 1 percent who play professional football.”

Bouchette notes it’s difficult to make a projection at this juncture because there aren’t enough details known.

“I’m not worried about him playing for us again; I’m more worried about him,” Steelers DC Keith Butler said Thursday, via Bouchette. “The thing that we’re hopeful for and prayerful for is that he comes back and he’ll be OK. The football stuff is secondary. His life is a lot more important to me than football.”

As for Pittsburgh’s linebacker outlook, the team is moving veteran outside linebacker Arthur Moats inside in this emergency circumstance, the AP reports. The Bills shuttled Moats from outside to inside linebacker during his time in Buffalo, but since relocating to Pittsburgh, Moats has played exclusively on the edge. The 29-year-old Moats has worked as a backup this season but started 24 Steelers games from 2014-16. Pittsburgh also re-signed inside linebacker Sean Spence earlier this week.

DeShawn Shead Returns To Practice

December 7th, 2017 at 4:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Down Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor, the Seahawks’ depleted secondary could receive a boost in the near future. DeShawn Shead practiced for the first time since he tore his left ACL in the playoffs, Stefanie Loh of the Seattle Times reports.

Shead’s recovery has taken almost a year because of two surgeries, a second in July, and he remains on the PUP list. The Seahawks have three weeks to decide if he’s healthy enough to make a contribution in what’s been a lost season for the sixth-year corner. Loh notes a Week 15 return isn’t off the table, although that might also be optimistic given how long it’s taken him to merely return to practice.

Shead was a full-time starter opposite Sherman last season and a part-timer in 2015. He deflected 14 passes and made 90 tackles last season, and after the ill-timed injury, re-signed with the Seahawks this offseason.

He’s attempting to return to a secondary that needs him. Rookie Shaquill Griffin and second-stint Seahawk Byron Maxwell are the team’s current starting corners. A Shead re-emergence would supply vital depth at the worst and, if he’s truly close to his 2016 form, a starter-level talent capable of making a difference in a complex NFC playoff race.

NFL Suspends Free Agent CB Jalen Collins

December 7th, 2017 at 3:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Jalen Collins has gone unsigned since hitting the free agent market in November. Now, we know why. The former Falcon has been suspended for additional games by the NFL, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

This marks the second ban of the year for Collins, who served a ten-game suspension to start the season. It’s not immediately clear what Collins’ latest suspension is for, but it may be a substance abuse violation. If this were a third ban for performance-enhancing drugs, it would be longer than four games.

Collins appeared in eight games (six starts) for the Falcons last year. The 2015 second-round pick is viewed as a highly-talented player, but his off-the-field issues have hampered him thus far in the NFL. If not for his red flags, he likely would have been a first-round choice in 2015. He also might be a starting cornerback in Atlanta today.

Once Collins is clear to play, he may draw interest from contenders looking to beef up the secondary. Then again, teams might be wary of bringing him into the locker room given his checkered past.

Sashi Brown Releases Statement On Firing

December 7th, 2017 at 3:16pm CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, the Browns sacked top decision maker Sashi Brown with four games to go in the season. In his farewell address to Browns fans, Brown took the high road and also took ownership of the team’s poor performance:

“I want this to be real and clear, the way I know Cleveland and Browns fans can appreciate: Our win-loss record since I became executive vice president isn’t going to cut it.

We worked hard. I am so grateful to the people I worked with throughout my four-plus years with the Browns, particularly the people I worked with the past two years. We embarked on a mission to rebuild the Browns for long-term, sustainable success. We were committed and aggressive in our approach, even if unorthodox at times. We made dramatic changes and put in place a foundation on which championships can be built.

Obviously, the Browns have not yet achieved the turnaround we wanted for a franchise and the best fans in the NFL, who deserve it more than any other in sports. I know that turnaround is coming.

I thank Dee and Jimmy and the rest of the Haslam family for taking a chance on me. And when that turnaround happens, wherever I am, I will smile – more than a little bittersweetly – and say, to myself, “Go Browns!”

Part of Brown’s unorthodox approach to team-building included a heavy focus on analytics. The team’s next GM may or may not follow in the same path, but we do know that Moneyball guru Paul DePodesta‘s job is safe – for now – along with Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry. John Dorsey – who leaned on some advanced statistical analysis while with the Chiefs – is said to be among the early candidates for the vacancy.

Darren Sproles Leaning Towards Return

December 7th, 2017 at 2:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles running back Darren Sproles has yet to decide on his football future. However, he says that he is leaning towards playing in 2018 (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).

Sproles is still recovering from his knee injury, but he indicated that he wanted to leave the game on a higher note. “I can’t end like this,” Sproles said.

The diminutive runner had high hopes for this season, but he was forced out in Week 3 when he simultaneously suffered a broken forearm and a torn ACL. Sproles will turn 35 this summer, but his three consecutive Pro Bowl nods prior to this year indicate that he still has some football left in him. In 2016, he set a new personal watermark with 94 carries while also catching 52 passes. The 865 yards from scrimmage were the third-highest total of his career.

If Sproles does decide to return, it may or may not be with the Eagles. His contract expires at the end of this year, meaning that he’ll be eligible for free agency in March.

Fallout From Browns’ Firing Of Sashi Brown

December 7th, 2017 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Hue Jackson‘s play calling has often been criticized, but so far he has held off on hiring an offensive coordinator. Why’s that? Jackson told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t want to hire an OC with a bad offense and make him take the fall (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer). However, he says it’s possible that he will hire one for 2018.

Here’s the latest out of Cleveland following the firing of top exec Sashi Brown:

Brown was not on speaking terms with Jackson over the past month or so, sources tell Cabot.
The Browns say that Jackson will return in 2018, but some in league circles believe that might not be the case if the Browns finish 0-16, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Owner Jimmy Haslam going back on his promise might not be ideal, but Florio argues that the team will be open to ridicule regardless with a 1-31 record over the last two years.
Brown knew his job was in jeopardy and met with Haslam recently to discuss it, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. At the time, Brown was told that no decisions had been made.
When asked if he’ll want to have personnel control going forward, Jackson said that he wants to be in concert with those making the decisions (Twitter link via Rapoport).
Jackson hopes that the team’s next regime can tighten up some of its loose lips. “This has been a leaky place for years. Hopefully some of that stuff will go away in time,” Jackson said (Twitter link via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan).
Fun fact: The Browns’ last win on a Sunday was Dec. 13, 2015, when Johnny Manziel led them to a 24-10 win over the Niners, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes.

Browns To Retain Paul DePodesta

December 7th, 2017 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns aren’t totally cleaning house. At least, not yet. For the time being, Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta and Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry will keep their jobs, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer hears.

DePodesta was brought on in 2016 to help spearhead the Browns’ analytical efforts. His hiring was one of the more unconventional moves in recent NFL history since he had no previous experience in the sport.

So far, the numbers crunching of the former A’s exec and Dodgers GM hasn’t improved the Browns’ on-field product, but the team has amassed an impressive amount of draft capital under his guidance. And, of the team’s 24 picks made in the last two years, 20 remain on the roster. To some extent, the team’s strategy of multiplying draft picks has been a success, and DePodesta has played a role in that.

Meanwhile, the search for Sashi Brown‘s replacement is already underway. The Browns are said to be eyeing former Chiefs GM John Dorsey and he may be the frontrunner for the job.

Browns Eyeing Ex-Chiefs GM John Dorsey

December 7th, 2017 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns’ GM search is underway and we already have word on a potential frontrunner for the job. The Browns are eyeing former Chiefs GM John Dorsey and he is expected to emerge as a leading contender for the job, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Dianna Russini.

Owner Jimmy Haslam and his wife Dee Haslam are expected to interview candidates as early as this week, sources tell the duo. The early interviews may also include Seahawks executive Trent Kirchner and Packers executive Eliot Wolf, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

In his statement announcing the firing of Sashi Brown, Haslam said that he would be looking for “someone with strong experience and success in drafting and building consistently winning football teams.” Dorsey fits the bill, though he is not without his critics. Dorsey was canned by Kansas City late last offseason, reportedly because of his overly loose management style. The Chiefs also did a poor job of managing the salary cap, though that supposedly did not factor heavily into Clark Hunt’s decision fire him.

Because of the team is making experience a requirement, it sounds like former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning will not be considered for the job. Throughout the year, there were rumblings of Haslam working to lure Manning, potentially by offering a small stake in the team. Instead, it appears that the Browns will be making a more traditional hire.

Whoever takes over for Brown in Cleveland will have a lot going for them (in theory). In the 2018 draft, the Brows have an enviable stockpile including an extra first-round pick, two additional second round picks, a fourth-round choice, and a fifth-round selection. They could also have nearly $100MM in cap space, though it’s not a given that Haslam will spend it all.

Browns Fire VP Sashi Brown

December 7th, 2017 at 9:41am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have fired their top decision maker. Sashi Brown has been relieved of his duties, the team announced on Thursday morning. However, coach Hue Jackson will return in 2018.

“We have great appreciation and gratitude for Sashi’s commitment and leadership to our organization but believe transitioning to someone with strong experience and success in drafting and building consistently winning football teams is critical to the future of the Cleveland Browns. Today we informed Sashi that we were going in a new direction. The 2018 draft and offseason is pivotal for our franchise, we need to ensure that we maximize our opportunity for success; with our picks, free agency and building our roster. Hue Jackson will remain our coach and will return for the 2018 season but we feel it is necessary to take significant steps to strengthen our personnel department. We have begun the process of having productive conversations regarding leadership of our football operations and will provide further updates when appropriate. We thank Sashi for all his hard work and dedication to the Cleveland Browns.”

The Browns are 0-12 and 1-27 over the last two seasons. Some sort of shakeup was expected, though not necessarily before the end of the season. It’s possible that the Browns were motivated to get a head start on their GM search after the Giants sacked Jerry Reese earlier this week. Their next hire will be their ninth GM since returning to Cleveland in 1999.

Meanwhile, the Browns will hold off on hiring their tenth coach since returning to Cleveland. Jackson was brought to Cleveland for his offensive acumen, leadership, and positive energy. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to demonstrate much of that with a lackluster roster. The good news for Jackson is that even if his team goes 0-16 this year, he will return for next season.

Brown was hired as the Browns’ executive vice president/general counsel in January of 2013 and was promoted to executive vice president of football operations in January of 2016. He took an unorthodox approach to team building, one that has yet to bear any fruit in Cleveland. However, he did leave the team with lots of cap room and draft capital to work with, so the team’s next GM may be in a position to succeed – provided that he can break the team’s longstanding curse.