Lions Sign Jim Caldwell To Extension
The Lions and fourth-year coach Jim Caldwell agreed to a multiyear extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, adding (Twitter link) the sides agreed to this pact months ago.
While it doesn’t automatically guarantee Caldwell will be back with Detroit next season, it will close speculation the coach was in the final year of his contract. Caldwell has fielded questions, telling media (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press) he hadn’t signed an extension, about his contract but did not disclose this deal was already in place.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter) the sides agreed to this deal in the spring.
Although Caldwell wasn’t hired by current Lions GM Bob Quinn, he has steered the team to playoff appearances in two of his first three seasons at the helm. The Lions backed into the NFC bracket last season, losing their final three games, but it was the franchise’s first time booking two postseason berths in a three-year span since making the playoffs in 1997 and ’99.
Speculation existed about a Caldwell/Lions parting due to last season’s stretch-run swoon and one-sided wild-card loss to the Seahawks, and the fact Quinn did not select him as coach. While Jeff Fisher‘s 2016 Rams extension helped show how tenuous these agreements can be, Quinn’s enjoyed more success in the Motor City than Fisher did in St. Louis and Los Angeles. That could buy him more time, and there will now be money on his deal past 2017.
Quinn has now authorized 2017 extension for two franchise centerpieces he inherited, with this deal preceding Matthew Stafford‘s August re-up.
The Lions have since started 2-0 this season and are alone atop the NFC North.
Saints Cut Kendall Langford, Darryl Tapp
Two days after signing him, the Saints made the decision to cut Kendall Langford to make room for players they presumably believe will be of greater use to them on Sunday. New Orleans also cut defensive end Darryl Tapp, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
A 10th-year veteran, Langford signed a one-year deal with the Saints on Thursday. He’d been a starter in all but one season, but the 31-year-old defensive lineman will venture back into free agency. Being a vested veteran, Tapp will as well.
The Saints cut the defensive line duo to sign defensive backs Justin Hardee and Arthur Maulet, Yates reports. New Orleans has encountered a cornerback shortage, with Marshon Lattimore and Sterling Moore deemed out for Week 3. With Delvin Breaux on IR, the team has made moves to enhance its skeleton crew in advance of Sunday’s game against the Panthers.
Langford spent the past two seasons with the Colts but also served as a starter for the Rams and Dolphins. Tapp suited up in all 16 Saints games last season, starting two. It’s possible the team could look to re-sign the pair after its cornerback situation clears up.
Hardee signed with New Orleans’ practice squad on Friday, doing so after the Texans cut him after the preseason concluded. The Saints signed Maulet as a UDFA in May and added him to their practice squad before the regular season.
Su’a Cravens Wants To Return In 2018
The Redskins ended the back-and-forth drama regarding Su’a Cravens‘ status by placing the versatile defender on the reserve/left squad list and might be set to move on from him.
Despite his would-be sophomore season ending before it started, Cravens now is planning on a return to football for the 2018 season. He doesn’t appear to be certain that’s going to happen, but after informing Washington he planned to retire then backtracking on that decision, Cravens plans to come back in a year.
“I would just say God has a plan for everybody and right now he’s putting me through something he knows I can handle. It will make me stronger,” Cravens said Saturday, via John Keim of ESPN.com. “Hopefully around this time next year I’ll be back on that field.”
The Redskins’ decision to end Cravens’ season despite the key defender’s willingness to return came because the team wasn’t certain he could be trusted to remain with the team. Worries about how other Washington players would react to Cravens’ return also played a role in the team putting a potential return on hold, Keim reports.
Personal issues caused Cravens to consider retirement, Keim notes, adding the former USC standout did not reveal why he initially told the Redskins he planned to retire.
“It’s tough. I grew up loving football and grew up loving to play football,” Cravens said, “so the fact that I’m in the middle of my career and I’m not playing, it’s different. It’s difficult.”
Should Cravens return next season, his rookie contract would toll, meaning the Redskins would still control his rights for three more years.
Extra Points: Raiders, Jets, Giants
2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph has justified his draft position through the first two games of this season, writes Scott Blair of CSNBayArea.com. The Raiders safety has compiled 14 tackles, one sack, one pass defended, and one forced fumble through the first two weeks. The team’s coaching staff is predictably happy with his production, although they expected this from the West Virginia product.
“That’s what he’s supposed to do. He’s supposed to make plays,” said head coach Jack Del Rio. “He’s a guy we selected because we thought he’d be a guy that could come in and impact on our defense. In the first two games of this year he’s played well. There are still things, like I tell you all the time, that have cleaning up to do, work to do, things to improve on, but he’s off to a good start and obviously it follows up from a good offseason. Healthy, a lot of good work and confidence that he’s gaining as we go.”
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…
- This offseason, the Jets would prefer to acquire a talented quarterback prospect over a veteran signal-caller, writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. However, in the event that several of the prospects stay in school, suffer an injury, or underwhelm this collegiate season, the team would have several options in free agency. The writer believes an aging quarterback like Drew Brees wouldn’t be a good fit for the younger Jets squad, and he notes that Kirk Cousins will surely demand too much money. Jimmy Garoppolo or Sam Bradford could be intriguing options, although they’re accompanied by their own question marks (including Garoppolo’s availability and Bradford’s injuries). Ultimately, Cimini believes January 15th (which is the final day underclassmen can declare for the draft) will be a “pivotal date in Jets history.”
- Darryl Slater of NJ.com opines that impending free agent running back Le’Veon Bell will ultimately sign with the highest bidder, and the writer believes the Jets could be prepared to break the bank for the Pro Bowler. The team is already eyeing $85MM in cap space next offseason, and they could easily move on from running backs Matt Forte and Bilal Powell. To add a bit of intrigue, Slater notes that Bell grew up as a Jets fan.
- The Giants unwillingness to pursue Rams (and former Bengals) offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth in free agency was an “inexplicable, inexcusable mistake,” writes James Kratch of NJ.com. The writer dismisses the notion that the organization couldn’t have afforded Jason Pierre-Paul had they inked Whitworth to a lucrative contract. Rather, the Giants could have moved on from some of their veterans, including Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Alternatively, they could have passed on free agent wideout Brandon Marshall and invested that money towards the offensive line.
Jason Verrett To Have Season-Ending Surgery
Jason Verrett‘s season is over. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Chargers cornerback has decided to undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee. The team is expected to place him on the injured reserve.
This is another tough blow for the former first-rounder, as Verrett has been hindered by injuries throughout his brief career. This current injury is attributed to an ACL tear that limited the cornerback to only four games in 2016. Last week, reports indicated that Verrett was experiencing soreness in the knee, although some expected him to return in several weeks. However, we later heard that there wasn’t a definitive timetable for the 26-year-old’s return.
“It was never right in my opinion, just watching him in practice,” coach Anthony Lynn said at the time. “He’s such a competitor. … But he wasn’t able to play to his standard. So we just want him to get healthy.”
Verrett did appear in the team’s season-opening loss to the Broncos, playing nearly every snap for the Chargers. The Texas Christian product flashed his talent during his lone healthy season in 2015. In 14 games (13 starts), Verrett compiled 47 tackles, 12 passes defended, and three interceptions (including one pick-six).
2016 undrafted free agent Trevor Williams has been starting in Verrett’s place opposite Casey Hayward. The team could look to add some depth at the position, as the team is only rostering a pair of reserves in Desmond King and Michael Davis. They could also promote former third-rounder Craig Mager, who is currently on the team’s practice squad.
AFC Notes: Butler, Kizer, Texans, Ravens
DeShone Kizer will surely see his fair share of struggles during his rookie campaign, similar to his four-turnover performance last weekend. However, the Browns are seemingly willing to be patient with their signal-caller, and this sentiment was emphasized by head coach Hue Jackson.
“He’s playing with a bunch of men,” said Jackson (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “He’s 21 years old. He’s leading an organization that hasn’t been what it needs to be. He’s surrounded by a ton of guys who, we haven’t won a ton of games, and he’s trying to uplift everything. There’s a lot of pressure. Let’s just be honest — it is.”
In two NFL starts, Kizer has completed 57.4-percent of his passes for 404 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. He’s also collected 43 rushing yards and one touchdown on 10 attempts.
“Like many rookies, I can name many guys in this league who have thrown three interceptions in a game, four interceptions in a game and came back the next week and played their tails off,” Jackson said. “That’s going to happen. I don’t like it. Nobody does. But hopefully he will keep growing from it and keep getting better.”
49ers Could Place Tank Carradine On IR
49ers defensive end Tank Carradine was starting to come into his own over the past several weeks, but the former second-rounder now might be forced to sit out several months. Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed yesterday that Carradine suffered an ankle sprain on Thursday night and could be placed on the injured reserve. The move wouldn’t necessarily end the player’s season, as the 49ers are allowed to bring back a pair of players from the IR. However, if he was indeed placed on the injured reserve, he’d be out at least eight weeks.
“Tank has got a high ankle sprain,” Shanahan said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “We haven’t gotten his MRI back, but we’re going to have to get that and really decide whether IR or not, because any time you’ve got a high ankle sprain, it’s going to be a while. So we’re not exactly sure how long it’s going to be. We’ll have to decide that probably Monday.”
The former Florida State standout has spent his entire career in San Francisco. During his first four years in the league, Carradine had served mostly in a reserve role, starting only one of his 36 career games. However, he was seemingly given more responsibility in 2017, as he had already started two of the 49ers three contests. So far, Carradine had compiled seven tackles and one sack, and Pro Football Focus had ranked him as the 25th-best edge defender among 87 eligible candidates.
If Carradine is forced to miss significant time, the 49ers could turn to first-rounder Solomon Thomas to slide into the starting spot. The team is also rostering former Pro Bowler Elvis Dumervil and former fifth-rounder Aaron Lynch.
NFC Rumors: Vikes, Saints, Hawks, Eagles
A left knee injury will shelve Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford for the second straight game on Sunday, but it’s not necessarily time to panic, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network says (video link). While Bradford’s knee is “painful,” according to Pelissero, doctors have not told the quarterback that it has any structural that would require surgery. Notably, Bradford underwent procedures for two torn ACLs in that knee earlier in his career. For now, Bradford and the Vikings are hoping he’ll return for their Week 4 home game against Detroit – the first of three divisional matchups in a row.
- A lack of continuity is one of the key causes of the Saints’ years-long defensive struggles, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com observes. The Saints have started the most defenders (55) in the NFL dating back to 2014, and have also seen a league-high 23 defensive backs start at least two games in that span, per Triplett. The club has simply missed on too many defensive free agent signings and draft picks – including linebacker Stephone Anthony – to establish a rhythm on that side of the ball, Triplett contends. The Saints traded Anthony, a first-round selection in 2015, to Miami this week for a 2018 fifth-rounder after he failed to live up to his draft status in New Orleans. Safety Kenny Vaccaro, a 2013 first-rounder, may also find himself in another uniform soon. A starter in 57 of 58 career appearances, Vaccaro sat on the bench for a large portion of the Saints’ blowout loss to New England last week. Former teammate Scott Shanle, a retired linebacker, informed Triplett that Vaccaro is “the most bipolar player I’ve ever seen as far as consistency. When he’s on, he’s one of the best players in the league. When he’s off, I just don’t get it.”
- Seahawks tight end Luke Willson told Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times that he expected his offseason foray into free agency to go better than it did. Willson was on the market for a week before re-signing with the Seahawks on a modest deal worth between $1.8MM and $3MM. “To be honest with you it was a miserable process,’’ Willson said. “Not what I expected. I don’t know what day I officially signed back but it wasn’t the first few days and it was, whatever it was — four days of being unemployed felt like about four months.’’ Willson added that he has no complaints about the end result, noting that he’s still “making quite a bit of money playing football.” The 27-year-old has never been a prolific pass catcher during his four-plus seasons, meaning he could once again have trouble scoring a coveted long-term contract by next spring.
- Eagles executive vice president Howie Roseman erred in handing guard Isaac Seumalo a starting job before training camp began, Paul Domowitch of Philly.com opines. Roseman traded Allen Barbre to Denver on July 26 to further drive home the point that he wanted Seumalo in the starting lineup, but the second-year man is already headed to the bench in favor of Chance Warmack after a pair of rough games. The Eagles’ hope was that Seumalo would start all 16 games at left guard this year and then, perhaps as early as next season, shift to center to take over for Jason Kelce, Domowitch suggests. Kelce’s under contract for a few more years, so if Seumalo doesn’t return to a No. 1 role this season and show marked improvement, perhaps the former will stick around in 2018.
NFL Workout Updates: 9/22/17
Friday’s workout updates (Twitter links via Howard Balzer):
Cleveland Browns
- LB Austin Calitro
Indianapolis Colts
- CBs Stanley Jean-Baptiste, D.J. Killings, Tre Roberson
Minnesota Vikings
- TEs Brandon Barnes, Gavin Escobar, Scott Orndoff; S A.J. Hendy; DEs Pat O’Connor, Devin Taylor
Frank Gore Could Be Playing Final Season
The 2017 season represents Colts running back Frank Gore‘s age-34 campaign and a contract year. Given those two realities, the 13th-year man realizes he could be approaching the very end of his illustrious NFL career.
Looking ahead to the offseason, Gore told Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star: “I will really think about how I feel after the season and how I feel I played this year. If I feel good, a team wants me and I wanna play? Then I’ll play. But if I can’t do it no more, I won’t do it no more.”
Gore is one of only six NFLers still around from the 2005 draft, notes Keefer, who adds that he has outlasted the five running backs who went ahead of him that year by at least four seasons apiece. The former Miami star joined the 49ers as a third-round choice (65th overall) and evolved into one of the premier players in the franchise’s storied history. Gore spent a decade in San Francisco and totaled 11,073 rushing yards, nearly 4,000 more than second-place Joe Perry, on 4.5 yards per carry and made five Pro Bowls.
Gore left the 49ers in 2015 to sign a three-year, $12MM deal with the Colts, who had Super Bowl aspirations at the time. Unfortunately for the Colts and Gore, though, they haven’t made the playoffs with him in the fold and, at 0-2 and with Andrew Luck injured, look likely to extend their postseason drought to three years this season. Still, Gore doesn’t regret making Indianapolis his second (and potentially final) NFL stop.
“If I had to do it again, I still would make the same decision,” Gore said. “Things just didn’t go our way the last two years, starting with our leader. He got hurt. I’ve played with, what, five quarterbacks?”
Gore has played with six quarterbacks in Indianapolis, to be exact, including the uninspiring duo of Scott Tolzien and Jacoby Brissett this year. While Gore still managed at least 260 carries, 957 yards and four rushing touchdowns in each of his first two seasons as a Colt, they’ve scaled back his workload in 2017. He only has 24 carries through two games, putting him on pace for 192 (which would be his fewest since a 127-attempt rookie season), and 88 yards.
Despite his slow start this season, Gore’s overall output as a Colt has helped him vault into eighth on the all-time rushing list, 10th in carries and a 23rd-place tie in ground TDs, and he could ascend to the top five in each of the first two categories by year’s end. That wouldn’t be a bad way to exit for Gore, who already has a plan for the next chapter of his football life.
“I want to help in the front office,” he revealed.