HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Cowboys Eyeing Greg Roman?

December 31st, 2019 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Some Cowboys officials have Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman in mind for the head coaching position, if it comes available (Twitter link via Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports). As of this writing, the Cowboys still have Jason Garrett as their head coach, so they have not requested an interview with Roman. 

Roman’s stock has skyrocketed this year along with the play of quarterback Lamar Jackson. While Dak Prescott is a different type of player, the pro-Roman crowd in Dallas believes that the Baltimore OC can jumpstart the offense with his run-dominant concepts.

Under Roman’s tutelage in 2019, Jackson threw for 3,127 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns – all in just 15 games, since he was rested in Week 17.

Since breaking into the NFL in 2011, Roman has served as the OC of the 49ers, Bills, and the Ravens. He has never served as a head coach at the collegiate or professional level.

NFL Bans Rod Taylor

December 31st, 2019 at 2:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has suspended free agent guard Rod Taylor indefinitely, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Taylor is no stranger to the NFL’s disciplinary program and this latest ban could be his last. 

Taylor, 25, has now been hit with three separate suspensions from the NFL. First, there was a four-game suspension in September, believed to be tied to PEDs. Then, in October, he was handed a ten-game suspension for reasons unknown.

Taylor was a 2018 seventh-round draft choice by the Bengals. He ended up missing his entire rookie campaign after tearing his ACL on the first day of training camp. The team was confident he’d make the roster prior to the injury, but they didn’t like what he looked like when he returned. Taylor was ultimately waived by the organization in June.

As a senior at Ole Miss in 2017, Taylor started all 12 games at right tackle. Cincinnati had converted him to a guard before he went down. He’s versatile and talented, but Taylor will have a serious mountain to climb if he ever wants to play in the NFL again.

Steelers To Keep Mason Rudolph

December 31st, 2019 at 1:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Mason Rudolph will return to the Steelers in 2020, head coach Mike Tomlin says (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor). Rudolph will serve as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger, who says he intends to play in 2020 and make a full recovery from his season-ending elbow injury. 

[RELATED: Big Ben Vows To Return]

Rudolph had an up-and-down year, to say the least. Putting aside the infamous Browns brawl, Rudolph had some solid moments as Big Ben’s midseason fill-in. He ultimately went 5-3 in eight starts with 13 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Things got more turbulent as the season went on, however, and he was ultimately leapfrogged by Devlin Hodges. Rudolph took the reins back from Duck midway through the Steelers’ Week 16 game against the Jets, but he was forced out by a shoulder injury that ultimately ended his season.

Tomlin says he wishes he got to see more out of Rudolph in 2019 and he’ll be able to take a closer look at the 24-year-old next year as he holds the clipboard for Roethlisberger.

Latest On Browns’ Head Coaching Search

December 31st, 2019 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns’ GM search is underway. On Tuesday, the Browns fired John Dorsey (or, mutually agreed to part ways with the veteran exec, depending on who you ask).

Before that, the Browns axed first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens. After that, the Browns wasted little time in requesting interviews. Here’s the latest on the names being considered for the job:

  • 49ers’ run game coordinator Mike McDaniel is likely to interview with the Browns, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). No date has been set yet, but McDaniel figures to be one of three SF coaches to get a look. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and passing-game coordinator Mike LaFleur will also reportedly be interviewed this weekend.
  • In addition to that Niners trio, the Browns have also requested an interview with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, as Schefter tweets. It’s shaping up to be a busy bye week for Bienemy, who has also drawn interest from the Panthers and Giants.

Browns Fire GM John Dorsey

December 31st, 2019 at 1:25pm CST by Zachary Links

That’s a wrap for John Dorsey. On Tuesday, the Browns and Dorsey agreed to part ways, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 

Dorsey and owner Jimmy Haslam met on Tuesday afternoon to discuss potential options for moving forward. Reportedly, Haslam was considering a scenario in which Dorsey would stay on board in a restructured front office. That did not work for Dorsey, an executive with decades of experience who has become accustomed to doing things his way.

The Browns hired Dorsey near the end of the 2017 season after firing Sashi Brown. Brown was widely criticized for his decisions in Cleveland, but his future-minded strategy tee’d up Dorsey with tons of fiscal flexibility and draft picks. In two seasons at the helm, Dorsey has not been able to translate those assets into wins. The Browns improved from 0-16 in 2017 (because there’s only one way to go from there), but they only managed a 7-8-1 record in 2018 and a 6-10 mark this year.

On the plus side – Dorsey is responsible for bringing in the likes of quarterback Baker Mayfield, cornerback Denzel Ward, receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and defensive notables Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon. Dorsey hasn’t been perfect, and his selection of Freddie Kitchens as the team’s head coach obviously didn’t pan out, but one could argue that Dorsey has been given a raw deal and not enough time to right the ship.

What’s next for the Browns is anyone’s guess. The club could give more power to chief strategist Paul DePodesta, who transitioned from baseball to football to become one of Haslam’s top consiglieres. Old friend Andrew Berry – who currently serves as Eagles VP of football operations – could also garner consideration for the GM job.

Eagles Sign Elijah Holyfield

December 31st, 2019 at 1:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have signed running back Elijah Holyfield, per a club announcement. He’ll take the place of defensive end Daeshon Hall, who was placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL.

Holyfield is the son of boxing legend Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield. He’s also an accomplished athlete in his own right. In his final season at the University of Georgia, he ran for more than 1,000 yards. Holyfield went undrafted in 2019, however, and had to settle for a taxi squad spot with the Panthers when he was unable to make their Week 1 roster.

Now, Holyfield will provide insurance for the Eagles after Miles Sanders suffered an ankle injury in the season finale. It’s believed that Sanders will be good to go for the playoffs, but now they have some additional depth, just in case.

The Eagles’ playoff fight begins on Sunday, when they face the Seahawks in Philly.

49ers To Sign Earl Mitchell

December 31st, 2019 at 1:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have agreed to sign Earl Mitchell, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic (on Twitter). Mitchell will give the 49ers some help on the defensive line following Jullian Taylor‘s knee injury. 

[RELATED: Jullian Taylor Suffers Knee Injury]

Mitchell spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with San Francisco before signing with (and later getting released by) Seattle. The 32-year-old announced his retirement in November, but it turned out to be more of a boxer’s retirement.

Mitchell briefly latched on with the Seahawks this summer, but didn’t stick. Now, he returns to the Niners with a chance to make an impact in the playoffs. To date, Mitchell has appeared in 130 career regular season games with 66 starts.

He’ll have time to get familiar (again) with the 49ers. Thanks to their first-round bye, the Niners’ postseason won’t get underway until the divisional round kicks off on Jan. 11.

Bears Fire OC Mark Helfrich

December 31st, 2019 at 1:12pm CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday, the Bears fired offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, along with several other assistants. Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride Jr., and assistant special teams coach Brock Olivo were also handed their pink slips.

Head coach Matt Nagy has a major hand in the team’s offensive philosophy, but he apparently wants a different team to help him carry out his vision. Helfrich came to the Bears after four years as Oregon’s head coach and a stint as a TV analyst. After this so-so run in Chicago, he seems likely to return to the college ranks.

In 2019, the Bears got occasional glimpses from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but, on the whole, the passing offense overwhelmed. Trubisky finished out with 3,138 yards, 17 touchdowns, and ten interceptions, a serious step back from his 2018 showing. He didn’t do much with his feet either – he ran for just 193 yards and two TDs, versus 421 yards and three scores last year.

The offensive line was also porous, which is why Hiestand is also on the job hunt. The Bears figure to shake up the offensive personnel this offseason, though they intend on moving forward with Trubisky as their QB.

Browns, John Dorsey To Part Ways?

December 31st, 2019 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns and GM John Dorsey are “leaning towards” parting ways today, sources tell Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, Schefter cautions that the situation is “fluid and not final.” 

[RELATED: Browns Fire Freddie Kitchens]

Dorsey will meet with owner Jimmy Haslam on Tuesday afternoon to hash things out, but all signs are pointing to this being the end of Dorsey’s time in Cleveland. Days after firing Freddie Kitchens – who got just one season at the helm – the Browns could be on the verge of cleaning house.

Shortly after word of Kitchens’ dismissal broke, Dorsey released a statement indicating that he was staying put. Soon, we’ll know whether that’s the case.

Dorsey joined the Browns in 2017 and his lofty resume led to high expectations off the bat. So far, those expectations have not been met – the Browns finished 6-9 in 2019, despite having one of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and acquiring superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Technically, it’s an upgrade over the Browns’ winless 2017 season, but that’s not quite enough to satisfy the Browns’ restless fans or ownership.

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