HEADLINES

Month: January 2023

Chargers Designate T Rashawn Slater For Return

January 10th, 2023 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after seeing Joey Bosa re-emerge after a months-long injury rehab, the Chargers will see how Rashawn Slater looks in practice. The Bolts designated the second-year left tackle for return Tuesday.

Slater, who has been out with a biceps injury since Week 3, has been on the radar for a late-season return. The Chargers have 21 days to activate the former first-round pick, but with the playoffs upon us, an activation could commence soon.

Although Bosa played just days after being designated to return to practice, Brandon Staley confirmed Slater will not take the same path. Staley said Slater will not play in Saturday’s Jaguars matchup (video link). Both Slater and Bosa went down during the Bolts’ Week 3 loss to the Jags. Those injuries played a significant part in the Chargers’ season, though the team has Bosa back and ended up rallying to a 10-win campaign and the franchise’s first playoff game in four years.

Slater’s injury, a biceps tendon tear, generally ends players’ seasons. At first, it was believed the Northwestern product would be out for the year. That may end up being the case, but Staley has hinted at a potential Slater return taking place for weeks now. This would arm the Chargers with a major reinforcement.

Last season, Slater earned Pro Bowl recognition despite both being a rookie left tackle and having opted out of his final college season. Slater helped Justin Herbert become the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter last season. The Chargers have been using sixth-round rookie Jamaree Salyer at left tackle, and while that will be the case in their Jaguars rematch, a possible Slater return in Round 2 — should the Bolts win Saturday — would be rather important for the resurgent team.

The Chargers, who have been one of the NFL’s more injury-prone teams over the past several years, again battled extensive health issues this season. Herbert’s rib injury did not cost him any time, but he struggled in the weeks immediately following the setback. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams each missed extensive time due to leg injuries, while Bosa’s groin issue shut him down for 12 games. Derwin James and Corey Linsley also missed three games apiece. Although J.C. Jackson‘s Achilles tear shut him down, the Chargers will enter the playoffs as a fairly healthy operation.

Cards To Interview Jerry Reese For GM Job

January 10th, 2023 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former Giants general manager Jerry Reese remains on the radar. The Cardinals are meeting with the veteran front office staffer Tuesday, NFL.com’s Jim Trotter tweets.

Although Reese has been out of a GM chair since the Giants fired him late in the 2017 season, he has gone through interviews in recent years. The Steelers met with him last year, while the Jaguars and Panthers interviewed him during the 2021 hiring period.

Reese, 59, has been out of the league since the Giants canned him. But he brings a rather decorated resume into interviews. Few GMs in NFL history were in place for two Super Bowl championships. Reese, who succeeded Ernie Accorsi with the Giants in 2007, found himself in that position. Following the 2007 Giants’ upset victory in Super Bowl XLII, Reese built the team that ended up toppling another Patriots squad in Super Bowl XLVI.

The Cardinals have interviewed two of Steve Keim‘s top lieutenants already — vice president of pro scouting Adrian Wilson and VP of player personnel Quentin Harris — and Michael Bidwill said Monday he would prefer to have the GM in place before hiring a head coach. Several outside candidates are on the radar as well. The Cardinals fired Kliff Kingsbury on Monday and announced Keim, a 10-year GM presence, would not return. Keim had taken a leave of absence late in what became a wildly disappointing Cardinals season.

Reese has spent his entire career with the Giants, rising from the scouting ranks. He began working with the team in 1994 and was in place as GM until the Eli Manning benching snafu that led to the organization canning both Reese and Ben McAdoo — less than a year after a playoff season — in December 2017. The Giants did, however, miss the playoffs five times in Reese’s final six years in the GM chair.

Colts Request HC Interview With Ejiro Evero

January 10th, 2023 at 1:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

A year ago, Ejiro Evero was wrapping his first season as the Rams’ secondary coach. Sean McVay had bumped him up after four seasons as a safety coach, with Evero’s lone year in the passing-game coordinator role doubling as a Super Bowl-winning campaign. Following his first year as a defensive coordinator a year later, the veteran assistant has a host of opportunities in front of him.

The Colts are the latest team to request an Evero head coach interview, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. They follow the Broncos and Texans. Evero’s interview with his current employer is on tap Tuesday, but it looks likely he will be preparing for other meetings as well as the one with the Broncos.

Because the Broncos finished a disappointing 5-12 and well out of the playoffs, Evero will have the chance to interview before candidates whose teams are preparing for playoff games. No candidate with one of the 12 teams playing this weekend can begin interviewing until three days after their squad’s wild-card game. Though, candidates from the Eagles or Chiefs can interview this week. But Evero falls into an unusual place on the candidate spectrum, considering how strange the Broncos season was.

Despite Denver’s offense cratering to a point it became a weekly talking point, Nathaniel Hackett‘s longtime friend helped keep the team in games thanks to a mostly reliable defense. The Broncos, who lost nine one-score games this season, finished seventh in total defense. Coaches from five-win teams are rarely in demand during hiring periods, but Evero — whose defense played most of the season without Randy Gregory and starting cornerback Ronald Darby, while also losing Bradley Chubb at the trade deadline — has found himself in that position.

Jim Irsay said Jeff Saturday remains a candidate for the Colts’ HC gig, despite the team finishing with its first season-closing seven-game skid since its inaugural season (1953). But the Colts are moving with their search. Colts GM Chris Ballard assembled a roster strong enough to make the 2020 playoffs — a year after Andrew Luck‘s retirement — and the 2021 Indianapolis iteration sent an NFL-high seven players to the Pro Bowl. But plenty has changed since the Colts’ collapse to close that season. Indy went 4-12-1 in 2022, which became one of the most turbulent years in modern Colts history. Evero joins his former boss, Rams DC Raheem Morris, among the Colts’ interview requests. Here is how Indy’s coaching search looks so far, via PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker:

Ravens, Roquan Smith Agree On Extension

January 10th, 2023 at 12:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Lamar Jackson situation headed toward a franchise tag, the Ravens took care of a major piece of business Tuesday. They are signing Roquan Smith to a landmark extension.

Smith and the Ravens are in agreement on a five-year, $100MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). This raises the bar for off-ball linebackers — something Smith sought during his talks with the Bears this past offseason. Smith will see $45MM guaranteed at signing and $60MM guaranteed in total. A $22.5MM signing bonus represents part of Smith’s guarantees, Aaron Wilson of KPRC tweets.

The self-represented linebacker could not come to terms with the Bears on a long-term deal ahead of the season, and the rebuilding team sent him to the Ravens for second- and fifth-round picks at the deadline. By trading for a linebacker in a contract year, the Ravens placed some pressure on themselves to come to an agreement before the legal tampering period began. The team beat that deadline by more than two months and will hang onto a player who has provided a major boost for a team that has been without Jackson for several weeks.

At the time the Ravens traded for Smith, their defense was giving up 22.9 points per game. Since the acquisition ahead of Week 9, Rapoport notes Baltimore is surrendering just 14.7 per game. The latter total is second in the NFL. For a team that has both been without Jackson and its top two wide receivers during a chunk of that stretch, Smith has provided vital assistance. On a deal that also resets the non-rush linebacker market for total and full guarantees, the 25-year-old standout is now signed through the 2027 season.

Pro Football Focus slots Smith and 2020 first-round pick Patrick Queen as top-30 off-ball linebackers this season, which doubles as the former’s first Pro Bowl campaign. The ex-Georgia standout has tallied a career-high 169 tackles, despite a midseason scheme change, and racked up 11 tackles for loss. From 2020-21, only T.J. Watt totaled more TFLs than Smith, who was believed to be seeking a deal that topped Shaquille Leonard‘s during his Bears negotiations.

It took a few additional months (and a team change) for such a contract to come together, but the ILB market now has a $20MM-per-year player. This is the eighth NFL position to see a player cross the $20MM AAV barrier (quarterback, wide receiver, tackle, guard, edge rusher, defensive tackle, cornerback). The off-ball ‘backer market began ballooning to this place because of failed Ravens negotiations with C.J. Mosley back in 2019. Mosley ended up inking a then-record-smashing $17MM-per-year deal with the Jets, and Bobby Wagner (on his third Seahawks contract), Fred Warner and Leonard topped that in the ensuing years. Leonard’s deal headlined the position’s market for over a year, and while the Colts ‘backer has a more decorated resume than Smith, the latter had unique leverage — bolstered by Baltimore’s trade and situation with Jackson.

With teams only allowed the use of one franchise tag per offseason, Jackson has always been expected to receive it. The former MVP turned down multiple extension offers from the Ravens over the past two years, with the Browns’ Deshaun Watson contract moving the goal posts for these talks. The Ravens may well need the exclusive tag — which prevents other teams from negotiating with Jackson — and that is expected to come in north of $45MM. That figure going on the Ravens’ cap sheet in March would significantly impact the team’s free agency outlook, adding to the importance of having Smith locked down early.

The Bears faced a dilemma with Smith, as all linebacker positions fall under one franchise tag price. With OLBs driving up the price, a Smith tag would have cost the Bears around $21MM. The $20MM-per-year number emerged during Smith’s contentious talks with the Bears, and while it seemed a bit high at the time, Chicago committing to a rebuild and dealing the Ryan Pace-era draftee to a team with a unique franchise tag situation on the horizon made it possible. The Ravens can keep Queen on a rookie deal through 2024, via the fifth-year option, with Tuesday’s agreement locking in the promising duo for years to come.

Georgia DT Jalen Carter Declares For Draft

January 10th, 2023 at 11:48am CST by Adam La Rose

One day after winning a second consecutive national title, Georgia’s Jalen Carter has made an unsurprising decision. The highly-touted defensive tackle announced on Tuesday (via Twitter) that he is declaring for the 2023 NFL draft.

Carter was one of many five-star recruits the Bulldogs have landed in recent years, leading to significant expectations right away for him and the team. In eight games played as a freshman, Carter totaled just 14 stops on the season, but his three tackles for loss demonstrated his potential as a disruptive force along the defensive interior.

Last year, the 6-3, 310-pounder took a considerable step forward. While splitting reps with the likes of Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt, Carter posted 37 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss, along with three sacks. Over the course of the season, it became clear that the latter was a key contributor on the team’s vaunted defense despite being surrounded by older teammates. Both Davis and Wyatt went on to be first-round picks last April, but many felt by that point Carter was the most talented member of that year’s championship team.

With a larger role and even greater expectations for his junior campaign, Carter did not fail to deliver. He racked up seven tackles for loss and duplicated his sack total from the year before. His 32 QB pressures almost matched his 2021 total, helping lead to consensus All-American honors and a stellar PFF grade of 92.3. Carter is universally seen as the 2023 class’ top interior defensive lineman, in no small part due to his scheme and alignment versatility.

That ranking puts him in the running for the title of top defensive prospect, something he is competing alongside Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. for. Given their needs on both sides of the ball, but in the front seven in particular, both prospects figure to be on the radar of the Bears, who landed the No. 1 pick after a wild sequence during Week 18. The top slot would allow Chicago to draft a Justin Fields replacement at quarterback if they wished, but signs are pointing away from such a move.

At his season-ending press conference earlier today, Bears GM Ryan Poles said that he plans on having Fields return as the team’s starter in 2023, adding that he would need to be “blown away” by another prospect (likely Alabama’s Bryce Young) at the position (Twitter link via The Athletics’ Adam Jahns). That opens the door to a trade out of the top spot, of course, but also increases the chances that a defender will be the first to hear his name called this spring if the Bears stay at No. 1. Given his production, Carter would have a realistic chance at being the top pick in that event.

Panthers Request HC Interview With Giants OC Mike Kafka

January 10th, 2023 at 10:45am CST by Adam La Rose

Another name has been added to the list of targets for the Panthers’ head coaching search. Carolina has requested an interview with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

[RELATED: 2023 HC Search Tracker]

The Giants’ surprising performance this season, one which has seen them post a 9-7-1 record and qualify for the postseason, has largely been attributed to the team’s new coaching staff. That unit is led, of course, by first-year HC Brian Daboll, but Kafka has played a key role in the team’s offense as well.

Kafka, 35, joined Daboll in New York last offseason after beginning his NFL coaching career with the Chiefs. He established himself as a top candidate for the position given his work alongside Patrick Mahomes as Kansas City’s QBs coach and passing game coordinator. Once the Bills promoted Ken Dorsey to replace Daboll as their OC, it came as little surprise that Kafka was hired.

Eyebrows were raised, however, when Kafka received a long look in the offseason handling play-calling duties. That role was assumed to be Daboll’s, given his success at the helm of Buffalo’s offense prior to being hired. Instead, Kafka was named the team’s full-time play-caller in September, putting him in an important position with respect to Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley and Co.

The Giants finished the season with middle-of-the road figures in scoring and total offense, but the play of Jones and Barkley in particular helped the unit outperform expectations. That has led to questions about each of their futures with the team, but also highlighted Kafka’s potential early on in his career. His inclusion in the Panthers’ search thus comes as little surprise as the rebuilding squad looks for a long-term Matt Rhule replacement.

Their interview process – which will also include interim HC Steve Wilks – has largely taken the form of offensive candidates. While experienced options such as Frank Reich and Jim Harbaugh are on Carolina’s radar, they are also eyeing younger options like Ben Johnson, Shane Steichen and Dorsey. Kafka certainly falls into the latter category; while his relative lack of experience as a play-caller could keep him from earning a head coaching job in this year’s cycle, it is clear he has established himself as a name to watch.

Packers HC Matt LaFleur Open To Nathaniel Hackett Return, Endorses DC Joe Barry

January 10th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of changes have already taken place on the sidelines in the NFL with the regular season now complete, but it does not appear that Green Bay will be the site of much turnover in that regard. One exception could be a reunion with a familiar face.

When speaking to the media, head coach Matt LaFleur said he is open to the possibility of former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett coming back to his staff. The latter left last offseason to become the Broncos’ head coach, a move which did not end well, to say the least. Hackett was fired before the season – his first as a bench boss – had come to an end with the Broncos falling well short of expectations, particularly on offense.

The 43-year-old had previously spent three seasons in Green Bay as the team’s OC, albeit one who did not call plays. The same is now true of Adam Stenavich, who, as ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes, is expected to remain in his current post regardless of whether or not Hackett is brought back. A reunion is something which LaFleur said he has “definitely entertained” though he admitted that his evaluation process of the staff has only just begun.

One other noteworthy change which could come about as a result of that process is LaFleur ceding play-calling duties. Such a move is one he has considered in the past, but, in light of the team’s middling defensive performance and discipline issues, one which would allow him to address other areas of the team.

“As far as the playcalling’s concerned, yeah that’s crossed my mind in terms of I want to do whatever’s best for us to have success,” LaFleur said. “If we feel like that is the best way for us to win games, then I would 100% hand that over.”

As for defensive coordinator Joe Barry, LaFleur gave an endorsement in favor of his return in 2023. The Packers were expected to lean on the strength of their defense more so this season than previous ones in no small part due to the team’s continued investment on that side of the ball. The unit finished the campaign ranked 17th in both points (21.8) and yards (337) allowed per game, though their secondary fared better than those overall statistics suggest. Despite Barry’s performance coming under fire during Green Bay’s five-game losing streak in particular, LaFleur reiterated that he expects Barry to be retained.

“I don’t really anticipate a whole lot, if any staff changes at all,” LaFleur said. “I do believe in the people, not only in the locker room, but our coaching staff… It’s my intention to try and have everybody back. I think continuity is a big part of having success in this league.”

After an 8-9 season which ended without a playoff berth, many questions will be asked this offseason in Green Bay. If LaFleur has his way, however, significant alterations to his staff will not be forthcoming.

Cardinals Fire HC Kliff Kingsbury; GM Steve Keim Will Not Return

January 9th, 2023 at 10:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another expected move has taken place to add to the league’s number of head coaching vacancies. The Cardinals have fired Kliff Kingsbury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that general manager Steve Keim will also not be returning (Twitter link). A team announcement confirms that Keim has stepped away to focus on his health.

The 43-year-old was the subject of increasing speculation during the season that a change would be coming. That, in its own regard, was something of a surprise considering the long-term extensions he and Keim signed this past offseason. However, as the 2022 campaign progressed, signs increasingly pointed to a parting of ways.

Kingsbury established himself as a quarterback guru during his time in college. That span included work with, among others, Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes. Still, eyebrows were raised at the Cardinals’ decision to hire him in 2019 given his overall record of 35-40 at Texas Tech. The move signalled an all-in approach on Arizona’s part with Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray.

From a big-picture perspective, the first three seasons of Kingsbury’s tenure could be categorized as generally successful. The Cardinals showed improvement from 5-10-1 to 8-8 across their first two years with him at the helm, though the latter campaign did not result in a postseason appearance. In 2021, Arizona got off to a hot start, posting a 10-2 record early on in a season where Murray found himself in the MVP conversation. As had been the case the year prior, however, the team nosedived down the stretch and ended up 11-6. The season came to an underwhelming end with a blowout loss in the Wild Card round.

Another playoff appearance was expected given the faith shown by the organization to Keim, Kingsbury and (by virtue of his own monster extension) Murray. Instead, nothing has gone according to plan in the desert, with the team struggling at all times to find consistency on offense. Injuries and suspensions in the receiving corps are partially to blame, of course, but Kingsbury drew increasing criticism for his inability to put together consecutive weeks of good showings on offense or defense.

A rift was reported to be growing between Kingsbury and Murray, something which fueled the fire of this dismissal taking place. Overall, the Cardinals finished the year with a 4-13 record, marking their first regression in the win-loss column during Kingsbury’s time. Murray’s ACL tear certainly hurt the team’s late-season prospects, but his return in 2023 with a new voice on the sidelines and in the front office will not be considered a surprise given everything which has transpired over the course of the past few months.

Indeed, it was reported to be an “open secret” last week that Kingsbury would be on his way out upon the conclusion of the regular season. As for Keim, his departure seemed to be confirmed in December after his decision to take an indefinite leave of absence for health-related reasons. His tenure as GM began in 2013, and included an 80-80-2 record and three playoff appearances.

Both he and Kingsbury will now be on the books as the team looks for their respective replacements. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was named as a candidate to take on the HC role in the event Kingsbury was let go, despite the team’s struggles on that side of the ball during his time in Arizona. In any event, Kingsbury will head into the 2023 coaching market with uncertain prospects given his inability to close out seasons across the previous two years, as well as the disastrous performance of his team in 2022. Keim’s future is likewise in the air considering his health status and underwhelming track record at the head of the team’s front office.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/23

January 9th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

A few transactions on the first day of the postseason:

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Bailey and Jones’s suspension was lifted today by the Patriots. In addition, free agent tight end Chris Herndon and Packers offensive lineman Sean Rhyan‘s suspensions were lifted by the league.

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