Raiders Hire Mike Mayock As GM
We heard yesterday he was getting an interview, and now the Raiders are making the hire official. Oakland is making Mike Mayock their new GM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. 
Mayock will be replacing Reggie McKenzie, who was fired earlier this month. While Mayock will get the title of general manager, coach Jon Gruden will still have final say over all personnel decisions, meaning Mayock will be working under Gruden. Gruden’s second stint with the Raiders has already been sullied by frequent reports of internal discord, and it will be interesting to see how the new power structure gets along.
Mayock has worked with the NFL Network since 2004, and he’s currently serving as a draft analyst. The former safety has spent time as a commentator, analyst, and reporter for the NFL, CFL, and college football. The Redskins considered Mayock for their GM opening last offseason, but this will be Mayock’s first time working in a front office. While it’s an outside the box hire, it’s not unheard of. Two offseasons ago the 49ers hired John Lynch from the broadcast booth to be their new GM.
The Raiders are in the middle of a rebuild, and facing an extremely important offseason. Thanks to their 4-12 record they own the fourth overall pick, and they also have first round picks from the Cowboys and Bears thanks to the Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack trades. While Gruden will have final say, Mayock will play a large role in a draft that the Raiders must hit on.
Browns Have Reached Out To Mike McCarthy
One of the league’s most high profile coaching candidates has already been contacted by the Browns. Cleveland has reached out to former Packers coach Mike McCarthy about their vacancy, a source told John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. 
With a franchise quarterback in place and a roster full of young talent, the Browns have one of the most attractive head coaching openings of the past few years. Plenty of candidates will be interested, and the Browns are reportedly planning on conducting an exhaustive search. Current interim coach Gregg Williams is expected to get an interview, but isn’t viewed by most to be a realistic option for the full time job.
As soon as Green Bay canned McCarthy, he became the hottest candidate around. He’s been linked to virtually every opening, although one report earlier today said McCarthy is likely to sit out the 2019 season. There were other reports that he was interested in the job in Arizona, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said recently that McCarthy “has been connected most to” the opening in Tampa Bay. While this is just a preliminary action, it seems like there’s a decent chance McCarthy could be pairing up with Baker Mayfield. While he was the subject of a lot of criticism the past few years, he’s still one of the most successful coaches to hit the open market in recent memory.
The Browns finished the 2018 season on quite a roll, going 5-3 after firing Hue Jackson, and became relevant nationally for the first time in many years. They’ll be one of the most buzzed about teams this offseason, and will have high expectations in 2019. They’ve also been linked to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, and Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus recently.
Extra Points: Murray, NFL Draft, Brown, Giants, Butler, Raiders
Kyler Murray’s Oklahoma Sooners were eliminated from the College Football Playoff last night, and the watch is officially on to see whether or not he’ll enter the NFL Draft. Murray is a two-sport athlete who was drafted ninth overall by the A’s to play baseball. The A’s gave him a nearly $5MM signing bonus to play baseball, but his Heisman winning season has left open the possibility that he’ll decide to play football instead.
Speaking before the game against Alabama, Murray didn’t shut the door on an NFL career even though his baseball agent has insisted he’ll be playing pro baseball, saying “it’s never bad to have options” according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com.. It’s unclear where Murray might go in the draft if he declares, and reports have him going anywhere from early in the first round to late on Day 2. With spring training for MLB teams set to begin in just a couple of months, we should know more about his intentions very soon.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Speaking of the draft, today’s Week 17 slate gave us some much anticipated clarity about the 2019 NFL draft order. The top 18 is officially set, per ESPN, with the Cardinals picking first overall. The 49ers, Jets, Raiders, and Buccaneers will round out the top five. The Cardinals will likely have a new coach and possibly new front office making the decision, and plenty of the top teams could be looking to trade down with teams more in need of a quarterback.
- Guard Jamon Brown has played well for the Giants since being claimed off waivers from the Rams earlier this year, but New York hasn’t tried to negotiate a new contract with him yet, a source told Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. Brown is set to be a free agent this offseason, and could land a decent sized payday. He’s been a solid starter in his career, but was waived by the Rams shortly after returning from a two game suspension.
- Raiders tight end Paul Butler has been inactive for both games he’s been on the 53-man roster, but the team apparently thinks highly of him. Oakland promoted him from the practice squad because the Lions were trying to sign him away, a source told Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). Butler is a rookie UDFA from tiny school California University of Pennsylvania.
Jets Fire Todd Bowles
It’s been something of a formality for a while now but the Jets made it official moments ago, informing Todd Bowles he’d been fired, the team announced in a tweet.
In a statement seen in the tweet, Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said “I would like to thank Coach Bowles for his dedication to the New York Jets for the last four years,” Johnson said. “After carefully evaluating the situation, I have concluded that this is the right direction for the organization to take. I would like to wish Todd, Taneka and their family only the best.”
Another move that had been tentatively expected has now been confirmed, as the team will be keeping GM Mike Maccagnan for next season. The team announced Maccagnan “will work closely with owner Chris Johnson on the search for a new” coach, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Bowles did a good job hanging on as long as he did, as many assumed he would be a goner last year. Instead, he led the Jets to a surprisingly strong 5-11 record with Josh McCown and Bryce Petty, and was brought back for another year. Things got off to a great start with a huge win on Monday Night Football in Week 1 of this year, but as the losses eventually piled up it became increasingly clear Johnson wanted a different coach to pair with Sam Darnold for the future. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates is all but certain to be replaced, and it’s likely the team will want an offensive minded coach for Darnold. Bowles was highly regarded as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator before he took over the Jets job, and will reportedly be a candidate in other teams’ searches this cycle.
As for his replacement, the team has been linked to Mike McCarthy in recent weeks. We heard yesterday that former Lions coach Jim Caldwell was also expected to be interviewed by New York. In addition to McCarthy and Caldwell, Jim Harbaugh has also been repeatedly linked to the team, although Jets CEO Christopher Johnson recently denied they were interested.
Coaching Rumors: Rex Ryan, Gase, Dolphins, Harbaugh, Broncos
There will be a ton of coaching rumors in the coming days, and we’ve already seen our first post-season firing. We’ve got a whole new round of notes ready, including an interesting tidbit about a very high profile name. Former Jets and Bills coach Rex Ryan is reportedly telling potential assistant coach candidates that he expects to land an interview with the Dolphins, sources told Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Ryan is an out of left field name who hasn’t been talked about much recently, but he’s apparently eager to get back into coaching. One important caveat here is that there’s no guarantee Adam Gase gets fired by the Dolphins, but Ryan is apparently expecting him to. Salguero notes that Ryan is also a candidate for the University of Miami’s open job, and that Ryan is telling associates he has a “solid chance” to land one of the two jobs, but that he’d prefer the Dolphins one. If Ryan somehow ends up coaching the Dolphins next year, it’ll be the third AFC East team he’s led.
Here’s more on the coaching carousel:
- Speaking of Gase, there have been conflicting reports about his job security recently. For his part Gase denied thinking about it much after his team’s blowout loss to the Bills, saying “I mean I’m not even thinking about that right now because we just got drummed on the road”, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wolfe also notes that Gase said he didn’t speak much with owner Stephen Ross, who was in the locker room after the game.
- We heard earlier today that multiple teams were considering trying to trade for Ravens coach John Harbaugh, and now we have a better idea of which teams. The Dolphins and Broncos are two teams that have expressed interest in trading for Harbaugh, according to Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders (Twitter link). While he notes the Buccaneers haven’t yet been linked, he thinks they “could get into the mix” eventually. The Ravens won the AFC North today, but Harbaugh could still be available, especially if Baltimore goes one and done in the playoffs.
- It’d already been reported that Ron Rivera was likely safe in Carolina, and now it’s official. New owner David Tepper has informed Rivera personally that he’ll be back coaching the team in 2019, a source told Albert Breer of SI.com (Twitter link). It was a disappointing season for the Panthers after they completely collapsed after jumping out to a 6-2 record, but the explanation of injuries and Rivera’s track record with the team saved his job for at least another year.
Buccaneers Fire Dirk Koetter
And so it begins. The first postseason firing has been made official as the Buccaneers are relieving Dirk Koetter of his duties, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
The move had been widely expected, but there were some 11th hour reports that Koetter could possibly survive. It was reported earlier today that the team would be retaining Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback next year, but Koetter won’t get another year.
Bucs chairman Joel Glazer released a statement on behalf of the team (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network), saying “we sincerely appreciate the hard work and commitment shown by Dirk over the past several years. Working with Dirk has been a pleasure and we wish him and his family all the best in the future.” Rapoport notes in the same tweet that GM Jason Licht will conduct the coaching search, meaning his job is safe. Licht had been rumored to be on the hot seat as well, but has apparently been spared.
Koetter was a hot head coaching candidate a few years ago after he was widely credited with doing a great job coordinating the Falcons’ offense, but things never worked out in Tampa Bay. He went 9-7 his first year but that slipped to 5-11 last year, and he was very nearly fired at the end of last season. After the Bucs were unable to get Jon Gruden they stuck with Koetter for another year, and it’s been clear for a while now they were going to go in a different direction. They’ve been connected to Mike McCarthy recently, and we should know more about Tampa’s intentions soon.
Extra Points: Jets, Johnson, Jaguars, Yeldon, Fournette, Blount, Lions
We heard yesterday he was being fired, and the Todd Bowles era ended in very disappointing fashion today. The Jets were destroyed by the Patriots by a final score of 38-3. The defense was shredded by Tom Brady, and the unit was without one of their top players in Trumaine Johnson. Johnson was a healthy scratch, and it was because he was a no show for meetings and practice this week, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link).
Johnson said after the game that he overslept and was late to practice on Wednesday, and that that’s why he was benched, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. Johnson was signed away from the Rams this offseason with a massive contract, and has mostly been a disappointment. He’s played pretty well overall, but not at the level to deserve the five-year $72MM contract New York handed him. While GM Mike Maccagnan likely wishes he had that one back, his contract makes it impossible to move on until 2020 at the earliest, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com thinks the Jets might be “trying to set the stage” for a suspension of some sorts that could void guaranteed money in his contract. Any such actions would surely draw a stiff challenge from the player’s union.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Jaguars running backs T.J. Yeldon and Leonard Fournette were caught by TV cameras sitting on the bench for nearly the entire game today instead of standing on the sideline, and head of football operations Tom Coughlin ripped their actions after the game, per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. “I am disappointed in the behavior today from T.J. Yeldon and Leonard Fournette. They were disrespectful, selfish and their behavior was unbecoming that of a professional football player,” Coughlin said. While Fournette is locked into Jacksonville’s future with his fully guaranteed contract, Yeldon is set to be a free agent at the end of the year and is highly unlikely to be brought back.
- LeGarrette Blount didn’t seem to have much left in the tank this year with the Lions, but the 32 year old bruising runner wants to play in 2019. Blount only averaged 2.71 yards per carry this year and was an afterthought in the offense when Kerryon Johnson was healthy, so Blount might not be able to find a team willing to bring him in this offseason. He had a very quiet market this past spring before Detroit eventually decided to give him a one year deal.
- In case you missed it, Matthew Stafford isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Latest On Packers’ Staff, Coaching Search
Only two days until Black Monday and the coaching carousel is in full swing, with rumors flying left and right. The Packers have already fired head coach Mike McCarthy, but some of his assistants status’ are still up in the air. At least one significant change is coming, as one of the Packers’ longtime trainers, Pepper Burruss, is retiring, notes Rob Demovsky of ESPN (Twitter link). Burruss was with the team for 22 years.
Demovsky also notes in a separate tweet that defensive coordinator Mike Pettine is unsure whether he’s being retained, but that as of now he’s planning on his usual after the season work. Meanwhile, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that Pettine wants to be back, but that he’ll likely be let go if the Packers hire a defensive minded coach.
It all suggests Pettine has a chance to be back, which might be a surprise to some, but he’s highly respected within the building. Holdovers from fired coaches’ staffs aren’t that common, but they aren’t unheard of either. Jim Bob Cooter was retained as the Lions’ offensive coordinator after Jim Caldwell was fired last year, and there’s plenty of precedent. While the Packers have mostly been linked to offensive minded coaches to pair with Aaron Rodgers, they’ve been rumored to be interested in at least one defensive guru, Pat Fitzgerald.
The team does indeed plan to pursue the Northwestern coach for their head coaching vacancy, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapsheet notes that Fitzgerald “has shut down countless interview requests from the NFL in the past”, but the chance to coach a team like the Packers and Rodgers may change his mind.
Rapoport also writes that while interim coach Joe Philbin will receive an interview from team president Mark Murphy and GM Brian Gutekunst, “it would be a surprise if he received the full-time job.” Instead, the team is expected to “conduct a wide-ranging search with perhaps 10-12 candidates.” Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is another name that has come up frequently, and the team has already interviewed Chuck Pagano and Caldwell.
West Notes: Broncos, Raiders, Seahawks
One team that will likely be undergoing a lot of change this offseason is the Broncos. Vance Joseph seems almost certain to be fired at the end of the season, and the shakeup will likely go well beyond the coaching staff. John Elway will have decisions to make about a lot of the roster, including quarterback Case Keenum, and there will be some tough calls. To preview the tumultuous offseason ahead, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic took a look at the roster and projected who is likely to be gone in 2019.
We’ve already known that outside linebacker Shane Ray and safety Su’a Cravens are extremely unlikely to be back in a Broncos uniform next year, and Jhabvala thinks several other big name defenders are in danger as well. She writes that cornerback Bradley Roby and linebacker Brandon Marshall, both starters the last few seasons, are both unlikely to be brought back. Jhabvala notes that the team traded Aqib Talib this past offseason because they were confident Roby was ready for a bigger role, but they’ve since soured on the 2015 first round pick. Among other players Jhabvala lists as being in danger are center Matt Paradis, who she thinks might be priced out of the Broncos’ range, and guard Max Garcia, who had already been demoted before tearing his ACL earlier this year.
Here’s more from the league’s western divisions:
- The Raiders are still looking to upgrade their secondary, but they now view third year safety Karl Joseph as a building block for the future, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports. Bair writes that the team was shopping the 2016 first round pick at the trade deadline, but is now “happy they didn’t deal him” because of his play the second half of the season. The West Virginia alum has received very good marks from Pro Football Focus, especially recently, and has been a large part of Oakland’s recent resurgence.
- The Seahawks clinched a playoff berth with their huge win over the Chiefs last Sunday night, and got even more good news this week. Starting guard J.R. Sweezy suffered what initially appeared to be a serious foot injury, but coach Pete Carroll said he thinks Sweezy will be able to play in the first round of the playoffs (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN). Sweezy has started every game this year for Seattle’s reborn offensive line, and while Carroll is notoriously overly optimistic when diagnosing injuries, this is still good news.
- Speaking of the Seahawks, their defensive tackle Shamar Stephen “is closing in on a significant incentive bonus”, according to Henderson. Stephen is due a $500K bonus if he plays between 45 and 49.99 percent of Seattle’s defensive snaps, or $700K if he plays between 50-54.99 percent. Stephen is currently playing 50.16% of their defensive snaps entering their Week 17 game, so he’s on track to hit it. Considering Stephen’s base salary this year was only $800K, this would be a massive bonus for him to reach.
Extra Points: Gronkowski, Patriots, Peterson, Schaub, Wright
Rob Gronkowski is arguably the greatest tight end of all time, and as the regular season winds down, we could be seeing the end of Gronk in a Patriots uniform, opines Tom Curran of NBC Sports. Curran breaks down all the drama between Gronkowski and the New England front office regime over the past couple of years, and thinks that the fact that Gronkowski has been severely underpaid for years played the main role in the thawing of the relationship.
Both sides are unhappy with one another, and the Patriots already tried trading Gronkowski this offseason. Given that they already deemed him non-essential before the season began it won’t be at all surprising if they want to move on at the end of the year, and it’s highly possible Gronkowski will want to move on as well, as Curran writes he’s grown tired of the ‘Patriot Way.’ Curran thinks the writing is on the wall that things are coming to an end, and Gronk is having a very disappointing season by his lofty standards. His body has been breaking down, and he hasn’t been his usual game-breaking self most times this season. If it is indeed the end, it’ll be an end of an era in Foxborough.
Here’s more from around the league:
- On the subject of the Patriots, the team brought in CFL players defensive back Tevaughn Campbell and receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert for workouts, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN (Twitter link). Since CFL players aren’t eligible to be signed until after the season, these workouts are likely for consideration for reserve/futures contracts to be handed out in 2019.
- While he’s already rewritten the rule book about what a running back can do at his age, Adrian Peterson isn’t done yet. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer wants to continue playing, and wants to be back with the Redskins next year,per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. Signed at the last minute when Derrius Guice went down with a torn ACL, Peterson has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2018 NFL season, rushing for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s slowed down a bit as the season has gone on, but Washington could bring him back as a veteran mentor and change of pace option behind Guice.
- Speaking of veterans who want to keep playing, quarterback Matt Schaub hopes to be back with Falcons next year, according to Matt Winkeljohn of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Schaub is aware his NFL career might be coming to an end, as most teams are trending toward having younger players as their backups. But the 37-year-old signal caller, once one of the league’s better starting quarterbacks, hopes to be back in the place where he’s taken on a coach-like role behind Matt Ryan. If he does end up hanging up his cleats, Schaub said he wants to stay “around sports in some form or fashion whether it’s trying to do broadcasting or with an organization somehow.”
- While the Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, at least one player did get some good news. Receiver Jarius Wright got a $200K bonus for hitting his catch incentives, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). So far this season the 2012 fourth round pick out of Arkansas has 41 catches for 427 yards and a touchdown. He should be back in Carolina next year at his $2.5MM salary.