Zac Taylor Not Necessarily Safe?
The Bengals had some momentum with two straight upset victories the past two weeks, and the Ravens promptly vanquished that with a blowout win on Sunday. We had heard a few weeks ago that head coach Zac Taylor was likely to return for a third season, but that’s apparently not set in stone. 
Taylor “may not be as safe as some believe,” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes. Florio adds “there’s a rumor making that rounds that Taylor could be out.” As for what Cincy could be plotting, Florio highlights the potential reunion between Joe Burrow and his college passing guru Joe Brady, who is now the OC in Carolina. Florio think that the Bengals could be spurred to make the plunge if they fear another team will hire Brady this cycle.
Taylor is now 6-25-1 in his first two seasons as coach, and while circumstances obviously haven’t been ideal it’s still hard to defend that record. Cincinnati went after him due to his association with Sean McVay after he spent a couple years on the Rams’ staff as an assistant. The 37-year-old had never been a head coach at any level before getting hired to replace Marvin Lewis.
As Florio points out, one thing working in Taylor’s favor is Bengals brass’ usual conservative nature when it comes to firing coaches. After all, they did keep Lewis around for 16 seasons, and the fact that he’d likely have millions coming his way could be what saves Taylor for another year. If he does stick around, he’ll need a major leap from Burrow and the rest of the team to buy him a fourth season.
Of course, there’s no guarantee Burrow is ready for Week 1 next year after tearing his ACL and damaging other ligaments, so it could be a tough job for whoever is roaming the sidelines in 2021. We should know more about Taylor’s status tomorrow.
Panthers Request To Interview Nick Caserio For GM Opening
After firing Marty Hurney, the Panthers need to answer a big question this offseason about who they’re going to pair with Matt Rhule moving forward. The team apparently has their eye on Patriots exec Nick Caserio. Carolina has requested to interview Caserio for their GM vacancy, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Caserio’s current title is director of pro personnel with New England. He’s been sought after before, as the Texans very nearly hired him in 2019 before the Pats threatened to file tampering charges and the whole thing fell apart. Caserio was just extended by the Pats back in February, so it’s unclear if they’ll let him jump this time. If they do, the Panthers will likely face competition for his services.
Houston is expected to have interest once again this cycle, and the Giants have him in their crosshairs should they fire Dave Gettleman. Caserio is clearly highly regarded, and it seems like only a matter of time before he ends up a front office head somewhere. On paper the Panthers job is a mixed bag. Rhule has done a great job turning the culture around and has guys fighting hard, but they struggled mightily the second half of the season.
There’s some young talent on defense, but the future at quarterback is unsettled with Teddy Bridgewater being competent but underwhelming in his first year as the starter. We’ll keep you posted on this situation.
AFC Notes: Tomlin, Big Ben, Ravens, Texans
The Steelers announced Tuesday that Mason Rudolph will start in Week 17 against the Browns as Ben Roethlisberger rests up for the playoffs, but that isn’t the only quarterback question lingering over the franchise. Big Ben’s play fell off dramatically after the early part of the season, which has understandably led to some questions about the 38-year-old’s future. We heard just last week that Roethlisberger was planning on returning for 2021, the final year of his contract, but it might not be entirely up to him. Interestingly, head coach Mike Tomlin “will play a critical role in however Pittsburgh moves forward” at quarterback, sources told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert has indicated he could be headed for retirement soon, potentially giving Tomlin even more power here. La Canfora writes that the team is putting off these questions to the offseason, but while he cautions the team isn’t talking too much about Roethlisberger’s decline internally, it sounds like a lot of it will come down to what Tomlin wants to do. Obviously Tomlin and Big Ben have a close bond, and there’s no reason to believe he’ll immediately toss him aside, but “he will have a significant voice in the composition of the quarterback room in 2021,” La Canfora writes. Assuming Roethlisberger comes back, that could mean that Tomlin has more of a direct role in acquiring a potential successor. The 25-year-old Rudolph was serviceable at times last year, but also struggled mightily at others. He hasn’t shown much to inspire confidence that he can be a franchise quarterback. It’ll be a very interesting offseason in Pittsburgh.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- The Ravens dealt with a brutal COVID-19 outbreak in the middle of their season, and the league has determined they were partially at fault. The NFL has slapped Baltimore with a $250K fine for protocol violations, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk writes, although they were not docked a draft pick like the Saints were. New Orleans lost a seventh-rounder, Las Vegas forfeited a sixth-rounder, and the Titans were fined $350K, so this is actually on the lighter side of COVID punishments. In a separate piece, Florio writes that strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders was the previously unnamed coach who was suspended for his role in the outbreak. Saunders is now back in the building with his job back after serving a suspension of about a month.
- The Texans have a lot of work to do this offseason, most notably finding a new coach and GM after the firing of Bill O’Brien. Houston owner Cal McNair reportedly wants Deshaun Watson‘s input on who the next coach will be, but the team apparently isn’t in any rush to make a hire. That’s because the Texans do not intend to take advantage of the new NFL rule that would allow them to interview head coaching candidates currently on staff with other teams before the season ends, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports. Instead Houston is sticking to their plan of hiring a GM before a coach. They have however been interviewing candidates not currently with a team, including Marvin Lewis and Jim Caldwell recently. There have been murmurs that Watson would like Eric Bieniemy, who obviously is still currently employed by the Chiefs, so that interview won’t be happening immediately.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/29/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad shuffles here, so be sure to check back later for all the new updates:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: S Trayvon Henderson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DB Josh Hawkins
- Placed on practice squad IR: CB Alexander Myres
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: S Ibraheim Campbell, DT Rob Windsor
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Brandon Dillon
New England Patriots
- Waived: G Earl Watford
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Christian Kuntz, G John Leglue
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: CB DeMarkus Acy, DT Myles Adams
Washington Football Team
- Released: RB Michael Warren
East Notes: Haskins, Patriots, Jets
Dwayne Haskins was cut by Washington yesterday, marking one of the earliest flameouts for a first-round pick in recent NFL history. But while he won’t be taking the field for Washington again, his business with the team isn’t quite settled. As a first-rounder Haskins’ entire four-year rookie contract was guaranteed, and he’s owed around $4.2MM over the next two seasons. As a result of his mask-less partying with strippers that saw him fined $40K and his captain status revoked, Washington may have a claim to void his guarantees, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes.
Florio obtained a copy of Haskins’ rookie contract, and points out that the deal specifically says Haskins’ money can be voided even for conduct that didn’t result in a suspension. “Player shall be deemed in Default of the Contract if Player takes any action that Club determines, in its reasonable discretion, undermines the public’s respect for . . . Player’s teammates, Club’s ownership, coaches, [or] management,” it reads. As Florio notes the NFLPA would surely file a grievance on Haskins’ behalf if Washington does try to fight it, and the battle would then spill into a courtroom where an arbitrator would need to decide. The Ravens are currently locked in a similar fight with Earl Thomas while trying to void his hefty 2020 salary after a fight with a teammate caused them to release him. This saga seems a long way from finished. We should find out soon whether any team claimed Haskins on waivers.
In the meantime, here’s more from the league’s East divisions:
- Staying in Washington for a moment, the team has been operating without a GM this season as new coach Ron Rivera essentially runs the show including the personnel department. Although Rivera will likely retain a large amount of power, that setup will change this offseason. Washington is planning on hiring an official GM after the season, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapsheet notes that 49ers exec Martin Mayhew and recently fired Panthers GM Marty Hurney are expected to be considered and interviewed. He also highlights former Texans GM Rick Smith, who has continuously been linked to the team, and Washington reportedly almost hired him last year. Hurney, of course, has a strong connection to Rivera from their time in Carolina together. Meanwhile current VP of player personnel Kyle Smith, who has been the top evaluator this season, will no longer be in charge of roster construction, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes.
- The Patriots are wrapping up a very disappointing season, and they’ve got some big decisions to make this offseason. One of those decisions is what to do with stud corner J.C. Jackson, who is about to be a restricted free agent. The Pats will likely place a first-round tender on Jackson, former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry tweets. He notes they did the same with fellow corner Malcolm Butler when he became a RFA. Corry also points out that it’s virtually unheard of for a team to give an offer sheet to a player on a first-round tender, which means Jackson will almost certainly be back in New England next year unless they decide to trade him. Of course, any team signing a player on a first-round tender would have to give up their first-round pick. Last year’s first-round tender was worth around $4.6MM for the player, although we don’t have exact figures for 2021 yet.
- Speaking of disappointing AFC East teams, the Jets have rattled off two straight wins, but major changes are still coming this offseason. One of those changes will likely be defensive end Henry Anderson, who signed a three-year, $25.2MM deal with the team in March of 2019. Anderson hasn’t lived up to that contract, playing barely over 40 percent of the defensive snaps through the first two seasons. Apparently he isn’t going to make it through the end of that pact, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes “there’s little chance of him returning” since the Jets can save $8.2MM by releasing him this offseason. A fifth-round pick of the Colts in 2015, he was traded to New York before the 2018 season and had a breakout campaign with seven sacks, inspiring the team to give him the big deal. He had only one last year and just 0.5 this time around.
- Anderson isn’t the only Jets player in danger of being cut, as Cimini writes that starting right tackle George Fant is on “the bubble.” Fant has a $9.4MM cap charge for 2021, which Cimini thinks is steep for what he deems “replacement level” play. Fant has started 13 games for the Jets so far after being a part-time starter for Seattle the previous few seasons. As Cimini notes we’ll know pretty soon what New York is going to do with him, since $4.45MM of his salary becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster on March 22nd.
Colts Working Out OT Jared Veldheer
The Colts need to win on Sunday to stay alive in the AFC playoff race, and they’re very banged up at tackle at the moment. The team was playing fourth-string tackles during their Week 16 loss to the Steelers, and now the team is bringing in veteran tackle Jared Veldheer for a workout as a result, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Stud left tackle Anthony Castonzo is dealing with lingering knee and ankle issues, while right tackle Braden Smith missed last week’s game on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Normal backup left tackle Le’Raven Clark initially would’ve been filling in for Castonzo, but he’s got a torn Achilles. Then Clark’s replacement Will Holden went down with an ankle injury. Thus is life as a teammate of Philip Rivers.
Veldheer is a vet with a lot of starting experience. He started 13 games for Arizona in 2017 and 12 for Denver in 2018. He’s now in the midst of a Brett Favre-esque retirement saga. After signing with the Patriots the following year he elected to retire, only to come out of retirement and play in two games for Green Bay late last season. After almost signing with the Cowboys earlier this season, he once again elected to retire back in September. Apparently he’s waffling yet again and willing to consider another comeback.
When Castonzo left a game against the Raiders two weeks ago the team briefly flirted with moving All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to tackle, although Castonzo was able to return shortly thereafter. Nelson filled in admirably during his short first stint at tackle, and it’ll be interesting to see if they consider making that switch again with all the injuries. Veldheer is only 33, so he should theoretically have something left in the tank physically. At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s protecting Rivers’ blindside on Sunday against the Jaguars.
Injury Updates: Goff, Rams, Murray, Cardinals, 49ers, Mixon, Bengals, Watkins, Chiefs, Edelman, Patriots
Things have gotten ugly for Jared Goff and the Rams’ offense the last couple of weeks, with back to back losses to the Jets and Seahawks in which Goff played poorly. Making matters worse, Los Angeles’ quarterback dislocated and broke his thumb during the loss to Seattle. It looks like there are a wide range of outcomes moving forward, with everything from Goff playing this Sunday to being out for the remainder of the season being on the table. Goff will require surgery on the thumb at some point but he’s hoping to push it back until after the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports (Twitter video link).
Rapsheet says that Goff is “adamant” about pushing to play in Week 17 and that he at least has a “shot” to be under center. If the Bears lose to the Packers on Sunday then the Rams are in the playoffs no matter what, but if Chicago beats Green Bay then the Rams will need to beat the Cardinals to get in. It sounds like Goff is going to try to push through and suit up for the playoffs even if he isn’t able to be out there on Sunday. Goff is meeting with specialist Dr. Steven Shin today, the same doctor who treated Drew Brees‘ thumb injury last year, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Obviously Brees missed a handful of games with that injury last year, although hopefully for the Rams this isn’t as severe. If Goff is forced to miss the game against Arizona, it’ll mean the first regular season NFL action for former Wake Forest and AAF star John Wolford.
Here are more health issues from around the league entering the final week of the season:
- Goff isn’t the only banged up quarterback in this pivotal game. Kyler Murray has already dealt with a lingering shoulder injury this season, and he also hurt his leg at the end of Arizona’s Week 16 loss to San Francisco. Speaking to the media Monday head coach Kliff Kingsbury was vague, only deeming it a “lower leg” injury and saying they won’t put Murray out there if he can’t be effective. If the Cards win on Sunday, they’re in. If they don’t, they’re out. In a game of this magnitude, you have to figure Murray is going to play if it’s at all possible, but right now Kingsbury is saying it’s up in the air. This will be a situation to monitor closely, but either way it sounds like Murray is going to be at less than 100 percent against Aaron Donald and co.
- One last dispatch from the NFC West. The 49ers picked up an upset of the Cardinals, but their injury-plagued season continued. They dropped at least two more starters, as rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams both won’t play in Week 17 due to injuries they suffered against Arizona, Kyle Shanahan said Monday. Shanahan also said he’d be shocked if Jimmy Garoppolo plays this weekend, meaning C.J. Beathard should get another crack at it. Aiyuk has flashed a lot of promise, and 49ers fans have to be excited about his 2021 potential. It’s possible we’ve seen Garoppolo play his last snap as a 49er.
- Joe Mixon‘s 2020 campaign is officially in the books. The Bengals running back won’t play this weekend, head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday. Mixon hasn’t played since all the way back in Week 6 due to a foot injury, but the team kept insisting he was only week to week this whole time. Mixon signed a four-year, $48MM extension back in September, so he’s in Cincy for the long-haul.
- Chiefs fans can breathe a little easier. Receiver Sammy Watkins went down with a calf injury yesterday, but Rapoport tweets it isn’t believed to be major. Given Watkins’ injury history, that’s a big relief. Rapoport writes that Watkins will rest in Week 17, but that there’s a “good chance” he’s back for Kansas City’s first playoff game.
- Another player whose season, and quite possibly career, is over: Patriots receiver Julian Edelman. Rapoport tweets that Edelman won’t be activated for tonight’s Monday Night Football showdown with the Bills, and that it’s “unlikely” he plays next week either. Edelman is under contract for next season but he’ll turn 35 in May, so it’s entirely fair to wonder whether he’ll end up retiring. The legendary Patriot, who has spent all 12 years of his career in New England, was limited to only six games this year due to a knee injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here as we barrel toward Week 17:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LB Kylie Fitts
- Activated: OL Lamont Gaillard
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: S Geno Stone
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR John Brown, S Josh Thomas, RB Christian Wade (close contacts)
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: OT Trenton Scott
- Signed to 53 from practice squad: OT Matt Kaskey
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Alexander Hollins
Houston Texans
- Signed to 53 from practice squad: WR Damion Ratley
- Waived: RB C.J. Prosise
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers from Steelers: OL Derwin Gray
New England Patriots
- Signed to 53 from practice squad: OL Marcus Martin
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list: C Hroniss Grasu, LS Taybor Pepper
Coaching Notes: Meyer, Daboll, Gase
It’s that time of year again. As the NFL regular season starts to wind down, all eyes will turn to the remaining coaching and front office decisions, and the ensuing searches to fill those vacancies. We’ll start things off with Urban Meyer, the extremely accomplished college coach who apparently could be headed to the NFL for the first time. “At least two” NFL teams have reached out to Meyer to gauge his interest, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. He writes that Meyer did not rebuff the overtures and appears to be seriously considering it, noting that the former Ohio State coach plans to make his decision about jumping to the pro ranks within the next week.
To that end, Meyer could “receive serious consideration” from the Jaguars and Lions, sources told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, so it’s possible those are the two unspecified teams Schefter referred to. The Jags of course still have Doug Marrone leading the team, but his firing following Week 17 is all but guaranteed. La Canfora notes that Jacksonville’s search has been “noticeably quiet, writing that “with several NFL execs and agents” have noted “they have had limited contact with the Khan family” that owns the team. The Jaguars have clinched the top overall pick in April’s draft, most likely landing them Trevor Lawrence, and making them an infinitely more attractive option to coaches and executives. Meyer walked away from Ohio State after the 2018 season, and led them to a national title in 2014. He also won two national championships during his time at Florida.
Here’s more from the coaching ranks:
- Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has guided Josh Allen to a near MVP-level season, and has rightfully been earning a lot of praise. As such, La Canfora writes that he’s the “hottest coordinator candidate” for head coaching jobs this cycle. It’s not a major surprise, but sources told La Canfora that Daboll “will have no shortage of opportunities to interview for jobs.” La Canfora notes that the Jets, Falcons, and Jaguars could all be suitors for the former Alabama assistant. Daboll of course also spent many years on Bill Belichick’s staff with the Patriots. Still only 45, Daboll has also had a couple of stints as an NFL OC prior to Buffalo with the Browns, Dolphins, and Chiefs. Interestingly La Canfora also connects the dots between the Chargers and Daboll should they fire Anthony Lynn, noting that Los Angeles GM Tom Telesco went to high school with Daboll.
- It’s been generally assumed that Adam Gase will be fired as Jets coach at the end of the year, but he apparently was almost let go sooner than that. La Canfora tweeted on Saturday that it was “very likely” Gase would’ve been fired today had New York lost to the Browns yesterday. Of course, the Jets pulled off their second upset in a row, buying Gase one more week as the Jets’ coach. The reason they would’ve made the move now instead of just waiting for the end of the season probably has something to do with them wanting to get started on their virtual interviews with candidates, which can’t be done until Gase is out of the building.
- Most of the attention this cycle has understandably focused on exciting offensive minds, so the DCs out there are flying a bit more under the radar. That doesn’t mean you won’t see one land a job. Ravens defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale is “considered to be one of the top candidates this time around,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Martindale is in his third season as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator, and he previously won Super Bowl XLVII with the team as their linebackers coach. The Ravens once again have one of the league’s best defenses, so the buzz isn’t too shocking. Interestingly, Rapoport notes that his potential staff targets include Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliot, and former NFL head coaches Marvin Lewis and Lovie Smith. Lewis is generating head coaching interest himself, so he might not be available.
Lions Cut S Jayron Kearse
The Lions are playing out the string after their embarrassing 47-7 loss to the Buccaneers last week, and now they’re making a notable move with just one game left to play. Detroit has cut veteran safety Jayron Kearse, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
Since we’re this late in the season Kearse will be going on waivers with 31 teams getting a chance to claim him. It’s interesting since Kearse had been playing a large role on defense recently, starting each of their last seven games before missing the Tampa game with an injury. Kearse was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh-round back in 2016, and spent the first four years of his career in Minnesota.
He became a special teams standout with the Vikings, and also a team captain. He signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with Detroit back in March. He was suspended for the first three games of 2020 due to a substance abuse violation, but began playing a sizable role on defense right away that soon progressed to a near-every down role.
He’ll finish his stint with the Lions with 58 tackles, two passes defended, and a forced fumble in 11 games and seven starts. His most productive year in Minnesota was last season when he finished with six passes defended and an interception while making three starts. It’s possible that a contender with a banged up secondary takes a flyer on him for the postseason.