Steelers Expect Ben Roethlisberger To Return
Although quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hinted last week that he may have thrown his last NFL pass, Steelers president Art Rooney II expects the five-time Pro Bowler to return in 2017.
“I talked to Ben and we had a good conversation,” Rooney told reporters, including Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, on Tuesday. “I think he’s at that stage in his career that those are thought I think you have. I personally expect that he’ll be back, but that’s going to be his decision.”
With the offseason approaching, the Steelers unsurprisingly want an answer from the 34-year-old Roethlisberger sooner than later, per Rooney, who noted that “if he decided to retire, that would modify our plans greatly.” Even if Roethlisberger comes back for a 14th year, the Steelers seem intent on drafting a quarterback – something they haven’t done since they selected pending free agent Landry Jones in the fourth round in 2013.
“In terms of just going forward, look, I think the quarterback position is a position you have to make sure you have some depth there, and we haven’t drafted a quarterback for several years, and we’re probably due to look at the position,” stated Rooney.
Pittsburgh is slated to pick seven times – including 30th overall – in this year’s draft, which might feature one of the worst quarterback classes in recent memory. But regardless of who lines up under center for the Steelers in the coming years, he’ll likely have superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown in the fold as his No. 1 target. While Brown has caused some issues behind the scenes, the four-time 100-catch man is “certainly a player that we would like to have on the team for a while,” per Rooney. Brown is scheduled to enter a contract year, but the Steelers could make him the league’s highest-paid wideout via an extension sometime this offseason.
Redskins To Re-Sign Junior Galette
Pending free agent defensive end Junior Galette will re-sign with the Redskins, he announced Tuesday on Instagram. Gallette’s contract will become official Wednesday, per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com.
It will presumably be a third straight one-year pact for Galette, who inked deals with the Redskins in each of the previous two offseasons. However, injuries have prevented the former Saint from playing a single down with Washington thus far. Galette, 28, has torn his Achilles on two separate occasions – once in August 2015 and again last July – thereby stunting a promising career.
Before signing with the Redskins in 2015, Galette racked up 31.5 sacks in five seasons with the Saints. The bulk of those sacks (22), as well as four of his five career forced fumbles, came during his final two years in New Orleans.
Galette’s career-high 12-sack showing in 2013 led the Saints to sign him to a four-year, $41.5MM extension. However, they cut him a year later because of unbecoming off-field behavior – including a domestic violence incident – and had to eat a significant amount of dead money as a result. The NFL handed Galette a two-game suspension in 2015 on account of his domestic violence violation, though it didn’t actually cost him any playing time because he was already on the shelf.
If Galette bounces back from an injury-plagued two years to make the Redskins’ roster in 2017, he’ll attempt to boost a defense that finished this season ninth in sacks but just 25th in DVOA.
Extra Points: Raiders, 49ers, Falcons, Bears
Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson decided Monday to rescind his offer to help the relocation-minded Raiders pay for a stadium in Las Vegas, but that’s not going to faze the franchise. The Raiders issued a statement in response to Adelson’s choice to withdraw support, saying: “The Raiders deeply appreciate the efforts of the Adelson family to bring the Raiders to Las Vegas. We know this project could not have advanced to this point without them. The Raiders remain steadfast in honoring Mark Davis’ commitment to Governor Sandoval and the State of Nevada to pursue relocation to Las Vegas” (via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com).
Without Adelson, who had planned to give the Raiders $650MM toward a proposed $1.9 billion facility, the team plans to invest $1.15 billion and accept operating responsibilities, Sandoval’s office told the Associated Press (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle). The Raiders could receive help from Goldman Sachs to make that happen.
Now the latest from the NFC:
- Rookie general manager John Lynch declared Monday he’ll “aggressively pursue” people he has relationships with to join him in the 49ers’ front office (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com). That won’t include rumored candidate and longtime NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, whom Lynch played for in Denver from 2004-07 and who’s the father of soon-to-be 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Lynch expects to listen to the elder Shanahan’s advice, but he’s not going to take an official role with the 49ers, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.
- Kristin Campbell, the agent for Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, publicly pushed for a lucrative contract extension for her client Monday afternoon. Campbell has since spoken again on Freeman’s future, telling D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she and Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff “are on the same page” and will engage in extension talks during the offseason. Campbell will seek top three running back money for the 24-year-old Freeman, a back-to-back Pro Bowler. “Who was the last running back to go to back to back Pro Bowls?” Campbell said. “Adrian Peterson. Adrian is considered one of the most prolific backs of the past 10 years, wouldn’t you say?” Peterson’s current contract pays him an average of $14MM per year, which easily tops his position.
- Wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson turned down a new contract to return the Bears for a second season and is mulling taking a position with a different team, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson could return to New Orleans, where he coached from 2006-11, Biggs suggests. The Saints are in the market for a WRs coach, having lost John Morton to the Jets over the weekend.
- The Bills will hire Phil McGeoghan to coach their receivers, relays ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). McGeoghan, who was the Dolphins’ assistant receivers coach from 2012-15, spent last season coaching East Carolina’s wideouts.
- Contrary to a report from last week, the Eagles and personnel executive Rick Mueller have not yet parted ways. Mueller is working from home and will join the Eagles at next month’s scouting combine, though his contract is up in May, per Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link).
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/30/17
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2017 league year, with players joining their respective club’s offseason 90-man rosters:
Kansas City Chiefs
- DT Montori Hughes (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
- RB Darren Reaves
Raiders Lose Sheldon Adelson’s Backing
If the Raiders are going to move to Las Vegas, they’ll have to do it without financial backing from local casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. The 83-year-old Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO announced Monday he’s not going to put $650MM toward a potential $1.9 billion Raiders stadium in Las Vegas.
“It’s clear the Raiders have decided their path for moving to Las Vegas does not include the Adelson family,” Adelson stated (via Richard N. Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). “So, regrettably, we will no longer be involved in any facet of the stadium discussion.”
The final straw for Adelson came last Thursday, when the Raiders submitted a lease proposal that would see them pay $1 per year to play in the potential Vegas facility. That submission included no mention of Adelson, which he said “sent shock waves through our community.” Adelson is also “deeply disappointed for the disregard the Raiders showed our community partners, particularly UNLV, through the proposed agreement.”
Adelson’s decision to exit the Raiders’ stadium plan could be a death blow to the Mark Davis-owned franchise’s relocation hopes, according to the chairman of the Clark County (Nev.) Commission, Steve Sisolak.
“This is not a wrench in the wheel; the wheel fell off,” Sisolak told Riley Snyder of the Nevada Independent (Twitter link).
However, despite Sisolak’s pessimistic outlook, the Raiders have expressed confidence in the past about erecting the stadium without Adelson’s help. In fact, the team informed the NFL earlier this month that it would turn to Goldman Sachs for help if Adelson were to renege. Now that he has, the Raiders – who plan to combine with the league to commit $500MM to the stadium (with another $750MM coming in public money) – will have to seek the global investment company’s aid.
The league’s owners are scheduled to vote on the Raiders’ relocation plan in March. If 23 of Davis’ 31 colleagues approve, and if he finds a replacement for Adelson, the Raiders will head to Sin City in the near future.
Lynch, McDonough On 49ers’ GM Job
The 49ers’ Sunday decision to pluck all-time great NFL safety John Lynch from the broadcasting booth and hire him as their general manager elicited stunned responses from those who follow football. It turns out not even Lynch expected to land the job.
“Two weeks ago I never thought I’d be doing this,” he told reporters, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, on Monday (Twitter link).
Lynch didn’t even conduct an interview with the 49ers, who reached out to 11 other candidates after firing ex-GM Trent Baalke at the outset of January. But Lynch managed to secure a six-year contract to end up in San Francisco, and he revealed that he negotiated his own deal, tweets Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Lynch added that will report solely to CEO Jed York. That means he won’t have to answer to executive vice president of football operations/chief strategy officer Paraag Marathe, whose status as York’s right-hand man caused some issues during the 49ers’ GM search.
In his new position, Lynch’s goal is to emulate the success close friend and fellow Stanford alumnus John Elway has enjoyed as the Broncos’ GM since they hired him in 2011.
“I strive to attack this job in same way he has,” said Lynch, who will interview Broncos director of college scouting Adam Peters to become the 49ers’ player personnel director (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle).
Of course, the main figure Lynch will work with in the Bay Area is soon-to-be head coach and current Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The 37-year-old recommended Lynch to York, per Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area Newspaper Group (Twitter link), and there’s clearly a mutual respect between the pending GM-head coach tandem.
“I thought he was the catch of this head-coaching cycle,” opined Lynch (via Branch, on Twitter).
Cardinals VP of player personnel Terry McDonough, who was a finalist to become San Francisco’s GM before Lynch swooped in, offered even loftier praise for Shanahan on Monday.
“Sitting there talking to him, Kyle reminded me a lot of coach Belichick when I interviewed with him back in ’92,” McDonough, who then worked as a scout with the Browns, told Maiocco. “Same type of look in their eye. The same type of passion. You just know whatever Kyle Shanahan does, he’s going to be successful in life. If he’s given the time there and they bring in the right players, there’s no doubt in my mind, he’s going to have success.”
McDonough noted that the Lynch- and Shanahan-led 49ers will have their work cut out to improve a two-win roster. However, he believes the organization has the right people in place – including the “very engaging and really intelligent” Marathe.
“That roster right now is very thin,” he said. “I really believe in John Lynch’s intelligence and drive. Their drive matches each other, Kyle and John.”
Continued McDonough: “John Lynch is a guy I actually scouted coming out of college (Stanford). If you’re going to lose a competition to someone, you’d want to lose it to someone like John Lynch. He’s a phenomenal human being. He’s highly, highly intelligent and 100-percent class.”
Greg Hardy Attempting Comeback
Disgraced former NFLer Greg Hardy was attempting to become a mixed martial artist last fall, but he’s now looking to get back on the gridiron. Hardy has submitted an application for a spot in the newly formed, four-team Spring League, reports the Associated Press. If approved, he’d join ex-NFL tight end Kellen Winslow II and perhaps former pros Johnny Manziel and Ray Rice, both of whom have received invitations to participate in the league – which isn’t affiliated with the NFL.
Like Rice, Hardy is a controversial figure because of a domestic violence incident. Once a star defensive end, Hardy’s stock began plummeting when he was found guilty in 2014 of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, though her decision not to testify against him led to the dropping of charges. Then a member of the Panthers, Hardy sat out all but one game that season after commissioner Roger Goodell placed him on the league’s exempt list.
Hardy joined the Cowboys as a free agent in 2015, but he served a four-game suspension to begin the year and, while productive in 12 games, was an off-field headache and public relations nightmare in Dallas. Nobody signed Hardy last year as a result, and he was indicted on a felony count of cocaine possession in November.
Despite his myriad off-field issues, Hardy is certainly talented enough to play in the NFL, evidenced by his 40 sacks in 75 games. Some scouts from around the pros will be on hand to observe Spring League games, which will take place in April and could include Hardy. The 28-year-old won’t earn a salary if the Spring League accepts him. Landing another NFL contract, although unlikely, would certainly offset that.
49ers To Interview Broncos’ Adam Peters
First-time general manager John Lynch isn’t going to break into his new role in San Francisco without some quality help around him. With that in mind, Lynch has targeted current Broncos director of college scouting Adam Peters as a candidate to join the Niners’ front office, per reports from NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The 49ers will interview Peters to become their director of player personnel, according to Florio, who notes that the Broncos could have blocked the Niners’ request. However, Broncos GM John Elway – Lynch’s fellow Stanford alumnus – opted against doing so as a way to reward Peters for his work with the franchise. Peters has only been serving in his current role for a year, but he has garnered extensive front office experience with both the Broncos and Patriots – two eminently successful franchises.
Even if they hire Peters, the 49ers could still tab Mark Dominik for an executive role, per Florio, who reported earlier Monday that “buzz is building” on the team adding the ex-Buccaneers GM to its front office.
Texans Add Wes Welker To Coaching Staff
The Texans are adding longtime NFL wide receiver Wes Welker to their coaching staff, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 (Twitter link). Welker, who attended last week’s Senior Bowl with the Texans’ coaches, will work as an offensive/special teams assistant, the team announced.
The 35-year-old Welker isn’t far removed from his playing career, having taken the field eight times with the Rams in 2015, and hadn’t retired from the sport as of last July. It now appears Welker’s wideout days are over, though, after he suffered several concussions in recent years.
Welker was a dominant weapon in his heyday as a member of the Patriots, with whom he racked up 100-plus receptions and over 1,100 yards in five of six seasons from 2007-12. The 2004 undrafted free agent from Texas Tech, also a former Dolphin and Bronco, currently ranks 21st all-time in catches (903) and 47th in receiving yards (9,924).
Along with Welker, Bobby King is joining Bill O’Brien‘s staff as Houston’s linebackers coach. This will be the second stint in Houston for King, who was most recently with the Chargers.
GM/Staff Notes: 49ers, Colts, Saints, Broncos
The 49ers’ shocking general manager choice, John Lynch, will face a “steep” learning curve as a front office neophyte, ex-Lions GM Matt Millen told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. As was the case with Millen, whom Detroit hired in 2001, Lynch is coming from the broadcasting booth to take the helm of a franchise. It didn’t go well for Millen, under whom Detroit went 31-84 before it fired him in 2008. “You need to be schooled,” said Millen. “You need to be mentored. You need to have somebody you can go to. That’s not easy.” Lynch could have a less difficult time breaking into his new job than Millen, notes Branch, who points out that soon-to-be 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is likely to have 53-man roster control. Assistant GM Tom Gamble will also be around to help Lynch make the transition.
More on the NFL’s front offices and coaching staffs:
- Newly minted Colts GM Chris Ballard received a five-year contract, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59. Colts vice president of football operations Jimmy Raye III was among the candidates Ballard beat out for the role, and owner Jim Irsay revealed Raye nearly got the job, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Irsay assured Raye, who will remain in the Colts’ Ballard-led front office, that someone else will give him a shot as a GM if the Colts orchestrate a turnaround (all Twitter links here).
- While Ballard reportedly isn’t committed to going forward with Chuck Pagano beyond the 2017 season, he spoke glowingly of the five-year head coaching veteran Monday. “There were no other options. Chuck Pagano is a great coach,” said Ballard (Twitter link via Holder). Upon Ballard’s hiring, Pagano stated Sunday that he’s “extremely excited” to work with the rookie GM (via the Colts’ Twitter account).
- The Saints have hired Mike Nolan to coach their linebackers, his previous employer, SiriusXM NFL Radio, announced (on Twitter). Nolan coached the Chargers’ linebackers in 2015 and has been a defensive coordinator with seven teams, though he’s best known for an 18-37 run as San Francisco’s head coach from 2005-08.
- Broncos head coach Vance Joseph has added “assistant head coach” to running backs coach Eric Studesville‘s title, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. Studesville drew interest from the Jets earlier this month in their search for an offensive coordinator, but he elected to stay in Denver, where he has coached RBs since 2010.