Josh McDaniels Rejects Colts HC Job, Will Remain With Patriots
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has rejected the Colts head coaching job and will instead remain in New England, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s a stunning reversal by McDaniels, whom the Colts officially announced as their new head coach earlier today. Although there had been increasing chatter that McDaniels could bail on Indianapolis, the team’s official press release seemed to put those rumors to bed. Instead, McDaniels has opted not to take the job, leaving the Colts to restart their search process.
McDaniels had been viewed as one of the preeminent head coaching candidates of the 2018 cycle, and the Colts had reportedly agreed to hire him as their next head coach as far back as January 14. Indianapolis stopped interviewing other contenders for the job, McDaniels stopped taking meetings with other clubs, and the hunt had seemed to be over. Indeed, McDaniels had even begun hiring a staff.
However, Patriots owner Robert Kraft began “sweetening” McDaniels’ New England contract over the past 48 hours as part of an effort to keep the offensive play-caller in tow, tweets Schefter. Family concerns also played into McDaniels’ decision, as did “clarity” over head coach Bill Belichick‘s future, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While Belichick is returning for the 2018 campaign, that report could indicate McDaniels has been told when Belichick will retire.
For the Colts and general manager Chris Ballard, it’s back to the drawing board. Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub has been viewed as a possible contingency plan for the club, especially given that he and Ballard worked together in Kansas City. Toub never actually interviewed for the Indianapolis job the first time around, and nearly every other candidate who did meet with Ballard & Co. is now employed. Baylor head coach Matt Rhule is the only original contender who hasn’t accepted a new position, and withdrew his name from the Colts’ search after one interview.
It’s unclear what McDaniels’ decision means for those coaches who had agreed to join his staff, but they’re now in-limbo and likely staring at unemployment. Coaches such as Matt Eberflus (who was set to become Indy’s defensive coordinator) and Dave DeGuglielmo (offensive line) are now without jobs. Most positions around the NFL have already been filled, leaving these coaches with limited options going forward.
Now that McDaniels has rejected a job for which he’d already been formally announced, he’ll likely be a hard sell for other vacancies in the future. As such, it’s difficult to imagine that McDaniels hasn’t been told that he’ll be Belichick’s successor.
Panthers Place GM Marty Hurney On Leave
The Panthers have placed interim general manager Marty Hurney on paid leave following allegations of harassment from his ex-wife, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Hurney’s ex-wife, Jeanne, originally filed for a restraining order last Friday, but a judge denied the request given there was no evidence Hurney committed domestic violence. A new hearing had been set for February 16, but given that Jeanne has since withdrawn her complaint, that hearing will not actually occur. The NFL still plans to investigate the allegations regardless of how the judicial process plays out.
While there are no assertions of domestic violence in Jeanne Hurney’s complaint, she does claim Marty Hurney was “extremely controlling and was verbally and emotionally abusive” during the couple’s marriage. Additionally, Jeanne alleges: her computer and security system have been hacked; Marty or his associates have broken into her home; intruders have places sticky notes in her books, highlighting words such as “victim” and “terrorize.”
Marty Hurney’s lawyer has called Jeanne’s complaints “complete fiction,” but it’s fair to wonder how the claims will affect Hurney and his status in Carolina’s ongoing general manager search. Hurney, who was named the club’s interim GM after Dave Gettleman was fired in 2017, had been viewed as the frontrunner for the position. Other candidates for the role include Lake Dawson (Bills), Martin Mayhew (49ers), and Jimmy Raye III (Texans).
The Panthers, of course, are no strangers to harassment-related controversy, as team owner Jerry Richardson was accused of inappropriate sexual and racial comments in December. Richardson quickly ceded control of the club, and announced his intention to sell the Carolina franchise once the 2017 campaign concluded.
Patriots Trying To Keep ST Coach Joe Judge From Joining Colts
Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge‘s contract has expired, and while speculation has centered around Judge joining ex-New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia in Detroit, it’s actually the Colts and former Pats OC Josh McDaniels who loom as the key competitor for Judge’s services, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). However, Bill Belichick and the Patriots are also “making a play” to retain Judge, per Breer.
Judge, 36, was promoted from assistant special teams coach to the primary role following Scott O’Brien‘s 2015 retirement. New England’s special teams unit, always one of the league’s best under Belichick & Co., hasn’t skipped a beat with Judge in charge, as the club has ranked among the top-eight clubs in ST DVOA since 2015. In 2017, the Patriots’ special teams posted their best year yet under Judge by finishing third in DVOA.
While it’s unclear how much Judge currently makes (head coaches salaries aren’t public knowledge, let alone special teams coaches), Mike Reiss of ESPN.com recently speculated the Patriots could give Judge a raise and perhaps a more prominent role, especially given the recent defections of Patricia and McDaniels. While this is purely speculation, it’s possible New England could give Judge an assistant head coach title to go along with his special teams job.
Bills QB Tyrod Taylor Won’t Accept Pay Cut
Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor accepted a pay cut in order to remain in Buffalo a season ago, but he’s not prepared to do the same in 2018, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Bills Unlikely To Pursue Kirk Cousins?]
Taylor is technically under contract through the 2021 campaign, but the 2019-2021 seasons are void years, designed to allow the Bills to spread out Taylor’s signing bonuses. For all practical purposes, Buffalo owns Taylor’s rights through 2018: he’s scheduled to earn a $10MM base salary and a $6MM roster bonus, and count for $18.08MM on the Bills’ salary cap. If Taylor is released, Buffalo would be on the hook for $8.64MM in dead money but save $9.44MM in cap space.
The Bills aren’t necessarily committed to releasing Taylor, as they could allow him to compete with another signal-caller for the club’s starting job in 2018. Theoretically, Buffalo could also seek to trade Taylor, but given that the 2018 quarterback market is suddenly flush with options (Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, Nick Foles, at least four viable first-round draft candidates), the Bills could struggle to find a taker. If Buffalo does deal Taylor, it will create $10.4MM in cap space.
Taylor, 28, has been the Bills’ starting quarterback for the past three seasons. In 2017, Taylor started 14 games while completing 62.6% of his passes four 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. Taylor ranked 15th in both passer rating and adjusted net yards per pass attempt, and finished 22nd in DVOA, Football Outsiders‘ per-play value metric. He also added another 427 yards and four scores on the ground, and ranked as the fifth-most effective rushing quarterback, per FO.
Tom Brady Confirms He’ll Play In 2018
Tom Brady and the TB12 method will return for yet another NFL campaign, as the Patriots quarterback confirmed in a pre-Super Bowl interview with Westwood One’s Jim Gray that he will indeed play in 2018.
“Yeah, you’re gonna see me playing football next year,” Brady said. “I don’t envision not playing. You’re at the end of the race but you’ve got your biggest mountain to climb right at the end. Hopefully all the lessons we’ve learned have allowed us to be at our very best for this moment and that’s what it’s going to take and that’s what we’re prepared for and that’s what I go out and expect our team to do.”
Even at age-40, Brady was terrific in 2017, leading the league in passing yardage on the way to his third MVP trophy. Reported turmoil in the Patriots’ organization had lent some credence to the notion that Brady could retire after the season, but New England has refuted many of the details in that original ESPN.com report. Both Brady and head coach Bill Belichick are expected to return for a 19th season together.
Brady, who will attempt to secure his sixth career Super Bowl title later today, is signed through the 2019 campaign. Next season, he’ll earn a $15MM base salary and count for $22MM on the Patriots’ salary cap.
5 Key NFL Stories: 1/28/18 – 2/4/18
It’s Super Bowl Sunday! All the trades, signings, draft selections, coaching hires, front office additions, game-planning, and practice sessions have led to this: Super Bowl LII between the Eagles and Patriots. New England will have tight end Rob Gronkowski available after he suffered a concussion in the AFC Championship Game, but the club is expected to lose coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia to head coaching jobs once the contest concludes. Philadelphia, meanwhile, will go into today’s game with backup quarterback Nick Foles, and they too could lose a respected staffer — quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — following the Super Bowl. And by the way: Brandin Cooks was nearly an Eagle!
Redskins trade for a new quarterback. Kirk Cousins always seemed unlikely to return to the nation’s capital in 2018, so Washington found itself a new QB by trading for the Chiefs’ Alex Smith. The Redskins gave up a 2018 third-round pick and promising young cornerback Kendall Fuller (and inked Smith to a four-year, $94MM extension), but they now have a quarterback in place for the foreseeable future. Reports today have indicated Washington could still franchise tag Cousins again despite having acquired Smith, but that’s likely an empty threat.
…but the Jaguars will stick with their signal-caller. Jacksonville is planning to retain Blake Bortles and his $19MM+ salary in 2018, but the team likely doesn’t have much of a choice. Bortles recently underwent wrist surgery, meaning he may not be able to pass a physical by the time the new league year rolls around in March. If that’s the case, his injury guarantees will kick in, meaning Bortles will collect his base salary (which is courtesy of his exercised fifth-year option) whether he’s on the Jaguars’ roster or not.
Ravens plan front office transition. Ozzie Newsome has been leading Baltimore’s front office since the Ravens’ inception in 1996 (although he didn’t officially become the NFL’s first African-American general manager until 2002), and has led the club to continued success and two Super Bowl titles during that time. While Newsome will remain with the organization as an adviser, longtime assistant GM Eric DeCosta — who has consistently turned down interviews with other teams around the NFL — will take charge of personnel after the 2018 campaign.
Cardinals expected to cut Adrian Peterson. While Peterson has claimed he’d like to play four-to-five more years in the NFL, it likely won’t be in Arizona, as the Cardinals are likely to release the future Hall of Famer this offseason. Arizona acquired the 33-year-old Peterson from the Saints at midseason, but he managed only 3.5 yards per carry on 129 rushes and scored twice in the desert. With superstar David Johnson returning from injury, the Cards don’t have a pressing need for a back like Peterson.
Eagles Open To Trading QB Nick Foles
The Eagles are expected to receive trade interest in quarterback Nick Foles this offseason, and they’re open to dealing their backup signal-caller for the right price, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).
Following Carson Wentz‘s ACL tear, Foles led Philadelphia to a 2-1 record during the final three games of the regular season, and posted five touchdowns against two interceptions during that time. The 29-year-old Foles further stepped up his performance during the Eagles’ first two postseason contests, as he’s managed a 77.8% completion rate, three touchdowns, and no picks.
Although the 2018 quarterback market boasts several competent alternatives, Foles would offer a cheap stop-gap option. While he’s technically signed through 2021, the 2019-21 campaigns are void years. An acquiring club would be picking up Foles for only one season (barring an extension), during which he’d earn a $4MM base salary ($3MM of which is fully guaranteed) and a $3MM roster bonus. The Eagles would take on the remaining signing bonus proration of Foles’ contract, which amounts to $2.4MM.
It’s unclear what kind of return Philadelphia could hope to reap in exchange for Foles. While he’s been successful over the past month or so, Foles’ career track record is consistent with that of an average-to-below-average quarterback. Just last offseason, Foles hit the open market and was only able to land a backup job. The Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman, for their part, have been extremely active in the trade market over the past few years, and have expressed an openness for deals that include either draft picks or other established players.
The key benefit for Philadelphia in a Foles trade would be removing his salary cap charge from its 2018 books. At present, the Eagles are a projected $9.5MM over the cap next season, so clearing $5.2MM by trading Foles would be the club’s first step towards getting right with the cap.
Colts LB Edwin Jackson Killed By Alleged Drunk Driver
Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson was killed early Sunday morning after being hit by a suspected drunk driver near Indianapolis, according to Justin L. Mack and Emma Kate Fittes of the Indianapolis Star.
Per the Indiana State Police, Jackson and another man — 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe — were killed while standing on the shoulder of Interstate 70. Monroe had reportedly stopped to help Jackson on the side of the road when both were struck by a pickup truck which had driven into the emergency shoulder. The driver of the pickup attempted to flee the scene but was quickly apprehended, and is suspected to have been intoxicated at the time of the accident.
Jackson, who was only 26 years old, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Southern in 2015. After a brief stint with the Cardinals, Jackson spent time on Indianapolis’ practice squad before appearing in all 16 games (eight starts) with the Colts in 2016, managing 42 tackles and four sacks during that campaign. He spent the entire 2017 season on injured reserve.
By all indications, Jackson was an exemplary man on and off the field. He originally earned a spot on Georgia Southern’s roster as a walk-on, and was subsequently nominated for both the Danny Wuerfall Trophy and a spot on the AllState Good Works Team for his service in the community. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, who penned an excellent profile of Jackson in 2016, tweeted today: “I cannot possibly explain to you how nice a human being Edwin Jackson was.”
PFR extends its sincerest condolences to Jackson’s family, friends, and teammates during this extremely difficult time.
PFR Originals: 1/28/18 – 2/4/18
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- As the offseason progresses, PFR will assess each team by examining the top three needs on each respective NFL roster. We covered four organizations last week:
Giants Waiting On Kevin Stefanski Before Hiring OC?
The Giants are thought to be waiting on the fate of Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski before deciding on an offensive coordinator, sources tell Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com.
[RELATED: 2018 NFL Coordinator Tracker]
Stefanski is in the running for OC jobs in both New York and Minnesota, but because he’d be allowed to call plays for the Vikings (something new head coach Pat Shurmur will do for the Giants), Stefanski would presumably prefer to remain in purple. However, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has other candidates in mind, including former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell, Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan, and Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell, so Stefanski isn’t guaranteed the role. Minnesota is expected to announce its new play-caller following the Super Bowl.
The Giants have several reported candidates aside from Stefanski, as well, but the club hasn’t yet officially set up any interviews. Former Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin and Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley have both been mentioned as possibilites, but a Staley addition seems unlikely, per Raanan. Shurmur has indicated he prefers a veteran coach who is experienced with quarterbacks, and Staley has only led running backs during his six-year coaching career.
Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo could be throwing a wrench in both the Vikings and Giants searches, as he can’t be hired until the Super Bowl concludes on Sunday. DeFilippo has been mentioned as a candidate in Minnesota, and Ranaan mentions that DeFilippo could be in consideration for the G-Men, as well (although there’s been no official report to that effect).