East Notes: Patriots, Giants, Jets, Cowboys
Rob Gronkowski will miss out on more than $270K in salary and bonuses as a result of his one-week suspension, but the Patriots tight end could see his finances affected even further due to the ban, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains. Under the terms of a restructured contract signed earlier this year, Gronkowski can earn three separate tiers of incentives, all of which are tied to playtime and performance. The top tier — which includes a 90% playtime requirement as one stipulation — could now be nearly impossible to reach, as Gronkowski has played on 83.4% of New England’s offensive snaps thus far (and will obviously see that percentage decrease as a result of next week’s absence).
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo will remain “heavily involved” in the Giants‘ defensive scheme, but secondary coach David Merrit will also see an increased workload, Spagnuolo told reporters, including James Kratch of NJ.com (Twitter link). Spagnuolo, of course, is still New York’s defensive coordinator in addition to interim head coach following the firing of Ben McAdoo, but with gameday responsibilities now on the table, Spagnuolo will almost certainly require assistance. Merritt, for his part, is the Giants’ longest-tenured assistant, as he’s been with the club for 14 years.
- Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson has continued to have trouble with tardiness, and his one-quarter suspension on Sunday was indeed a result of missed meetings, reports Darryl Slater of NJ.com. Wilkerson, who signed a five-year, $86MM deal last summer, but he’s offered only middling production this season. In 12 games, Wilkerson has managed 2.5 sacks and graded as the NFL’s No. 55 interior defender among 117 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. New York can create $11MM in cap space by releasing Wilkerson this offseason, and a team source said Wilkerson will be “gone,” per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- It’s no secret that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was against the NFL extending commissioner Roger Goodell, but now that a deal is officially signed, Jones doesn’t have many avenues to pursue, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Jones attempts to rip up the contract, Goodell would likely be entitled to a hefty buyout. But Jones could still pursue a legal strategy, especially if he believes the league’s owners were supposed to discuss Goodell’s contract before it became official, per Florio.
Dolphins Unlikely To Express Interest In Eli Manning
Although the Dolphins have already been linked to a possible offseason acquisition of Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Miami is “highly unlikely” to pursue Manning given the club’s investment in fellow signal-caller Ryan Tannehill, team sources tell Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
There’s a lot to unpack here, but first is the subject of whether Manning will even be available during the offseason. The Giants fired both general manager Jerry Reese and head coach Ben McAdoo on Monday, meaning another group of decision-makers will be leading the club next year. Manning is under contract through 2019 with cap charges north of $22MM in each of the next two campaigns, and his deal also contains a full no-trade clause.
If Manning does hit the free agent or trade market, the Dolphins would make — on the surface — make sense as a potential destination, especially given the presence of head coach Adam Gase. Gase worked with Eli’s brother, Peyton Manning, for three seasons in Denver, meaning he should have a familiarity with the Manning clan.
While there’s almost no chance Jay Cutler returns to South Beach in 2018 given that he ranks in the bottom-five of nearly every quarterback metric, every report has indicated Tannehill will be back next season. In October, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Miami still thinks “extremely highly” of Tannehill and plans to utilize him as its starting quarterback next year. While there haven’t been any recent health updates on Tannehill (who tore his ACL in August), his injury timeline should allow him to recover in time for the start of the 2018 campaign.
Tannehill, 29, is under contract through the 2020 season, although he’s essentially working on a “pay-as-you-go” deal. The Dolphins could cut ties at any point over the next three years without incurring greater than $5MM in dead money.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/6/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Buffalo Bills
- S Kelcie McCray (link)
Denver Broncos
- QB Wes Lunt; WRs Keyarris Garrett, Jordan Leslie, Josh Magee, Alonzo Moore; TEs Colin Jeter, Beau Sandland; G Darrell Greene (Twitter links)
Detroit Lions
- TEs Brandon Barnes, Marcus Lucas; CBs J.R. Nelson, Al-Hajj Shabazz (link)
Houston Texans
- WRs Mario Alford, C.J. Board; Ts Javarius Leamon, D.J. Tialavea (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Matt Hazel; CB Sheldon Price (link)
Miami Dolphins
- DE Larry Webster; LB Cassanova McKinzy; CB Taveze Calhoun (link)
New England Patriots
- LB/DE Cam Johnson (link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Jets
- WR Brandon Zylstra; C Leo Koloamatangi (link)
Jets Haven’t Discussed Extension With Todd Bowles
The Jets have yet to approach head coach Todd Bowles regarding a contract extension, a source tells Darryl Slater of NJ.com.
Bowles inked a four-year contract when he became New York’s head coach prior to the 2015 campaign, so he won’t be without a deal until 2018. Still, the majority of NFL head coaches don’t serve as “lame ducks” — in other words, most coaches aren’t forced to head into the final season of their contract without a new pact in place. As such, an extension — if in the cards — could come together before next year gets underway.
Signing Bowles to an extension would have seemed far-fetched just three months ago, as the Jets were widely thought to be in the midst of a deep rebuild. But despite Gang Green jettisoning many of its experienced players, the club has surprised with a 5-7 record. While they’re not competing for a playoff berth, the Jets have shown enough this season that Bowles will almost certainly be asked to return in 2018. Sources inside the New York building are reportedly “raving” about Bowles’ performance with a young Jets roster in 2017.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/2017
Today’s practice squad updates:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Jeremy Liggins
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Cameron Lynch
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB David Rivers, DE Jonathan Woodard
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Derrick Mathews
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: WR Tevaun Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DB Cody Riggs
- Waived: RB Dare Ogunbowale
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Cameron Jefferson
Latest On Lions QB Matthew Stafford
After leaving last week’s loss to the Ravens with a right hand injury, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is still dealing with the issue, which could affect his status for Detroit’s Week 14 matchup against the Buccaneers, as head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
“We’ll kind of see what he can do as the week goes on,” Caldwell said. “It’s not like it’s an insignificant injury. That’s not the case. It’s something that he’s going to have to really work at and deal with here during the course of the week to see where he is. He’s not out of the woods.”
Initial reports suggested that while Stafford did not suffer a broken hand, he is hampered by “nerve-type damage.” Additionally, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) later indicated that Stafford is also dealing with bruising, which could theoretically affect his ability to hold the football.
If Stafford can’t play on Sunday, the Lions would turn to backup Jake Rudock, who has only attempted five career passes since entering the NFL in 2016. Detroit is nearing the end of its rope in terms of playoff odds, as FiveThirtyEight gives the club only a 10% chance of earning a postseason berth at present.
Giants Place LB Jonathan Casillas On IR
The Giants have placed linebacker Jonathan Casillas on injured reserve and promoted wide receiver Darius Powe from their practice squad, the club announced today. New York also waived linebacker Nigel Harris from injured reserve, tweets Dan Duggan of NJ.com.
Casillas, who is dealing with injuries to both his neck and his wrist, didn’t play against the Raiders on Sunday, and has missed four games total this season. When he was on the field, the 30-year-old Casillas wasn’t effective: Pro Football Focus ranked Casillas as the single worst run-defending linebacker in the NFL, and while his pass defense mark was a bit better, Casillas still placed as a bottom-10 ‘backer overall. He’ll hit the open market next spring when his three-year contract expires.
Powe, who went undrafted out of Cal in 2016, has never appeared in an NFL game, as he’s spent the entirety of his pro career on the Giants’ practice squad. On a roster now devoid of weapons, Powe could certainly see playing time down the stretch behind Sterling Shepard, Roger Lewis, Tavarres King, and Travis Rudolph.
Extra Points: Giants, Cowboys, Seahawks
Inside the NFL, former Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman is perceived as the most likely candidate to take over the same job with the Giants, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. While that’s far from naming Gettleman as an official candidate for New York position, it’s a sign that the early link established between Gettleman and Big Blue wasn’t misconceived. Former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi — whose New York career overlapped with Gettleman’s for a decade — is consulting the club on its GM hunt.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Filling in the for the suspended Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys running back Alfred Morris could now see an increased market next spring thanks to his production through four games as a starter, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Morris has certainly impressed — as Archer notes, Morris 307 yards in four contests would put him on pace for a 1,200+ yard campaign. However, Morris turns 29 years old next week, which will theoretically limit his market. A reunion between Morris and Dallas could make sense, opines Archer, as the Cowboys would be wise to protect themselves against another Elliott off-field incident/ban.
- Before hiring Herm Edwards as their new head coach, Arizona State reached out to Ravens senior offensive assistant/tight ends coach Greg Roman, tweets Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Roman, who has previously served as an offensive coordinator for both the 49ers and Bills, doesn’t have any collegiate coaching experience and has no known ties to the Arizona area, but given that Edwards was their final choice, the Sun Devils clearly didn’t weight either of those factors heavily. Baltimore currently ranks 26th in offensive DVOA, but that’s certainly not an indictment on Roman, who has crafted excellent offensive schemes in his past stops.
- If Pete Carroll‘s eternal optimism is to be believed, the Seahawks could soon witness the return of two key contributors, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. Defensive back DeShawn Shead — currently on the physically unable to perform list — is “really close” to practicing, per Carroll, and may even participate this week. Meanwhile, running back Chris Carson is “unbelievably ahead of schedule” as he returns from a broken leg, Carroll tells Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link), and he could also come back to practice in the next several weeks.
- Shead’s return could help a secondary that’s already lost cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Kam Chancellor for the remainder of the season. Chancellor, though, hasn’t officially been placed on injured reserve yet, and that’s because of the Seahawks‘ dire salary cap situation, tweets Condotta. Seattle has only ~$165K in cap space, per Over the Cap, meaning it doesn’t have the money to pay a player who’d replace Chancellor on the 53-man roster. It’s almost inconceivable that the Seahawks will use a 52-man roster for the rest of the year, so the club will likely attempt to restructure a contract to create more space.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/5/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Buffalo Bills
- RB Roy Finch; S Duke Ihenacho (link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM); DB William Likely (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Denver Broncos
- QB Mitch Leidner (link via Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN); G Tre’ Jackson (link via Caplan); P Brock Miller (link)
Detroit Lions
- TE Ryan O’Malley (link via Caplan)
Green Bay Packers
- DT Stefan Charles; LB Max Valles (link via Caplan)
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Jevoni Robinson; CBs Randall Evans, Demontre Hurst, Dexter McDougle, David Rivers (Twitter links)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Matt Hazel; CBs Dexter McDougle, Cody Riggs (Twitter links)
New Orleans Saints
- LB Davis Tull (link via Nick Underhill of the Advocate)
Washington Redskins
- QB Stephen Morris; WRs Josh Huff, Daniel Williams; TEs Chris Bazile, Kent Taylor; Ts Josh James, Jeremiah Poutasi; DL Montori Hughes; LBs Carl Bradford, Cassanova McKinzy; CBs Senquez Golson, Jarnor Jones; S Rickey Jefferson, Jadar Johnson, Dean Marlowe; LSs Andrew East, Jeff Overbaugh (all Twitter links)
Broncos Won’t Make In-Season Coaching Change
Although the Broncos are currently last in the AFC West with a 3-9 record, the club doesn’t plan to make any in-season changes to its front office or coaching staff, sources tell Mike Klis of 9News. However, alterations to Denver’s leadership are expected to take place in the coming months, per Klis.
Changes almost certainly won’t affect the status of executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway, who inked a new five-year contract in July. That contract reportedly made Elway the NFL’s highest-paid GM, and his position atop the Broncos’ decision-making hierarchy is unquestionable. However, Elway could certainly add new blood to Denver’s personnel ranks, especially given that the team’s past few drafts have been uninspiring.
The Broncos’ coaching staff has already been modified this season, as the club parted ways with first-year offensive coordinator Mike McCoy last month, replacing him with incumbent quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave. Head coach Vance Joseph — a longtime target of Elway’s — hasn’t delivered results during his rookie campaign, and it’s possible Denver will make a change after only a single season. Before hiring Joseph, the Broncos interviewed only two other candidates: Kyle Shanahan and Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub.
Denver’s offensive staff is the most obvious area that could see new voices emerge, perhaps with a new quarterback in tow. But the club’s defense could also see changes: the Broncos rank 11th in defensive DVOA, but that’s a sharp decline from 2015-16, when the unit ranked first in both seasons. First-year defensive coordinator Joe Woods could conceivably be a candidate for dismissal, or Joseph (a former DC) could take a more active role in game-calling.
Speaking of (former) Broncos coaches, the Dolphins’ decision to onside kick while leading 33-9 against Denver on Sunday was motivated by Elway’s apparent “bad-mouthing” of ex-Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase during the 2015 hiring cycle, sources tell Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. While the item is more interesting than relevant, the note speaks not only to the depths of Denvers’s struggles this season, but a possible reputation problem Elway might need to fight this offseason.