Latest On Packers Execs/49ers’ GM Search
Packers executives Brian Gutekunst and Eliot Wolf are two of the nine candidates the 49ers have interviewed for their general manager job, and sources tell Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that San Francisco views Gutekunst in a higher regard, adding that the Niners were “really impressed” by Green Bay’s director of college scouting. Mike Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link) continues to “believe” that Gutekunst and Wolf are the leading contenders for the SF gig.
[RELATED: Latest On 49ers’ Head Coach Search]
Meanwhile, Wolf — the Packers’ director of football operations — would almost certainly accept the 49ers job if offered, per McGinn, as some believe that he’d like to escape the shadow of his father, former Packers general manager Ron Wolf, in Green Bay. The Packers denied the Lions’ request to interview Wolf for their GM vacancy last offseason, but they’ve made no attempt to do so this offseason. On the other hand, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report adds (video link) that Green Bay does not want to lose Wolf, and would consider moving him into the GM chair this offseason to replace Ted Thompson.
Green Bay’s front office machinations also have implications in Kansas City, where Chiefs general manager John Dorsey could be a candidate to take over for Thompson in 2018. Dorsey is one of the lowest-paid GMs in the NFL, according to McGinn, and some sources believe that he would relish an opportunity to return to the Packers. “I always thought he was the type of guy who would want to come back to Green Bay,” said one of Dorsey’s friends. “He loves the Packers. I do know that.”
Miller’s Latest: Bears, M. Williams, Peppers
As our list of important 2017 NFL offseason dates shows, NCAA underclassmen have until tomorrow to announce their intent to enter this year’s draft. One first-round prospect, Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham, did just that yesterday, and a few more names could trickle in before Monday’s deadline. The draft itself is still months away, but Matt Miller of Bleacher Report is in touch with scouts and has presented the latest on several collegiate players in his latest notebook (which, as always, is worth a full read).
Here’s the latest from Miller:
- One scout tells Miller that Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster has a “perfect grade” on his board. Foster, who posted 115 tackles and five sacks during the 2016 season, is considered the best off-ball linebacker available in this draft and should be selected in the first round.
- Another Alabama defender, Jonathan Allen, is viewed as an even better prospect than Foster, and as one of the best edge players in the 2017 class, could go off the board in the top 10 picks. However, an AFC personnel director believes that Allen’s shoulder injuries could present a problem come draft day, and thinks that Allen may have had an additional surgery that went unreported.
- Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams squared off against Foster, Allen, and the rest of the Crimson Tide defense when the Tigers faced Alabama in the National Championship Game, and Miller favorably compares Williams to Bengals pass-catcher A.J. Green. “Best player on the field. Period,” a scouting director said of Williams.
- The Bears are showing strong interest in this year’s crop of quarterbacks, rival evaluators tell Miller. Chicago is expected to move on from veteran signal-caller Jay Cutler, and could look to find their quarterback of the future on Day 1 or 2. Back in November, Miller reported the Bears were researching Miami QB Brad Kaaya, who could be drafted in the Round 2 range.
- Based on his discussions with scouts, Miller believes that Michigan S/LB Jabrill Peppers is currently overrated on media boards, potentially putting him in line for a draft day fall. Typically regarded as a first-round pick, Peppers announced last week that he would skip his final two NCAA seasons to enter the NFL.
- At least one NFL offensive line coach believes Utah left tackle Garett Bolles is going to “shoot up” draft boards, according to Miller.
Lions Notes: Quinn, Warford, Reiff, Free Agency
Although the Lions were ousted in the first round of the playoffs, the club’s 9-7 season can largely be considered a success. Since the campaign ended, Detroit has announced that head coach Jim Caldwell will be retained, while the Lions will also bring back both coordinators — Jim Bob Cooter (offense) and Teryl Austin (defense) — despite each being linked to head coaching vacancies around the league.
Let’s take a quick look at the latest out of the Motor City:
- The Lions will aim to find talent through the free agent process, says general manager Bob Quinn, but the draft is still the primary way that Detroit will seek to procure players, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details in a pair of articles. “I’m not opposed to free agency,” Quinn said. “I think you have to pick and choose your spots.” Armed with with roughly $41MM in cap space, the Lions will need to bolster a defense that dead last in DVOA in 2016 while also answering several questions on the offensive side of the ball.
- Offensive guard Larry Warford indicated that he’s likely to test free agency, and will likely be more valuable to other clubs than he is to the Lions, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit boasts Laken Tomlinson and Graham Glasgow as potential options on the interior offensive line, meaning the Lions will be reticent to offer Warford a deal commensurate with his market value. Warford will compete with fellow guards Kevin Zeitler and T.J. Lang in free agency this March.
- The Lions are unlikely to retain both Warford and free agent offensive tackle Riley Reiff, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. Reiff moved to the right side in 2016 following the first-round selection of fellow offensive tackle Taylor Decker, and graded as the league’s No. 48 tackle among 80 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. According to Rothstein, Reiff has given no indication as to whether he’s comfortable remaining at right tackle for the foreseeable future.
- In case you missed it, Detroit blocked quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan from taking at least one offensive coordinator interview this offseason.
Jordy Nelson May Be Available Next Week
Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson is inactive for today’s contest against the Cowboys after suffering broken ribs in last week’s victory over the Giants, but Green Bay has a “legitimate hope” that Nelson could play against the Falcons next week if the Packers advance to the NFC Championship Game, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who adds that Nelson had no trouble travelling to Dallas for today’s game.
[RELATED: Packers Release DT Mike Pennel]
Nelson isn’t dealing with any other complications besides the rib injury itself, as Nelson himself told Stacey Dales of the NFL Network (Twitter links), and added that his primary goal is to resume breathing normally. Nelson is currently “resting and recovering,” an indication that he hasn’t yet returned to football activity. He’ll have a “chance” to play if the Packers advance to the next round of the tournament, per Dales, which is a decidedly more vague phrasing than Demovksy’s “legitimate hope” above.
If Nelson can’t go next week, the Green Bay’s wide receiver unit will consist of Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Geronimo Allison, Jeff Janis, and Trevor Davis. The Packers also have Antwan Goodley and Max McCaffrey on the practice squad.
PFR Originals: 1/8/17 – 1/15/17
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff last week:
- As the offseason progresses, PFR will assess each team by examining the top three needs on each respective roster. We covered five organiztions last week:
- Five of six clubs searching for new head coaches have now filled their respective vacancies, but many of those teams (plus several others) are now on the hunt for fresh offensive and defensive coordinators. Keep track of all the latest on this year’s hiring cycle by following PFR’s 2017 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker.
- At present, only one team — the 49ers — are conducting interviews for a new general manager, but we will update our 2017 GM Search Tracker with notes on San Francisco and any other clubs that might join the fray this offseason.
- Despite the fact that the playoffs are ongoing, the NFL offseason is officially underway — look ahead to the NFL calendar with PFR’s list of Important 2017 NFL Offseason Dates.
Latest On Antonio Brown Extension Possibility
When the Steelers restructured the contract of Antonio Brown prior to the 2016 campaign, the club promised Brown that it would extend an offer of a new deal at the conclusion of the season. That agreement is reportedly still in place, and as such, Brown is poised to “cash in,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who adds that Brown has a chance to become the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.
[RELATED: Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart]
Last August, Pittsburgh converted some of Brown’s 2017 base salary into a signing bonus (meaning Brown received more money immediately), but also changed some of Brown’s 2016 base salary into a bonus in order to reduce the salary cap effects. All told, the moves increased Brown’s 2016 cap charge by about $500K. The transaction was largely a show of good faith, as the Steelers did not want to violate their rule of not extending players with more than one year left on their contract.
That internal team precedent won’t come into play this offseason, however, as Brown is only signed through the 2017 season. At present, he is set to earn a base salary of $4.71MM and carry a cap number of $13.618MM. An extension would presumably lower that cap charge, but could also make Brown the most highly-compensated pass-catcher in the league. On an annual salary basis, that honor currently belongs to the Bengals’ A.J. Green ($15MM). In terms of guarantees, the Falcons’ Julio Jones leads the way with $35.5MM.
Falcons DE Adrian Clayborn Done For Playoffs
Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn suffered a torn bicep during Saturday’s Divisional Round win over the Seahawks and will miss the remainder of the postseason, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
[RELATED: Atlanta Falcons Depth Chart]
Clayborn already missed roughly a month earlier this season after tearing his MCL and partially tearing his meniscus, so Atlanta has been forced to deal with his absence before. The Falcons play a heavy rotation along their defensive line, but Clayborn — even with several missed games — still played the third-most snaps among Atlanta defenders this season and graded out as roughly average, placing as the No. 56 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. On the season, Clayborn posted five sacks, one fumble recovery (which resulted in a touchdown), and one pass defensed in seven starts.
Clayborn, 28, has torn his bicep before, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Clayborn missed all but one game in his last season with the Buccaneers (2014) after suffering the same injury. Signed to a two-year contract before the 2015 campaign, Clayborn will count for $5.5MM on the Falcons’ salary cap next season.
Broncos To Promote Joe Woods To DC
The Broncos will promote defensive backs coach Joe Woods to defensive coordinator, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Woods will replace former DC Wade Phillips, who joined the Rams in the same capacity after his contract with the Broncos expired.
[RELATED: 2017 OC/DC Search Tracker]
New Denver head coach Vance Joseph has now locked up his playcallers on both sides of the ball, as Woods will join former Chargers head coach Mike McCoy as a Broncos coordinator. Woods had been viewed as the likely choice at DC since the moment Joseph was hired, and was one of only two known candidates for the position. Reggie Herring, Denver’s linebackers coach, was also set to interview for the job, but it’s unclear if he ever actually met with Joseph.
Had Woods not been the presumptive choice for DC, the Broncos and Joseph likely would have attempted to retain Phillips and sign him to a contract extension, per Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter links). However, an NFC club requested permission to interview Woods for its DC position, and Denver wasn’t inclined to risk losing him, per Renck.
Woods, 46, has 25 years of coaching experience under his belt, and has been coaching in the NFL ranks since 2004. Since joining the Broncos in 2015, Woods has led Denver to the No. 1 DVOA ranking against the pass in two consecutive seasons, while many of his pupils — including Aqib Talib, Chris Harris, Bradley Roby, and T.J. Ward — have flourished.
Broncos Are Tony Romo’s Ideal Landing Spot
Veteran quarterback Tony Romo would like to play for the Broncos next season, but Denver is not expected to pursue a trade for the Cowboys signal-caller, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Rival executives believe that a Romo trade may be hard to execute, and Dallas could hang on to Romo until a quarterback injury elsewhere in the league forces another club to call.
[RELATED: Latest On Ezekiel Elliott Investigation]
Romo, of course, has not played this season (save for a few reps in a meaningless Week 17 game) after suffering an injury during the preseason, allowing rookie Dak Prescott to run with the Cowboys starting job. Team owner Jerry Jones said in November that he would not deal Romo after the season, but most opposing general managers believe that sentiment was merely posturing. Romo’s value on the trade market is an open question, however, as some executives believe Dallas could garner as much as a second-round pick for its veteran QB, while others see a conditional late-round choice as more plausible.
The Broncos have several options at quarterback as they head into the 2017 offseason, including incumbent starter Trevor Siemian and 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch. Reports have indicated that Siemian could remain under center next season, allowing Lynch another year to develop. However, Denver has since overhauled its offensive coaching staff, so any plans for the 2017 campaign may now be up in the air.
Instead of waiting to be traded, Romo could theoretically ask for his release in order to scour the free agent market for the right fit, a request that Jones could be inclined to honor given Romo’s decorated tenure with the Cowboys. Such a move would present financial gains for Dallas, but would obviously preclude the club from reaping any sort of draft compensation.
Coaching Rumors: Jets, Bills, Jaguars, Titans
Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville opted to stay in Denver rather than pursue the Jets‘ offensive coordinator vacancy, and New York’s hope to conduct a wide-ranging search for a new play-caller may have played a factor in Studesville declining to remain in contention, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, who adds that Studesville didn’t want to “lose a bird in the hand.” The Jets have “at least” three other candidates on their radar at the moment, per Cimini, and one name of interest could be Chiefs co-offensive coordinator Matt Nagy (though it’s not clear if the ESPN scribe is reporting or speculating). Kansas City would be able to block any interview request from New York, which could present a problem as Gang Green continues its hunt. The Jets also expressed interest in new Raiders OC Todd Downing before he was promoted from QBs coach, per Cimini.
Here’s more on the coaching front from around the NFL:
- The Bills announced that they’ve hired Mike Waufle to serve as the club’s new defensive line coach. Under Waufle’s direction, the 2016 Rams defensive line ranked first against the run, according to Football Outsiders‘ adjusted line yards metric. Additionally, the Bills have released former DC Dennis Thurman and OL coach Aaron Kromer — both of whom were hired by ex-head coach Rex Ryan — from their respective contracts, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- Former Michigan running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley is joining the Jaguars staff, likely in the same capacity, tweets Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio. Jacksonville has already announced that several members of their offensive coaching staff — including play-caller Nathaniel Hackett — will remain in place under new head coach Doug Marrone, but the club has been silent of the fate of current RBs coach Kelly Skipper. Wheatley, who was under consideration for Western Michigan’s head coaching job, last coached in the NFL from 2013-14 with the Bills.
- The Titans are not expected to hire any of the wide receivers coaches who have recently been fired around the league, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Tennessee, seeking to replace Bob Bratkowski, has already offered the WR job to Denver’s Tyke Tolbert, who declined the offer in order to remain with the Broncos.