Browns Owner: No Changes To Leadership
Despite his club only posting one win during the 2016 season, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam confirmed today the Cleveland won’t be making any major changes to its decision-making structure, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. As such, EVP of football operations Sashi Brown, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, VP of player personnel Andrew Berry, and head coach Hue Jackson will all stay in their current roles.
[RELATED: Browns Clinch No. 1 Pick]
“I think we have the right people in place,” Haslam said. “I could not be more pleased with the job that Hue and his staff are doing. You wouldn’t think this was a team that was 1-14 that was out there battling. What did we play today? 70-plus minutes of football? So really pleased with Hue and really pleased with our personnel group.
“It took us a while to get there and I’ll take all the responsibility there as I’ve said in the past,” Haslam added. “I think this time last year we said this was going to be multi-year rebuilding. It is. Has this year been harder than we thought it would be? Yes, but I promise you this: We will work hard. I think we’ve got the right people in place, and there’s really three keys going forward…Number one: we’ve got resign our key players. Number two: we’ve got to be appropriately aggressive in free agency. And number three: we’ve got to have a great draft.”
Additionally, while a report earlier today indicated that the Browns coaching staff would like to install a proven talent evaluator in the club’s front office, Haslam denied that he has any intention of hiring such an individual. However, Haslam did say the trifecta of Brown, DePodesta, and Berry will have control of personnel hires, and would be able bring in new voices if they so choose.
David Johnson Has Meniscus Damage
Early tests show that Cardinals running back David Johnson suffered meniscus damage during today’s game against the Rams, but did not tear his ACL, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Johnson will undergo an MRI on Monday in order to further ascertain the exact nature of the injury.
[RELATED: Chandler Jones Hopes To Stay With Cardinals]
Clearly, without more specific information about Johnson’s injury, it’s difficult to predict how the ailment might affect his offseason. Avoiding an ACL tear is extremely positive news, but meniscus damage can also limit a player for years. Johnson, 25, has been a revelation during his second season in the NFL, managing more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage while posting 20 total touchdowns. On an Arizona offense that ranks only 22nd in DVOA, Johnson was the weekly focal point as quarterback Carson Palmer and the rest of the passing game struggled.
Johnson is signed through the 2018 campaign, but fellow running backs Chris Johnson, Andre Ellington, and Stepfan Taylor are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at season’s end. If Johnson is expected to be sidelined for a good portion of the summer, Arizona could be forced to add bodies to its backfield.
5 Key Stories: 12/25/16 – 1/1/17
Upheaval in Buffalo… The Bills finally made official what was widely expected, firing head coach Rex Ryan in advance of the club’s final regular season game. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn was promoted to interim head coach, and is considered a “virtual lock” to take over the open position on a full-time basis. Doug Whaley, meanwhile, will return as Buffalo’s general manager, and has seemingly already made a decision on quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who was benched for the team’s final game. By sitting Taylor down, the Bills protected themselves from tens of millions in Taylor money becoming guaranteed.
…and Denver… Due to health concerns, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is expected to step down after the conclusion of the 2016 season. Kubiak suffered a mini-stroke during a game as the Texans’ head coach, and was forced to miss a game earlier this year while dealing with migraine issues. Whether Kubiak intends to fully retire from the NFL is unclear, but Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is already being bandied about as a candidate for the expected opening.
…and San Francisco. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported last night that the 49ers are expected to fire both general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly as part of a complete overhaul of the team’s decision-making structure. Baalke, for his part, confirmed today that he was officially fired on Friday, and supports San Francisco’s reset. Kelly, meanwhile, has not yet corroborated reports of his termination.
Doug Martin sidelined. The Buccaneers chose to bench RB Doug Martin again last week, and we quickly learned why — Martin has been suspended four games for violating the league’s PED policy. Martin had announced prior to the suspension that he was “stepping away” from Tampa Bay, and reports have indicated that he could be seeking help for Adderall usage. The ban will void the remaining guarantees in Martin’s contract, meaning the Bucs could easily part ways if they so choose.
The Browns are on the clock. By losing to the Steelers earlier today, the Browns have officially clinched the first overall pick in the 2017 draft. Cleveland will have its choice of quarterbacks — such as Mitch Trubisky or DeShone Kizer — or could use the pick to select a game-changing edge rusher in Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett. The Browns will also have a pick later in the first round thanks to a trade with the Eagles.
Latest On Chargers, Mike McCoy
The Chargers may not have made an official decision on the fate of head coach Mike McCoy, but it would be an “upset” if McCoy is retained for 2017, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds that general manager Tom Telesco will keep his job, but team ownership will meet Monday to determine if McCoy will stick around. Meanwhile, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link) that while Telesco has recommended that McCoy be retained, San Diego is prepared to make a change.
[RELATED: Antonio Gates Leaning Towards Return]
This isn’t the first time that disparate reports have surfaced regarding McCoy’s status, which could indicate that the Chargers are truly wrestling with a decision on their head coach. Just last week, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com indicated that because the Chargers are likely to relocate to Los Angeles — and thus, compete with the Rams in a major media market — the club would like to begin its head coaching search as soon as possible.
McCoy has led the Chargers to a 5-10 record this season, and last week lost to the previously winless Browns. During his San Diego run, McCoy has posted a career mark of 27-36, and recently confirmed that the club has not offered him an extension (he’s currently signed only through 2016).
Browns Clinch 2017 No. 1 Overall Pick
By losing to the Steelers today, the Browns have officially secured the first overall selection in the 2017 NFL draft.
[RELATED: Cleveland Browns Depth Chart]
Squarely in the midst of a massive rebuild, the Browns will now get their choice of collegiate players next spring, and will have the option of selecting a quarterback if they so choose. The club has been linked to both Mitch Trubisky and DeShone Kizer, but it’s unclear if Cleveland would feel comfortable using the first overall pick on either signal-caller. Meanwhile, the Browns reportedly have placed an “astronomical” grade on Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett, who is fully expected to declare for the draft.
Thanks to a series of trades, Cleveland is well-armed in the 2017 draft, and the club will have an additional first-rounder (via Philadelphia) to pair with the first overall pick. All told, the Browns currently have eight picks secured, including two in each of the first two rounds. A new voice could assist in selecting players at those spots, as a report earlier today indicated that Cleveland may look to hire another executive to its front office.
Trent Baalke Confirms He’s Been Fired By 49ers
Appearing on the 49ers’ pregame show today, Trent Baalke confirmed he’s been fired as the club’s general manager, accordin g to Kevin Jones of KNBR. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported last night that San Francisco is expected to part ways with both Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly, although Kelly has not yet been informed of his termination.
“It was the right thing to do. This is a class organization,” Baalke said. “You know, I’ve been here since 2005 and I have a lot of respect for the organization as a whole, and the ownership, the fan base. It’s difficult, but it’s the right thing to do.
“It didn’t surprise me,” Baalke said. “We’ve done some awful good things. Some very successful seasons. Unfortunately regret we weren’t able to bring a championship to the Bay Area, which they so deserve. I think The Faithful has been great. Wish this organization nothing but the best moving forward. I do see a bright future for them.”
The Baalke-Jim Harbaugh partnership dominated during the early 2010s, rocketing the franchise to relatively similar heights to which the teams of the 1980s and ’90s soared. San Francisco glided to three straight NFC championship games, came within a Baltimore goal-line stand of winning a sixth Super Bowl title and went 36-11-1 in that three-year span. Harbaugh’s departure after a tumultuous 2014 season marked the beginning of a rapid conclusion of this freefall under the 52-year-old Baalke’s watch, with the 49ers going 7-24 in the Jim Tomsula/Kelly seasons.
Jets To Retain Todd Bowles, Mike Maccagnan
The Jets have officially announced that head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan will return for the 2017 season.
[RELATED: New York Jets Depth Chart]
Both decision-makers were largely expected to be retained for the 2017 campaign, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com recently reported that Bowles and Maccagnan would receive “mulligans” from ownership. Clearly, the 2016 season didn’t go as planned — instead of building upon a solid 2015, New York regressed to a 5-11 record, last in the AFC East. The Jets ranked dead last in DVOA heading into Week 17, and were porous on both sides of the ball, placing 31st in offense and 26th on defense.
The Jets figure to be active this offseason in terms of clearing cap space — currently, the club projects to be nearly $5MM over the cap in 2017, meaning Maccagnan and staff will need to release several veterans in order to be in compliance. Meanwhile, New York’s coaching staff could also undergo changes, and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is expected to be the first coach fired.
Vance Joseph A Candidate For Broncos HC?
Given reports that Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is likely to retire at season’s end, general manager John Elway & Co. could soon be conducting a head coaching search. Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph could be a strong candidate for the position, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: DeMarcus Ware To Return In 2017]
Joseph, 44, interviewed for Denver’s vacant head coaching position during the 2015 offseason when he was still the Bengals’ defensive backs coach. Though the Broncos ultimately hired Kubiak, the club maintained strong interest in bringing Joseph in as defensive coordinator, but Cincinnati blocked the move. Since that time, Joseph has moved on to Miami, where he’s helped improve the team’s defense from a No. 25 DVOA rank in 2015 to No. 17 this year.
Meanwhile, Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is also expected to be on the Broncos’ “radar,” tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Shanahan will be a candidate for nearly every head coaching job that opens this offseason, but a move to Denver could be particularly difficult given Shanahan’s father’s relationship with Elway, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Some sources say Mike Shanahan — who coached Elway to two Super Bowl victories — doesn’t get along with the current Denver GM, per Florio.
Extra Points: Raiders, Carr, Bills, Pats, Rowe
The latest from around the NFL as Christmas Day comes to a close:
- Although the Raiders wanted quarterback Derek Carr to undergo surgery for his broken fibula today, that operation was unlikely to take place on Christmas Day because Oakland wants to use the best surgeons available, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Most of those doctors were likely occupied due to the holiday, so the Raiders want to wait and secure the best crew before putting Carr under the knife. However, the operation will apparently take place in the very near future. Any chance Carr has of returning for a postseason run would clearly be aided by quick surgery and recovery.
- While a Rex Ryan firing is a “near-certainty,” Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that Bills‘ general manager Doug Whaley‘s status remains up in the air. The Bills could finish with a .500-or-better record in consecutive seasons for the first time since Wade Phillips’ 1999-2000 stretch, but the Ryan era has produced major turmoil and seen the Buffalo defense regress considerably from the Jim Schwartz season in 2014. The 2015 Bills ranked 19th in total defense, and the ’16 version sits there as well. While not horrendous, Jay Ajayi‘s monster day to eliminate the Bills notwithstanding, it’s well off the pace of 2014, when the team ranked fourth defensively.
- Patriots defensive tackle Malcom Brown was demoted during Saturday’s game against the Jets because he was late for a meeting last week, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Head coach Bill Belichick has dealt harshly with tardiness in the past, but Reiss notes that Brown is valued as a mature player who likely just made an “honest mistake.” Brown, a 2015, first-round pick, has started 13 games this season.
- Under the terms of the trade that sent cornerback Eric Rowe from the Eagles to the Patriots earlier this year, New England will be forced to ship a 2018 third-round pick to Philadelphia if Rowe plays in 50% of the Patriots’ snaps in either 2016 or 2017. Rowe won’t meet that mark this season, per Reiss, although Rowe could still reach that threshold next year. If he doesn’t, New England will only be required to send a 2018 fourth-rounder to Philly.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
La Canfora’s Latest: Jaguars, Rams, Lions, Pats
The Jaguars are expected to consider Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Mike Smith for head coach, a source tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, while Jacksonville could also express interest in a multitude of NCAA coaches, including Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze. Previous reports have indicated that the Jaguars and GM Dave Caldwell could also look at New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Atlanta play-caller Kyle Shanahan, while Tom Coughlin will definitively interview for the job.
Here’s more from La Canfora:
- The Rams aren’t only targeting high-profile names such as Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels for their head coaching vacancy, according to La Canfora, who reports that Los Angeles will also look at lesser-known options as it seeks to replace Jeff Fisher. Rams management thinks highly of offensive coordinators Sean McVay and Shanahan, per La Canfora, and will probably be involved in LA’s hunt.
- While several coaching jobs are expected to come open at season’s end, NFL front offices likely won’t see many changes, writes La Canfora. Aside from 49ers general manager Trent Baalke, most executives are on solid ground, as even clubs with poor records such as the Browns, Bills, Rams, and Jaguars are likely to opt for stability among its decision-makers.
- Although his offensive has succeeded in Detroit, Lions play-caller Jim Bob Cooter could miss out on head coaching gigs because of his name, which doesn’t project a “corporate” image, reports La Canfora. Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia could also be denied jobs due to his shaggy look, which doesn’t fit the NFL’s CEO culture.