NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/8/16
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters.
Baltimore Ravens
- Jerrod Johnson, WR (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Miami Dolphins
- Damarr Aultman, DB (Twitter link via team)
New Orleans Saints
- R.J. Harris, WR (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com)
- Phillip Hunt, DE
Latest On Los Angeles Relocation Talks
With the league’s owners set to head to Houston next week to discuss and vote on moving an NFL team to Los Angeles, let’s take a look at the latest on the situation:
- Owners are highly motivated to move a team (or teams) to Los Angeles, write Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times, but that doesn’t mean next week’s meetings will be a cakewalk. Each proposal submitted by the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders has support — but each also has enough detractors to stymie it. The entire situation is uncertain, and the league is hoping that a vote isn’t called for until a consensus is reached. One interesting note: the Times scribes report that whichever team(s) loses out in its bid to move to LA will likely aim to relocate to a city vacated by a club that does get to transfer to southern California.
- The outcome of next week’s meetings are “very much up in the air,” a source familiar with the talks tells Mark Maske of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The source also conceded that he has “no idea” what will happen at the summit.
- The next step in the process for the three teams involved is to agree to and sign the final draft of “certification” papers that they each received today, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3). Once each club has signed and returned the documents, the league’s LA committee will make a formal recommendation about one of the projects prior to next week’s meetings.
- One key component to the relocation efforts is that clubs applying to move to Los Angeles are not allowed to sue the NFl after the process is complete, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
- Cole also reports (via Twitter) that two NFL teams have presented alternate plans that would solve the three-team race. The Cowboys have submitted a plan that likely includes the Rams heading to Inglewood, while another club is to suggest delaying the process entirely (link).
- The St. Louis stadium task force fired back at Stan Kroenke‘s comments about the city, deeming the Rams owner “cruel and unbecoming” in a letter to all 32 teams and the league office. Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal has the details in a TwitLonger link.
Hue Jackson Favorite For 49ers Job
Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is the “clear front-runner” for the 49ers head coaching vacancy, a source tells Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link). Jackson has yet to even interview for the position — that meeting will take place on Sunday — but the impression is that he is very interested in the job, per Kawakami (via Twitter).
The 49ers’ initial search focused on two candidates: Jackson and Saints head coach Sean Payton, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link). With Payton choosing to remain in New Orleans, San Francisco has apparently turned its attention to Jackson, who cannot interview with the club until the conclusion of Cincinnati’s Saturday Wild Card game.
[RELATED: Dolphins, 49ers request permission to interview Hue Jackson]
As our head coaching search tracker shows, Jackson is a very popular candidate on the coaching circuit, having been linked to four of the seven clubs with openings. In addition to the 49ers, he’ll also interview with the Dolphins and Browns on Sunday, and he’s been mentioned in connection with the Giants job.
San Francisco has already interviewed two other candidates — former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and current Bills assistant head coach Anthony Lynn — but it appears as though those two might be on the outside looking in. The 49ers are also expected to meet with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan at some point.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dolphins Hire Chris Grier As GM
MONDAY, 10:43am: The Dolphins have officially hired Grier as their general manager, the team announced today (via Twitter).
SUNDAY, 2:45pm: Just one day after parting ways with former general manager Dennis Hickey, the Dolphins have found an internal replacement in the form of college scouting director Chris Grier, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Grier, who was widely expected to be tapped as the club’s new GM following Hickey’s dismissal, is likely to be officially named to his new post on Monday.
Grier, who will be entering his 22nd NFL season (16 with Miami), began his career as a Patriots scout in 1994 before working his way through the scouting ranks in the Dolphins organization. This past offseason, he was a candidate for the the Jets and Eagles general manager vacancies. Per Salguero, Grier’s skill in talent procurement is widely respected around the NFL, and he’ll now team with executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum as the club seeks to rebuild.
The first task for the duo will be the hiring of a new head coach, a process that Grier will join immediately once his contract is signed, according to Salguero. That search committee, expected to be lead by Tannenbaum, will also include vice chairman Matt Higgins, president and CEO Matt Garfinkel, and owner Stephen Ross.
It remains to be seen exactly how much of a voice Grier will have in the Dolphins’ new configuration. Hickey, according to reports, had been largely usurped by Tannenbaum, and was essentially acting as nothing more than a scouting director (he also declined to be reassigned within the organization before being fired). Grier, unlike Hickey, was clearly hand-picked by Tannenbaum, so perhaps the two will have a smoother (and more fruitful) working relationship.
Browns Fire Mike Pettine, Ray Farmer
6:14pm: The Browns have made the respective releases of Pettine and Farmer official. Haslam has issued a statement promising a “methodical” search to replace both (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). They’ll get to work early in trying to fill the void of Pettine, according to ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini, who tweets Cleveland will interview Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
4:53pm: Browns head coach Mike Pettine will meet with owner Jimmy Haslam at 7pm Eastern Time, at which point he is expected to be fired, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). General manager Ray Farmer met with ownership prior to today’s game, and he is also being fired, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
It comes as no surprise that Pettine’s tenure in Cleveland is over, as reports over the weekend indicated that his job was in severe jeopardy. The 49-year-old ends his two-year Browns career with a 10-21 record, and the fact that the club backslid from a 7-9 mark in 2014 to a 3-13 record this 
season can’t have helped his case. Perhaps most striking was the club’s defensive performance — Pettine, a former defensive coordinator with the Jets and Bills, oversaw a unit that finished 31st in defensive DVOA.
For the Browns, Pettine’s dismissal only adds to the level of dysfunction and frustration that the club has experienced since the organization returned to Cleveland in 1999. Pettine is the fourth consecutive Browns coach to fail to last more than two seasons, and no Cleveland head coach has lasted more than four years since that ’99 return. The team will now be hiring its fifth head coach since the 2009 season.
Farmer, 41, also leaves Cleveland after two seasons at the helm as general manager (he spent the 2013 season as assistant GM). It’s hard to paint a positive picture of Farmer’s time with the Browns, though some draft picks (Joel Bitonio) and free agent signings (Andrew Hawkins, Josh McCown) did work out. But for the most part, Farmer failed in both areas of player procurement, handing $9MM in guaranteed money to receiver Dwayne Bowe (who has five receptions on the year) and using first-round picks on Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert.
Cleveland’s record of general manger hires is nearly as rocky as its success with head coaches. The Browns will now be hiring their sixth GM since the 2005 season, and have to hope that their next candidate has a longer tenure than Farmer. Ownership has given very little rope in terms of GMs, as George Kokinis and Michael Lombardi each lasted only one season, while Farmer last just two.
Latest On Sean Payton, Saints
The Saints capped off their 2015 season with a victory over the Falcons, but now the real uncertainty begins. Rumors abound about the fate and future of head coach Sean Payton, including whether he’ll stay in New Orleans, be released, or perhaps be traded. One place he won’t end up is Miami, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), who reports that if Payton does leave the Saints, the Dolphins won’t be his destination.
There’s a lot to unpack here, and the report, while informative, does still leave quite a few unanswered questions. For one, it’s unclear whether the Dolphins are not interested in Payton, or whether Payton is not interested in heading to South Beach. Miami hired Chris Grier as its new general manager earlier today, and it’s possible that he and football czar Mike Tannenbaum have already ruled out a pursuit of Payton. But it’s just as reasonable to think that Payton doesn’t see the Dolphins as an enticing destination.
According to Larry Holder of NOLA.com (Twitter link), many Saints players expressed a desire for Payton to stay with the team following today’s game. When asked if he’d like to remain in New Orleans if Payton departs, quarterback Drew Brees dodged the question. “I want to be here, I want to play for the Saints, I don’t want to play for anybody else,” he told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “But there’s no reason to talk about it until we all know for certain.”
In a separate piece, Florio lists several potential landing spots for Payton, including the 49ers, Colts, and Giants. We should learrn more tomorrow, as Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis are expected to meet tomorrow to discuss the former’s future.
Cole’s Latest: Colts, Giants, Saban, Raiders
Let’s take a look at the latest from Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (all video links):
- The presence of Andrew Luck could lead several high-profile names to be interested in the Colts‘ potential head-coaching vacancy, per Cole, who reports that Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, and Sean Payton could all have varying levels of interest in the position. The key question, according to Cole, is how much roster/personnel control owner Jim Irsay is willing to hand over.
- Luck makes the Colts job very attractive, but the most desirable landing spot on the market? The Giants, says Cole, due to ownership’s “hand-off” approach. Plus, the combination of Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. is very enticing to candidates.
- Despite interest from numerous teams, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is not expected to make the leap to the NFL. Saban, who does have NFL experience with the Dolphins, is quite comfortable in Tuscaloosa, and he doesn’t want to take any attention away from his team’s looming championship game against Clemson on January 11.
- Sources tell Cole that billionaire Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle Corporation) has spoken with Raiders owner Mark Davis about buying a portion of the team. While nothing is close, the mere presence of Ellison could potentially attract other investors, per Cole, and ultimately help the club make the move to Los Angeles.
Muhammad Wilkerson Breaks Leg
Not only did the Jets fail to secure a playoff berth by losing to the Bills today, but the offseason status of one of their star players just got quite a bit more complicated. Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters, including Kimberly Martin of Newsday (Twitter link), that defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson suffered a broken leg during today’s contest.
Because he suffered the injury in early January, Wilkerson should have no trouble getting back on the field in time for next season. But Wilkerson could have his offseason workout routine disrupted, and more importantly, his contract expires at season’s end, meaning he’ll head to free agency amid questions about his health. The 26-year-old hadn’t been seeing any progress in extension talks with the Jets, and had looked like a candidate for the franchise tag.
A Pro Bowler this season, Wilkerson had played in 15 games, racking up an impressive 12 sacks and grading as the league’s No. 13 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). I placed Wilkerson fourth in the inaugural edition of PFR’s 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings.
Week In Review: 12/27/15 – 1/3/16
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key News:
- After slightly less than three seasons, the Eagles parted ways with head coach Chip Kelly.
- The Dolphins fired general manager Dennis Hickey.
- After tearing his Achilles during a lost season, Steve Smith will return to the Ravens in 2016.
Coach/GM Rumors:
- Expected to part ways:
- Expected to be retained:
Draft Declarations:
- California – Jared Goff, QB (link)
- Memphis – Paxton Lynch, QB (link)
- Ohio State – Joey Bosa, DE, Ezekiel Elliott, RB, and Cardale Jones, QB (link)
- Penn State – Christian Hackenberg, QB (link)
Signed:
- Colts – Josh Freeman, QB and Ryan Lindley, QB (link)
Waived:
- Panthers – Wes Horton, DE (link)
- Steelers – Jacoby Jones, WR (link)
Suspended:
- Raiders – Marcel Reece, FB (four games)
Dolphins, GM Dennis Hickey Part Ways
SATURDAY, 7:10pm: The Dolphins and Hickey have parted ways, Salguero reports. Grier is likely to take Hickey’s place.
On Hickey’s departure, Tannenbaum said, “I want to thank Dennis for his work over the last two years. We talked about a number of different possibilities, but at the end we reached this agreement. I have a great deal of respect for what he accomplished here and wish Dennis and his family well.”
Hickey also issued a statement, which in part reads: “Over the past week, I have had a number of conversations with the Dolphins organization about my role in the team. Ultimately the Dolphins and I agreed that it would be best if we parted ways. I will always be proud of our accomplishments in Miami including many key additions to the team through the draft and free agency.”
FRIDAY, 2:19pm: After another disappointing season in Miami, the Dolphins are expected to fire general manager Dennis Hickey on Monday, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Another source tells Florio that although discussions are ongoing regarding Hickey’s fate, nothing has yet been finalized. Meanwhile, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports that while no decision has been made, it’s unlikely that Hickey will be retained.
Hickey was named the club’s general manager prior to the 2014 season after Miami conducted a lengthy search. The former Buccaneers executive had a largely successful first year with the Dolphins — he hit on draft picks Ja’Wuan James and Jarvis Landry, and made smart free agent decisions, bringing in Branden Albert and re-signing Brent Grimes.
But Hickey has been largely marginalized since his hiring, as he notably was not able to select his own head coach, having been assigned Joe Philbin. Additionally, the Dolphins hired ex-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum as something of a football operations czar, further lessening Hickey’s impact. Tannenbaum took the lead on the club’s free agency and draft decisions, leaving it unclear as to exactly what Hickey’s role was.
According to Florio, Tannenbaum won’t name himself as Miami’s new GM (whether or not that has any material impact is unclear, given that Tannenbaum already wields total control of football matters). One key name to watch in the upcoming general manager search, a source tells Florio, is Dolphins director of college scouting Chris Grier, who was a candidate for both the Jets and Eagles GM vacancies last offseason.
Meanwhile, in a letter to season ticket holders (and passed along by Salguero), Dolphins owner Stephen Ross expressed his disappointment with the club’s results this season, and pledged that the team has already identified “several promising candidates” in it search for a head coach (a search, it should be noted, that will be lead by Tannenbaum). Interim head coach Dan Campbell will be granted an interview, per the letter, while any mention of Hickey was notably omitted altogether.