AFC Notes: Crabtree, Raiders, Bengals
Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree has been among the NFL’s best value signings this season, writes Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). The 28-year-old Crabtree inked a one-year, $3.2MM with Oakland that contained $1.8MM in additional incentives, and he’s more than made good on that investment, posting receptions for nearly 600 yards and six touchdown through eight games, teaming with rookie Amari Cooper (whom he’s actually out-targeted 80 to 72) to form one of the league’s best receiver tandems. Tom Brady, Andrew Whitworth, and Alvin Bailey are just a few more of the AFC players who make up Yates’ all-value list.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Directing an offense that ranks 2nd in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson has emerged as a candidate for head-coaching vacancies, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Jackson, who spent one season as the Raiders’ head coach in 2011, has helped QB Andy Dalton post the best season of his career while Cincinnati has started 8-0. “Well, I tried to convince a few people of that last year; that he is excellent,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “He is doing a fine job, which is most important, what he is doing right now, because that’s the most important thing, that is what you can control.”
- Speaking of those Bengals, Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer spoke with owner Mike Brown about the culture changes that have lead to Cincinnati remaining undefeated thus far. While noting that such discussions are often a “chicken and egg” argument — what came first, the winning or the attitude? — Brown did allow that the club has been trending in a successful direction for some time. “The attitude here is good and you can argue the attitude made winning possible. It wasn’t something that came about overnight,” said Brown. “It was good decisions, getting players and having them stay healthy and learn what their responsibilities were, not just on the field. And finally, (getting) our share of a little luck.”
- Via CSNBayArea.com, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf penned an open letter to the community, clarifying where exactly money for a new Raiders stadium would come from. Private funds would be the preferred route, per Schaff, but were public cash to be used, it would only be money that was already earmarked for infrastructure improvements.
Injury Updates: Big Ben, Lewis, Hankins, Cole
Here’s a look at some more injury news from today’s games:
- Bills running back LeSean McCoy injured his shoulder in the victory over the Dolphins today, and will probably have an MRI in advance of Thursday’s game against the Jets, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr was spotted wearing a cast on his arm following the overtime win over St. Louis, writes Jason Gonzalez of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The team staff helped him carry his bag while exiting the locker room.
- Adam Schefter adds to the reports about Lewis’ injury, noting that the Patriots running back has no swelling, which is a good sign. However his ACL is loose, which is a bad sign. Ultimately, they are still waiting on the MRI (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- The Patriots are awaiting the results of an MRI on running back Dion Lewis, but the club is hopeful that he only suffered an MCL sprain, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Regardless, Lewis figures to miss some time, prompting New England to turn to LeGarrette Blount as the team’s primary back.
- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left today’s game against the Raiders with a foot injury, and was eventually taken to a hospital for further evaluation, per Pittsburgh’s PR staff (Twitter link). Roethlisberger was unable to put any weight on his left foot, and head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, including Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), that the veteran QB will undergo an MRI. Roethlisberger, of course, just returned to action after missing several weeks with an MCL sprain.
- Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins suffered a torn pectoral during today’s game against the Buccaneers, the team announced on Twitter. While there has been no official announcement, such an injury is expected to be season-ending.
- Vikings backup linebacker Audie Cole fractured his ankle today, head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link), Zimmer confirmed that Cole will miss the remainder of the season. Cole hasn’t been a factor on the Vikings’ defense, but he was playing more than half of the club’s special teams snaps.
Giants’ Jon Beason’s Career In Jeopardy
When the Giants activated defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul last week, they cleared a spot for him on the active roster by placing veteran linebacker Jon Beason, who had been dealing with knee and ankle injuries, on injured reserve. According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, not only is Beason’s season over, but his career is likely finished as well, as mounting injuries have taken their toll.
Injuries are nothing new for Beason, 30, whom the Giants from the Panthers in 2007. While he was extremely durable during his first four years in the league (he didn’t miss a single game), Beason will have played in just 29 out of a possible 80 games from 2011-15, including only nine games during the past two seasons with New York.
Beason and the Giants agreed to a three-year, $14MM contract prior to the 2014 season, but the two sides restructured that deal before the 2015 campaign, slashing Beason’s base salary by nearly half. Beason would have been able to make up much of that loss via playing time incentives, but he presumably will be unable to reach those goals now. If he does end up retiring, Beason will count for about $1.47MM on the Giants’ cap in 2016.
A first-round pick out of Miami in 2007, Beason has accrued more than 500 tackles during his near-decade long career.
PFR Originals: 11/1/15 – 11/8/15
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past seven days:
- Now that Week 9 is upon us, players who were placed on the injured reserve list with a designation to return are now eligible to be activated for the remainder of the season. Luke Adams provides a rundown of said players, a list that includes Dee Milliner, Bryan Stork, and David Cobb.
- The 2015 trade deadline came and went last Tuesday, leading Luke to break down the entire slate of 2015 trades (all 68 of them!).
- This year’s trade deadline was relatively uneventful, and some have argued that activity would increase were the deadline to be moved back a few weeks. Luke tackled that topic during last week’s Community Tailgate, a forum for readers to add their thoughts on a selected issue.
- Luke also went over the cap outlook for the 2016 Patriots, noting that New England has a large group of players — Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower, and Brandon LaFell among them — who could be candidates for an extension.
- Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.
Week In Review: 11/1/15 – 11/8/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key News:
- The Broncos made waves in advance of the trade deadline, acquiring tight end Vernon Davis from the 49ers, while attempting (and failing) to acquire left tackle Joe Thomas from the Browns.
- After posting a 3-20 record during his time with Tennessee, Ken Whisenhunt was fired as head coach of the Titans. Mike Mularkey was promoted to interim head coach.
- The Lions continued to clean house, firing both general manager Martin Mayhew and president Tom Lewand. Sheldon White was named interim GM.
- The 3-5 Colts made a change to their offensive staff, firing offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and promoting Rob Chudzinski to take his place.
Signed:
- 49ers – Pierre Thomas, RB (link)
Claimed Off Waivers:
- Steelers – claimed WR Jacoby Jones from the Chargers (link)
Waived:
- Cowboys – Joseph Randle, RB (link)
- Titans – Terrance West, RB (link)
Injuries:
- 49ers – Reggie Bush, RB (IR) and Mike Davis, RB (IR-DTR)
- Bills – Percy Harvin, WR (IR)
- Chargers – Keenan Allen, WR (IR)
- Giants – Jon Beason, LB (IR) and Owa Odighizuwa, DE (IR-DTR)
- Lions – DeAndre Levy, LB (IR)
- Patriots – Ryan Wendell, OL (IR)
- Ravens – Steve Smith, WR (IR)
- Steelers – Le’Veon Bell, RB (IR)
NFC Notes: Bears, Gase, 49ers, Knighton
In his latest notes column for the Chicago Tribune, David Haugh points to left tackle — not quarterback, cornerback, or pass-rusher, as some might suggest — as the Bears‘ biggest need come draft time. Kyle Long is still an option to move to the blind side at some point, but Haugh suggests the club could target players like Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss or Ronnie Staley of Notre Dame next spring. Such a move would likely follow the release of veteran Jermon Bushrod, who has played in only three games this season (he first dealt with concussion issues but was then benched).
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC:
- Continuing the Bears theme, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com notes that offensive coordinator Adam Gase should be a hot name on the head coaching circuit next year. The 37-year-old Gase interviewed for nearly every head coaching vacancy following last season, bu ultimately reunited with John Fox in Chicago, where he has helped quarterback Jay Cutler turn around his career. In the piece above, Haugh suggests that Gase will also be a popular candidate for many NCAA openings.
- It’s unlikely that quarterback Colin Kaepernick will return to the 49ers next season, opines Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, noting that the club will likely release Kaerpenick before his 2016 $11.9MM base salary becomes guaranteed on April 1. Elsewhere in San Francisco, Maiocco writes that GM Trent Baalke clearly believes he will remain the club’s decision-maker going forwar, as he wouldn’t have traded Vernon Davis for future draft pick compensation if he believed this season was his last with the team.
- Terrance Knighton will miss Sunday’s game with severe headaches, John Keim of ESPN.com reports. The Washington defensive tackle has reportedly visited around 30 doctors for this condition, which is said to be worse than migraines, albeit in shorter duration.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Packers, Mike Daniels Far Apart In Extension Talks
The Packers and defensive end Mike Daniels remain far apart in ongoing contract negotiations, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Per McGinn, the two sides have engaged in “on-again, off-again” talks for some time, but no deal is considered close at this time.
Green Bay management has reportedly identified Daniels as the most important of its 14 upcoming free agents, and while they are interested in working out a long-term deal, the club currently isn’t willing to go to $10MM per year — Daniels’ apparent asking price — to get something done. That level of salary certainly isn’t out of the question for Daniels, as it would put him in line with other 3-4 defensive ends, such as Cameron Jordan, Cameron Heyward, Corey Liuget, and Calais Campbell, who earn between $10MM and $11MM per year.
“Why wouldn’t (Daniels) get $10 (million)?” an NFL personnel director told McGinn. “Most of those guys are bigger, but who’s more disruptive? I think Mike Daniels is a good player. I think he and Liuget are on a par. The way that market goes, you’re going to overpay. It he goes to free agency, do you (the Packers) want to run that risk?”
The 26-year-old Daniels is in the midst of his fourth NFL season (all with the Packers) and his second as a full-time starter, and he’s playing slightly more than 60% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps for the second consecutive season. The club’s best defensive lineman, Daniels has posted 17 career sacks — admittedly, not the primary goal of a 3-4 DE — while helping the Packers defense to the No. 8 overall position in Football Outsiders’ DVOA.
“I haven’t heard anything,” Daniels told McGinn yesterday. “I don’t want to really get involved. Think about it. Am I going to worry about a contract when I got Peyton Manning across from me?”
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Jim Caldwell Expects To Remain Lions’ Coach
The last NFL head coach to suffer an embarrassing defeat in London — the Dolphins’ Joe Philbin — was fired before he had a chance to coach another game stateside. But after the Lions lost by 35 points to the Chiefs this morning, Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell doesn’t expect to similarly lose his job once he returns to the States.
“Hey, you know what, I’m working every single day,” Caldwell told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “My job is to get in and get my job done. Those things are answered by someone else and not me. But I fully anticipate being able to continue to do my job.
“You ask me that question all the time and I’m going to answer the exact same way,” Caldwell added. “I told you this is a day-to-day business. I’ve always known that since 1979 when I first entered, so there’s no issue there. It’s just the way it is. So leave it at that.”
Caldwell had a successful first year in the Motor City, leading the Lions to an 11-5 record and a playoff appearance. But the club has bottomed out thus far in 2015, stumbling to a 1-7 record, and ranking in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive DVOA, per Football Outsiders. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and two other offensive assistants were fired following last Sunday’s game, but, at least through one contest, new OC Jim Bob Cooter‘s presence hasn’t seemed to help.
The Lions now head into a bye week, so if management was intent on firing Caldwell in-season, now would probably be the time to do it. Even if Caldwell does retain his job for now, it’s looking more and more like he will be out after the season. Albert Breer of NFL.com recently reported that if Caldwell is shown the door at season’s end, general manager Martin Mayhew would likely be fired, as well.
Steve Smith Tears Achilles, Out For Season
If Steve Smith intends to follow through on his plans for retirement, he may have just played in his last game, as Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed to reporters that the veteran receiver tore his Achilles during today’s contest against the Chargers (Twitter link). Smith will miss the remainder of the year, and given that he has vowed to call it a career after the season, the mercurial pass-catcher may have seen his final game action.
At 36 years old, Smith was in the middle of a second consecutive solid season with Baltimore, averaging nearly 100 yards receiving per game and having scored three times. The three-time All Pro, who caught 79 balls for more than 1,000 yards and six touchdowns during his first year with the Ravens, would finish with the 11th-most receiving yards in league history, with nearly 14,000.
Whether Smith actually retires is an open question, and one that Harbaugh addressed today in his remarks to reporters. “I have a feeling Steve Smith will be back,” said Harbaugh. Later, in a message to Smith, Harbaugh said, “You’re going to write the final chapter of your career in a way that nobody expects” (Twitter links). Within the past several weeks, Smith confirmed that he was “still on schedule” to retire at season’s end, but even his agent is not convinced. It’s fair to wonder if this painful end to his season, in addition to Baltimore’s disappointing year as a team, will force Smith to reconsider.
More pressing for the Ravens is how to replace Smith in the starting lineup. Kamar Aiken figures to see more targets with Smith out of action, while Marlon Brown and recent trade addition Chris Givens could also be in line for additional work until first-round pick Breshad Perriman returns from a PCL injury (and perhaps presuming Perriman returns at all this season is a mistake).
If Smith does reverse his decision and return for the 2016 season, he’d be playing under the third and final year of a deal he signed prior to the 2014 season. He’d be paid a base salary of $3MM, and account for a cap hit of roughly $4.17MM.
Seahawks Eyeing Offensive Line Help
The Seahawks are working the phones in an effort to upgrade their offensive line in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). In order to secure reinforcements for its front five, Seattle is willing to deal from its wide receiver depth, per La Canfora, who names Chris Matthews as one pass-catcher who could be on the block.
Seattle’s offensive line has unquestionably been a weak point so far this season, as they’ve allowed Russell Wilson to be sacked 32 times, the most in the league. And although the unit does rank inside the top 10 run-blocking lines according to Football Outsiders, they’re dead last in terms of FO’s pass-blocking metrics. Additionally, left tackle Russell Okung‘s ankle injury — which will keep him out of today’s contest against the Cowboys — creates an ever more pressing need up front for the Seahawks.
The 26-year-old Matthews, a standout in February’s Super Bowl, hasn’t produced much so far this season. He’s played 106 offensive snaps — fourth-most among Seattle receivers — while catching just four passes on six targets, good for 54 yards and no scores. Matthews does have some special teams value, having played on roughly 39% of Seattle’s ST snaps, but it’s hard to imagine that the Seahawks could get much in return for a receiver with little to no career track record.
Just this morning,we heard several reports of offensive lineman potentially being available via trade, with Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, Joe Staley, and Alex Boone among them.