Panthers Re-Sign S Eric Reid
The Panthers have re-signed safety Eric Reid through the 2021 campaign, the club announced today. Reid’s new three-year deal is worth more than $22MM, and contains incentives that could raise the total value of $24MM, according to Mike Silver of NFL.com.
Reid, 27, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month, but he’ll stay in Carolina without ever testing the open market. That Reid avoided free agency altogether could be a product of his experience last year, when he wasn’t signed until the end of September. The free agent market for safeties was stagnant last offseason, with multiple veteran defensive backs having to settle for single-season pacts, but Reid’s national anthem protests also likely played a role in his unemployment.
Before landing with the Panthers, Reid took a visit with the Bengals, but subsequently filed a grievance after Cincinnati questioned him about his kneeling during the anthem. He was also linked to vacancies with the Titans and Falcons, but neither club ever seriously pursued him. Reid’s one-year deal with Carolina was worth $1.39MM and had a maximum value of $2MM.
In his first season with the Panthers, the 27-year-old Reid appeared in 13 games (all starts) while posting 71 tackles, five passes defensed, one interception, and one sack. Pro Football Focus graded Reid as the NFL’s No. 55 safety among 93 qualifiers. Next year, he’s likely to play alongside Da’Norris Searcy in Carolina’s secondary, unless Mike Adams — who played more than 90% of the Panthers’ defensive snaps a year ago — is re-signed.
Although Reid is now off the board, the 2019 free agent safety market still boasts a number of intriguing options. Veterans such as Earl Thomas, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Landon Collins, Adrian Amos, Tre Boston, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrann Mathieu, and Kenny Vaccaro are all projected to reach free agency next month.
Kyler Murray Commits To Football
Oklahoma quarterback and Oakland Athletics first-round draft pick Kyler Murray has decided to fully pursue a career within the NFL, he announced on Twitter today.
“Moving forward, I am firmly and fully committing my life and time to becoming an NFL quarterback,” Murray’s statement reads. “Football has been my love and my passion my entire life. I was raised to play QB, and I very much look forward to dedicating 100% of myself to being the best QB possible and winning NFL championships.
“I have started an extensive training program to further prepare myself for upcoming NFL workouts and interviews. I eagerly await the opportunity to continue to prove to NFL decision makers that I am the franchise this draft.”
Murray, who won the 2018 Heisman Trophy after throwing for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns during his only year as the Sooners’ starting quarterback, formally entered the draft in January and recently announced he’d be attending the NFL scouting combine. Still, it was unclear whether Murray would choose to accept the $4.66MM signing bonus he received from the Athletics as the No. 9 overall selection, or instead head to the NFL. MLB, for its part, was willing to allow Murray to sign a Major League contract with Oakland that would have allowed to buoy his earning power.
Murray, though, clearly seems to favor football over baseball, and given that he’s expected to selected in the first round of the NFL draft (and thus become the first athlete ever chosen in the first round of both the NFL and MLB drafts, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com), Murray should be able to top his MLB guarantees. The No. 32 pick in the NFL draft — the final slot in the first round — will receive a signing bonus of roughly $5.414MM, per Over the Cap, a value that tops Murray’s MLB bonus. Additionally, the entire value of any first-round NFL pick’s contract will be fully guaranteed.
Falcons Hire Bob Sutton
The Falcons have hired former Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton as a senior assistant, the club announced today.
Atlanta fired DC Marquand Manuel earlier this offseason but doesn’t plan on hiring a new coordinator to replace him. Instead, head coach Dan Quinn will call defensive plays going forward. Sutton, who was relieved of his Kansas City duties following the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game loss, will handle “in-game strategy, clock management, time-out usage and replay review,” per the Falcons’ press release.
Indeed, Sutton appears to be taking over game day responsibilities that were originally intended for Kyle Flood, Atlanta’s former assistant offensive line coach. Flood was supposed to be tasked with assisting Quinn with in-game management, but he’s since departed for Alabama’s offensive line coach job. Sutton, 68, is a former collegiate head coach at Army and has held multiple DC jobs in the NFL, so he’ll offer another set of eyes and ears for Quinn.
If Quinn at any point during the 2019 season decides to give up-play calling, Sutton would become a logical candidate to take over those obligations. The only other coach on the Falcons’ staff with defensive play-calling experience is Raheem Morris, and he’s been coaching on the offensive side of the ball since 2016.
5 Key NFL Stories: 2/3/19 – 2/10/19
Gronk to make a retirement decision soon. Fresh off winning Super Bowl LIII, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski won’t make everyone wait on his NFL fate. The four-time All-Pro says he’ll make a decision on his possible retirement within the next “week or two.” Gronkowski, of course, reportedly mulled retirement at various points during the 2018 offseason, and reportedly threatened to hang up his cleats after nearly being traded to the Lions last year. He didn’t pass the eye test this past year, appearing slow while posting his worst full-season production since his rookie campaign. Gronk is scheduled to earn a $10MM base salary in 2019, the final year of his contract.
Official hires made in Miami…The Dolphins formally announced their hiring of former Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores as head coach, bringing to South Beach the man who helped craft New England’s Super Bowl game plan. He’s bringing in ex-Patriots coach Chad O’Shea as offensive coordinator, while former Packers linebackers coach Patrick Graham is his DC. Longtime NFL coach Jim Caldwell will come aboard as assistant head coach/QBs coach, while former Packers DC Dom Capers is reportedly in contention to join the staff, as well.
…and in Cincinnati. Zac Taylor is officially the Bengals’ new head coach after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant for the Rams. While Taylor has made some notable hires on the offensive side of the ball, including former Raiders quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan as offensive coordinator, he’s had trouble landing a defensive play-caller. Experienced options such as Capers, Jack Del Rio, and Dennis Allen have rebuffed overtures, and the only coach with an interview lined up to this point is Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant. Cincinnati is casting a wide net, however, and is seeking to arrange meetings with several collegiate DCs.
Eagles, Nick Foles begin free agent process. Nothing is official yet, but the Eagles have reportedly made the decision to exercise Foles’ $20MM option for 2019. Foles, in turn, has reportedly decided to opt out of that contract by paying Philadelphia $2MM. The Eagles, though, plan to franchise tag Foles with the intention of trading him elsewhere. Although some reports have indicated Philadelphia could be violating the collective bargaining agreement by tagging Foles without the purpose of negotiating in good faith, that rule is unlikely to be enforced.
Falcons began making cuts. Atlanta has historically been gracious to its cut candidates, releasing veteran players well in advance of the free agent period in order to give them the best opportunity to land elsewhere. This year has been no different, as Atlanta parted ways with kicker Matt Bryant, cornerback Robert Alford, and edge defender Brooks Reed during the first week of February. Alford and Reed have already landed new deals (both with the Cardinals), while Bryant should find a new home in short order.
Staff Notes: Bengals, Bears, Panthers
The Bengals requested permission to interview Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant for defensive coordinator last week, and Cincinnati has now been granted that opportunity, according to Vincent Bosnignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Pleasant, regarded as a rising star in the coaching ranks, worked for the Browns and Redskins before joining Los Angeles in 2017. The Bengals’ DC job is the only vacant coordinator position remaining in the NFL, and a number of candidates (Dom Capers, Jack Del Rio, Dennis Allen) have bowed out of the running to become a top aide to head coach Zac Taylor. Other coaches who have been linked to the job include Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan, former Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, Texas A&M DC Mike Elko, Florida DC Todd Grantham, and Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn.
Here’s more from the 2019 coaching carousel:
- The Bears have continued to fill out their staff under new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, announcing that defensive quality control coach Sean Desai has been promoted to safeties coach, while fellow defensive QC coach Bill Shuey was promoted to pass analyst/assistant linebackers coach. Additionally, DeShea Townsend, who was originally hired as Chicago’s defensive backs coach in January, has had his title changed to secondary coach. The Bears’ defense ranked first in scoring, third in yardage, and posted the best defensive DVOA since the 2015 Broncos, but they’ll have to fight off regression and adjust to new coaches in order to repeat as NFC North champions.
- Former Panthers pass-rusher Everette Brown has re-joined the club as assistant linebackers coach, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Carolina selected Brown with the 43rd pick of the 2009 draft, but he collected only six sacks over two seasons before being released. Brown, now 31 years old, subsequently spent time with the Chargers, Lions, Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins, and Browns, but played in only 16 more games after leaving the Panthers. He served as a coaching intern for Carolina last summer.
- In case you missed it, expected Chiefs linebackers coach Matt House will instead stay on as the University of Kentucky’s defensive coordinator. The Wildcats were previously willing to allow House to leave a buyout, but apparently changed their minds as the hiring process unfolded.
PFR Originals: 2/3/19 – 2/10/19
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Antonio Brown demanded a trade from the Steelers following the end of the regular season, and while no known deep discussions have yet occurred with other clubs, it’s entirely possible that Brown won’t be on the Pittsburgh roster in 2019. Steelers ownership has, at various times, seemed to have indicated Brown’s time with the club is up while, at other times, leaving open the possibility that Brown could return next year. Pittsburgh would take on roughly $21MM in dead money if it trades Brown before June 1. With all that said, Zach Links asked PFR readers if Brown will be with the Steelers in 2019, and nearly two-thirds of respondents said “no.”
- The Patriots nearly traded Rob Gronkowski to the Lions last offseason, leading the veteran tight end to threaten retirement. Reports indicated Gronk could hang up his cleats even before that near-deal to Detroit was disclosed, and there’s no reason to think he won’t consider retirement this offseason coming off a Super Bowl victory. PFR readers are nearly split in their predictions on Gronkowski’s future, with 52% of respondents in Sam Robinson’s poll saying they think Gronk will return.
- The Alliance of American Football debuted on Saturday, and posted strong enough television ratings to top an NBA game on a rival channel. But will the league be successful in the long run, or will it suffer from football fatigue? Rory Parks posited this question to PFR readers, 76% of whom say they’ll watch the AAF going forward.
Staff Notes: 49ers, Chiefs, Eagles, Packers
Former NFL wide receiver Miles Austin is joining the 49ers as an offensive quality control coach, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Austin, 34, spent the majority of his playing career with the Cowboys and then joined the Dallas scouting staff after announcing his retirement in 2016. The Cowboys interviewed Austin for their vacant wide receivers job last offseason, but that gig ultimately went to Sanjay Lal. Austin will join recent retirees Wes Welker (receivers) and DeMeco Ryans (inside linebackers) on the San Francisco staff.
Here’s more from the NFL’s coaching carousel:
- The Chiefs have hired Dave Merritt as their new defensive backs coach, per Yates (Twitter link). Merritt was actually hired as the Jaguars’ assistant defensive line coach earlier this offseason, but Jacksonville has apparently let him out his contract in order to pursue a better opportunity. The 47-year-old Merritt worked under new Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in New York, working as the Giants’ defensive backs coach alongside Spags from 2007-08. The Chiefs haven’t announced whether incumbent secondary coaches Emmitt Thomas and Al Harris will be retained.
- Alabama running backs coach Joe Pannunzio will leave Tuscaloosa in order to take an undisclosed role with the Eagles, reports Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network (Twitter link). The 59-year-old Pannunzio, who previously served as the head coach at Murray State, worked in Philadelphia’s personnel department under former head coach Chip Kelly from 2015-16. The Eagles already have a running backs coach in place in Duce Staley (who also holds the title of assistant head coach), so it’s unclear if Pannunzio will join the club’s on-field staff or instead head to the front office.
- The Packers announced that they’ve hired Luke Butkus as assistant offensive line coach and Rayna Stewart as a special teams quality control coach. Butkus, the nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Dick Butkus, will work under new Green Bay OL coach Adam Stenavich, while Stewart will advise new ST coordinator Shawn Mennenga.
Colts Add Howard Mudd To Staff
The Colts have hired legendary offensive line coach Howard Mudd as a senior offensive assistant, the club announced today. Additionally, Indianapolis has promoted Marcus Brady to quarterbacks coach and hired Klayton Adams as an assistant offensive line coach.
Mudd, 76, coached NFL offensive lines from 1974-2012, but his longest run with a single team came with the Colts from 1998-2009. During the end of that tenure, Mudd worked with current Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich, who at the time was an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach on the Colts staff. Mudd originally announced his retirement following his Colts days, but was coaxed back into coaching the Eagles’ front five from 2011-12.
Indianapolis’ offensive line experienced a dramatic turnaround in 2018: the unit gave up a league-low 18 sacks, and ranked as a top-four group in Football Outsiders‘ pass-blocking and run-blocking metrics. Nevertheless, the Colts still opted to fire offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo and replace him with former Broncos staffer Chris Strausser.
Josh Gordon, Martavis Bryant May Apply For Reinstatement By May
Suspended NFL wideouts Josh Gordon and Martavis Bryant may be able to apply for reinstatement by May, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Both Gordon and Bryant are suspended — not banished — from the NFL, which, as Pelissero note,s in an important distinction given that banishment would have lead to a one-year minimum absence from the league. However, both pass-catchers’ suspensions are indefinite in nature, so there’s no clear timeframe on when they can attempt to re-enter the NFL.
Nevertheless, if both Gordon and Bryant execute their treatment plans in accordance with the league’s wishes, the NFLPA may begin to “lay groundwork” for returns in May, per Pelissero. Such a plan could could potentially put both players back on the field by training camp, something Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported — at least, in the case of Gordon — on Wednesday.
Gordon, whom the Patriots acquired at midseason from the Browns, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent next month, so New England will soon need to decide at what level it will tender the 27-year-old. Bryant, meanwhile, was traded from the Steelers to the Raiders during the draft, but was subsequently cut and re-signed in September. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in March, but clearly shouldn’t be expected to find a new team until later this summer, at the least.
Redskins Interview Tim Rattay For QBs Coach
The Redskins interviewed Tim Rattay for their quarterbacks coach position today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds Rattay has a “good chance” to land the job.
Washington is seeking to find a replacement for former quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell, who earlier this month was promoted to offensive coordinator. Rattay, 41, has never coached at the NFL level, but he did play in the league (primarily as a backup) from 2000-07. After retiring, Rattay worked as the wide receivers coach for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League before joining Louisiana Tech in 2013. He coached the Bulldogs’ pass-catchers for two years before taking over as quarterbacks coach in 2015.
While Rattay hasn’t held an NFL coaching job, he did interview for the Raiders’ QBs coach position last offseason. As such, it’s possible Oakland head coach Jon Gruden put in a good word for Rattay with his brother — and Redskins head coach — Jay Gruden.