Chargers OC Ken Whisenhunt Withdraws From Georgia Tech HC Search
Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has withdrawn his name from Georgia Tech’s head coaching search, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Whisenhunt was initially expected to interview for the Georgia Tech position last weekend, but those plans changed. A new meeting was reportedly set up for this week, but it’s unclear if that summit ever actually took place.
Whisenhunt is in the midst of his second stint as the Chargers’ OC. His first run came in 2013, under then-head coach Mike McCoy. Whisenhunt left to become the Titans’ head coach for one-and-a-half seasons before returning in 2016, and stuck around even after McCoy was fired. This year, Whisenhunt’s offense ranks third in DVOA, fifth in total yards, and fifth in scoring.
Los Angeles is virtually assured of a postseason berth and still has an outside chance at taking the AFC West. The Chargers will close out the season by facing the Bengals, Chiefs, Ravens, and Broncos.
NC State WR Kelvin Harmon To Enter 2019 Draft
North Carolina State wide receiver Kelvin Harmon announced on Twitter that he’ll forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility in order to enter the 2019 NFL draft.
“I have prayed and discussed the path forward with my family and we have decided that it is time for me to proceed to the next chapter in my football life,” writes Harmon. “That chapter will be playing professional football in the National Football League. To this end, I am relinquishing my college eligibility, effective immediately, and declaring myself a professional. I am applying for entry into the 2019 NFL draft. I will not be playing in the upcoming Gator Bowl but my support for my teammates will go unchanged.”
Harmon’s role in the Wolfpack offense steadily grew over the past three seasons. After managing only 27 receptions during his freshman year, Harmon totaled 69 catches for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns, earning second-team All-ACC honors along the way. This season, Harmon posted his best results yet (81/1,186/7) and was named first-team All-ACC.
Harmon certainly has the size of a No. 1 wideout, as he stands 6’3″, 214 pounds. In his most recent 2019 big board, Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com ranked Harmon as the 11th-best prospect in the draft, so the NC State product should stand a good chance of being a first-round selection. In a scouting report of Harmon, Trapasso noted the Liberia native’s ability to win contested catches and his “impressive speed and wiggle” after the catch.
Jets Designate LB Josh Martin For Return
The Jets have designated linebacker Josh Martin to return from injured reserve, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
Martin was placed on IR in early October after suffering his second concussion in five weeks. Given that New York clearly isn’t heading for the postseason, Jets management must feel as if Martin is fully recovered from his brain injury. Because he’s already missed eight weeks of action, Martin is eligible to return to the active roster at any time.
Now that he’s back at practice, the Jets have a three-week window during which they must either place Martin on their 53-man roster, or leave him on injured reserve for the rest of the year. Each NFL club is allowed to bring two players back from IR, and Martin will join running back Elijah McGuire as injured Jets who will have been — at the least — designated for return. Other ailing New York players, such as defensive back Doug Middleton or tight end Neal Sterling, will stay on IR for the rest of the 2018 campaign.
If he is able to get back on the field, Martin could potentially aid a Jets pass-rushing unit that ranks bottom-10 in sacks, adjusted sack rate, and pressure rate. Martin, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013, is scheduled to become a free agent next spring.
Mike McCarthy Wants To Coach In 2019
Former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy‘s “early preference” is to continue coaching in 2019, according to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (Twitter link).
That doesn’t necessarily mean McCarthy will be back on the sidelines next season, but some clubs have already reached out to express interest, per Wood. McCarthy’s firing was deemed nearly “unprecedented” given that he’s only the second Super Bowl winning coach to be let go in the middle of a season, but there’s an argument to made that McCarthy’s early termination could be beneficial to his future job prospects.
Now that’s no longer tied to Green Bay, McCarthy can freely speak to other teams about their vacancies. In addition, he can reach out to contacts around the league in an effort to formulate a potential staff. Both of those factors could give him an edge over other head coaching candidates who are still employed.
A clearer picture of where McCarthy could end up in 2019 won’t fully develop until more head coaching openings are created, but there is already conjecture on his destination. The Jets have been mentioned as possible suitor if Todd Bowles is fired, while the Browns also make sense as a landing spot given the presence of former Packers executives — John Dorsey, Eliot Wolf, Alonzo Highsmith — in Cleveland’s front office.
Redskins Place CB Quinton Dunbar On IR
The Redskins have placed cornerback Quinton Dunbar and wide receiver Trey Quinn on injured reserve, the club announced today. In addition, Washington announced it has signed center Demetrius Rhaney, and also confirmed the previously-reported signings of quarterback Josh Johnson, guard Zac Kerin, and defensive end Marcus Smith.
Dunbar missed Weeks 10 and 11 while dealing with a nerve issue in his shin, and struggled when he returned to the lineup in Week 12. He sat out again this past Monday night, and the Redskins have decided to call it a season for the 26-year-old defensive back. A first-time starter in 2018, Dunbar graded as the league’s No. 46 corner among 113 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Football Outsiders, meanwhile, ranked Dunbar 33rd among 69 cornerbacks in yards per pass allowed, but just 54th in success rate, meaning he wasn’t effective at stopping receivers short of the sticks.
Washington and Dunbar agreed to a three-year, $10.5MM contract in January that superseded his status as a restricted free agent. He should return to the nation’s capital in 2020 at a base salary of $3MM, although the Redskins could save $2.25MM by releasing him. In the near term, Washington will turn to Fabian Moreau and Greg Stroman at cornerback behind No. 1 option Josh Norman.
Rams Expected To Place RB Malcolm Brown On IR
The Rams are expected to be without their backup running back for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, as Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay told reporters today that Malcolm Brown is likely to be placed on injured reserve after suffering a clavicle injury last week (Twitter link via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com).
Once he is formally moved to IR, Brown’s 2019 campaign will officially end, for a few reasons. One, the Rams have already designated the NFL-maximum two players to return from injured reserve in cornerback Aqib Talib and return man Pharoh Cooper. Two, Brown’s recovery is expected to take eight-to-ten weeks, so even if league rules didn’t prevent him from coming back this season, Brown wouldn’t be ready until — maybe — the NFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl.
Brown didn’t see many snaps behind All-Pro Todd Gurley, but he did produce when called upon. Brown has averaged 4.9 yards per carry this season, while Football Outsiders ranks him as a top-10 back in DVOA among runners with fewer than 99 carries, meaning he was extremely efficient on a per-play basis. Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus assigned him a pass-blocking grade of 90.0, which would rank first among NFL running backs if he had enough snaps to qualify.
Brown, 25, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent next spring. While he almost certainly won’t be offered a first-round tender, a second-round tender (which should be worth approximately $3MM) isn’t out of the realm of possibility. If the Rams don’t believe Brown will have much of an RFA market, they could opt to use the right of first refusal tender, which will only be worth ~$2MM.
Chiefs Extend OL Austin Reiter
The Chiefs announced that they’ve signed offensive lineman Austin Reiter to an extension. Kansas City did not provide the length or terms of Reiter’s new deal.
Reiter, 27, was projected to become a restricted free agent next spring. Restricted free agent tenders are only one year in length and don’t offer any guarantees until the regular season begins, so Reiter may have sacrificed some immediate earning power in exchange for financial security. Reiter almost surely wouldn’t have been offered a first-rounder tender, but a second-round tender (which should be worth roughly $3MM) wouldn’t have been out of the question. A 2019 right of first refusal tender should be worth ~$2MM, so it won’t be surprising if Reiter’s annual salary/guarantees comes in somewhere between those $2MM and $3MM figures.
Originally a seventh-round pick of the Redskins in 2015, Reiter saw two seasons of action with the Browns from 2016-17 before the Chiefs claimed him off waivers this past September. Reiter has made four starts for the Chiefs this year while filling in for the injured Mitch Morse, and earned spectacular grades from Pro Football Focus while handling the pivot. While small sample size is a factor (Reiter has played only 175 offensive snaps), PFF currently ranks him as the No. 10 center in the NFL.
Reiter moved to backup duty when Morse returned in Week 13, and he’ll remain there barring another injury. But given what should be cheap annual rates on his contract, Reiter could prove to be valuable depth. He becomes the second ex-Browns offensive lineman to sign an extension with the Chiefs this year, joining former Cleveland first-rounder Cameron Erving.
Current 2019 NFL Draft Order
With nearly 13 full weeks of NFL action in the books, the 2019 draft order is beginning to take shape. Here’s the rundown of where things would stand if the 2018 season ended today:
1. San Francisco 49ers (2-10)
2. Oakland Raiders (2-10)
3. New York Jets (3-9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
5. New York Giants (4-8)
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8)
7. Buffalo Bills (4-8)
8. Detroit Lions (4-8)
9. Atlanta Falcons (4-8)
10. Green Bay Packers (4-7-1)
11. Cleveland Browns (4-7-1)
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7)
13. Cincinnati Bengals (5-7)
14. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6)
15. Miami Dolphins (6-6)
16. Indianapolis Colts (6-6)
17. Carolina Panthers (6-6)
18. Tennessee Titans (6-6)
19. Denver Broncos (6-6)
20. Minnesota Vikings (6-5-1)
Panthers Fire Multiple Assistant Coaches
Blame for the Panthers’ four-game losing streak has begun to be distributed, as Carolina has fired defensive line coach Brady Hoke and cornerbacks coach Jeff Imamura, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
In formally announcing the changes, the Panthers indicated head coach Ron Rivera will continue to call defensive plays, while defensive coordinator Eric Washington will control the club’s defensive front seven. Rivera will offer more assistance in coaching the secondary, while Sam Mills III will take over as Carolina’s defensive line coach after previously serving as an assistant.
“In my judgment, I felt this was best for the team moving forward,” Rivera said. “These are always difficult decisions, and I thank Brady and Jeff for their hard work. Ultimately, I’m charged with putting the team in the best position to succeed, and I felt these moves were necessary in order to do that.”
A report on Sunday indicated new Panthers owner David Tepper is considering major changes to the club’s decision-making structure, and while letting go of positional coaches certainly isn’t the same as firing Rivera or general manager Marty Hurney, it’s a start. A month ago, Carolina stood at 6-2 and looked poised to secure an NFC Wild Card spot, or possibly chase down the Saints in the NFC South. Now, after losing to Buccaneers on Sunday, the Panthers have just a 16% chance of making the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight.com.
Hoke, a former collegiate coach at Michigan, San Diego State, and Ball State, joined the Panthers earlier this year after Wasington was promoted to defensive coordinator. While the Panthers have fielded an excellent run defense under Hoke’s tutelage, the team ranks 24th in sacks and 25th in adjusted sack rate. Those figures are a far cry from 2017, when Carolina finished third in the NFL with 50 sacks and a 9.1% adjusted sack rate.
Imamura, whose official title had been assistant secondary coach/cornerbacks, was hired by Carolina in 2017 after previously serving as a defensive quality control coach for the Rams. His role grew this summer after Curtis Fuller resigned as the Panthers’ secondary coach — Richard Rodgers was promoted to replace Fuller, while Imamura took on more responsibility as Rodgers’ assistant. Carolina ranks 27th in pass defense DVOA, down from 11th a season ago.
LSU CB Greedy Williams Enters 2019 Draft
LSU cornerback Andraez “Greedy” Williams announced on Twitter that he’ll forgo his remaining seasons of collegiate eligibility in order to enter the 2019 NFL draft.
“I have been blessed by God with a beautiful and supportive family,” said Williams. “My blessing also include my LSU Tiger family, both on an off the field., It it with those abundant blessing in mind that I have to chosen to enter the 2019 NFL Draft….I look forward to making you all proud in this next chapter of my life.”
Williams will not play in the upcoming Fiesta Bowl after declaring for the draft, according to Brooks Kubena of the Advocate. Williams, who stands 6’2″, 175 pounds, redshirted during his first season with the Tigers, but became a starter in 2017 and never looked back. After leading the SEC with six interceptions, Williams was named All-SEC during his redshirt freshman campaign. In 2018, Williams started 11 more games, managing two picks and nine passes defensed along the way.
Williams is widely expected to come off the board early in the first round of next year’s draft. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com (ESPN+ subscription required) ranks Williams as the fifth-best prospect of the entire 2019 class, noting the LSU product’s ball skills and “long, lean frame.” Earlier this year, Kiper and his colleague Todd McShay called Williams the best lockdown corner available in 2019, adding the 20-year-old has an “extremely high ceiling.”