Eagles Announce New Roles For Kelly, Roseman
5:48pm: Roseman’s extension runs through the end of the decade, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who says Lurie was adamant about keeping him in Philadelphia.
5:32pm: Amidst whispers that “something big” could happen in Philadelphia, the Eagles have announced changes to the roles of their top two football executives, GM Howie Roseman and head coach Chip Kelly. According to a team release, Roseman has been elevated to the role of executive vice president of football operations, while Kelly will now officially oversee the player personnel department, and will lead efforts to hire a new personnel executive.
After the team parted ways with Tom Gamble earlier this week, there was speculation that there was a power struggle emerging between Kelly and Roseman, with the GM winning the latest round. In a second press release, team owner Jeffrey Lurie dismissed any notion of unrest in the front office, and reiterated his trust in the Eagles’ head coach.
“You have heard me say many times that I want strong leaders who feel free to express their opinions. And that is what happened here,” Lurie said. “Chip will now lead this process going forward with the continued full support of Howie, Don [Smolenski] and myself…. I have a very good relationship with Chip that continues to grow stronger and stronger. When we spoke, he was thoughtful, thorough and professional. There were no demands, no threats – quite the contrary – he was passionate, engaged and articulated a dynamic and clear vision on how this fully integrated approach will work. We look forward to seeing it come to life over time.
“Let me also stress that Howie will continue to play a vital role in our operation,” Lurie added. “He has been elevated to the role of Executive Vice President of Football Operations and received a contract extension.”
The tweaks to Kelly’s and Roseman’s positions should be enough to satisfy both parties, despite the fact that Roseman’s role in personnel decisions has been reduced. Kelly now has a position similar to the one Andy Reid held in Philadelphia before he left the team, with control over draft and roster decisions, and the opportunity to lead the search for Gamble’s replacement. As for Roseman, along with his extension, he’ll continue to direct “contract negotiations, salary cap management and NFL strategic matters,” according to the team’s statement.
It remains to be seen whether the Kelly/Roseman marriage will be a long-term one for the Eagles, or if this latest move will just serve as a band-aid solution. For now though, it appears Kelly, Roseman, and Lurie are happy with the team’s arrangement, and neither the head coach nor the new VP of football operations is going anywhere.
AFC Links: Rinehart, Bills, DeCosta, Dolphins
Over the course of a 2014 season in which the Chargers were plagued by injuries – particularly on the offensive line, where the team shuffled through five centers – only one player appeared in every offensive snap. As Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune observes (via Twitter), that player was left guard Chad Rinehart, who triggered a $900K escalator by playing more than 85% of the club’s snaps. Rinehart’s base salary for next season is now $3.15MM, up from $2.25MM, per Gehlken.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Had Bill Polian come to the Bills, former Chargers GM A.J. Smith would have been considered for a front office job, according to John Clayton of ESPN (via colleague Mike Rodak on Twitter). Meanwhile, Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link) has an update on a chain of Polian-related front office gossip out of Buffalo.
- Addressing his continuing reluctance to interview for any general manager openings, Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta explained his stance: “It’s not [a fear of becoming a GM]. I have a great owner and work with my best friends. What else could you want?” (Twitter link via Jason Cole of Bleacher Report).
- Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald examines five issues the Dolphins must address in the offseason. Among the items on Salguero’s checklist: getting a new defensive coordinator and some offensive line help to better protect quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
- As we heard earlier this week, Browns GM Ray Farmer expects Josh Gordon‘s reps to challenge his suspension so that he gets an accrued NFL season in 2014. Pat McManamon of ESPN.com takes a look at where the Gordon situation currently stands.
- The Jaguars will be one of the more interesting teams to watch over the next few months, as they head into the winter armed with a ton of cap space and not many of their own free agents to re-sign. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the club’s offseason.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Washington, Giants
In the wake of Tom Gamble‘s departure from the Eagles, a plugged-in league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that “something big” could be going on in Philadelphia. Considering Gamble’s dismissal was viewed as a loss for head coach Chip Kelly in a possible power struggle with GM Howie Roseman, it’s fair to wonder if that supposed “big” development could involve Kelly.
In his latest piece for the Philadelphia Daily News, Sam Donnellon suggested that Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie need to tread carefully with Kelly, who would have plenty of options at both the NFL and college level if he were to leave Philadelphia. For now, speculation about Kelly following Gamble out the door may be premature, but there definitely seems to be a sense of unease surrounding the Eagles.
Here are a few more Friday items from out of the NFC East:
- Washington is expected to offer an enhanced front office position to former Chargers GM A.J. Smith, according to John Clayton of ESPN.com. Clayton suggests that while Bruce Allen will remain Washington’s GM and president, Smith – who is currently a senior executive for the club – will likely become more involved in making football decisions.
- Even if the Eagles decide they can win a Super Bowl with Nick Foles as their quarterback, the team will almost certainly provide insurance by bringing in a veteran signal-caller in free agency or drafting one early, writes Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News. A 2012 draftee, Foles is now eligible for a contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, but the Eagles likely aren’t quite ready to commit to him for the long term.
- The Giants don’t plan to be as aggressive in free agency this year as they were during their spending spree last offseason, and that’s because there’s still time for those signings – many of which were disappointing in year one – to pay off, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano points to Rashad Jennings, Geoff Schwartz, and Jon Beason, among others, as free agent signees who had injuries derail their first season with the Giants.
Ravens Activate Haloti Ngata, Put Brown On IR
The Ravens have activated standout defensive lineman Haloti Ngata from the reserve/suspended list in preparation for tomorrow night’s game against the Steelers, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson adds that linebacker Arthur Brown has been placed on the injured reserve list to accommodate the move.
Ngata, who had been named to five consecutive Pro Bowls coming into this season, was his usual effective self on defense in his first 12 games, playing well against both the run and the pass. The longtime Raven has even grabbed a couple interceptions this season, as well as defending a career-high seven passes. However, he missed the club’s last four games after being suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. According to Ngata, his failed test came as a result of taking Adderall.
The Ravens had a roster exemption for Ngata that lasted until Monday, but in order for him to play in Pittsburgh on Saturday, a player needed to be removed from the 53-man unit. That player is Brown, who had a disappointing sophomore season in which he failed to play a defensive snap all year. A second-round pick in 2013, Brown doesn’t seem to be in Baltimore’s plans following C.J. Mosley‘s breakout rookie campaign, and figures to be a trade candidate this offseason.
NFC South Notes: Bucs, Falcons, Saints
The Buccaneers had been hoping to interview Titans tight ends coach Mike Mularkey for their open offensive coordinator job, but that won’t happen, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport tweets that Tampa Bay has been denied permission to speak to Mularkey.
NFL teams aren’t allowed to block assistant coaches from interviewing for – or accepting – a job as a head coach, but that rule doesn’t apply to other jobs, including coordinator positions. In this case, the Buccaneers’ job would qualify as a promotion for Mularkey, but the Titans are within their rights to deny the Bucs the opportunity to talk to him.
Here’s more from around the NFC South:
- The Falcons will interview Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for their head coaching opening today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, by way of his colleague Vaughn McClure (Twitter link).
- Rex Ryan has also scheduled his interview with the Falcons — it’ll happen on Tuesday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While Ryan could be a good fit in Atlanta, some observers believe the ex-Jets coach is talking to NFL teams in order to squeeze more money out of ESPN, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
- Examining the reserve/futures contracts signed by the Saints, Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune points out that kicker Dustin Hopkins inked the longest deal, a three-year pact that keeps him under team control through 2017.
- Saints defensive backs Stanley Jean-Baptiste and Corey White had somewhat frustrating 2014 seasons in New Orleans, and aren’t quite sure what the team has in store for them in 2015, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
AP Announces 2014 NFL All-Pro Team
The Associated Press announced its All-Pro teams for 2014 today, with Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt and Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski earning unanimous selections. Here’s the complete first team, via NFL.com:
Offense:
QB: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
RB: DeMarco Murray (Cowboys), Le’Veon Bell (Steelers)
FB: John Kuhn (Packers)
TE: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
WR: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
T: Tyron Smith (Cowboys), Joe Thomas (Browns)
G: Marshal Yanda (Ravens), Zack Martin (Cowboys)
C: Maurkice Pouncey (Steelers)
Defense:
DE: J.J. Watt (Texans), Mario Williams (Bills)
DT: Ndamukong Suh (Lions), Marcell Dareus (Bills)
OLB: Justin Houston (Chiefs), Elvis Dumervil (Ravens)
ILB: Luke Kuechly (Panthers), Bobby Wagner (Seahawks)
CB: Darrelle Revis (Patriots), Richard Sherman (Seahawks)
S: Earl Thomas (Seahawks), Eric Weddle (Chargers)
Special teams:
K: Adam Vinatieri (Colts)
P: Pat McAfee (Colts)
KR: Adam Jones (Bengals)
Bucs Sign Seven Players To Futures Deals
The Buccaneers have officially signed seven players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2015 season, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Three of those agreements had been previously reported, while five of the seven players come from off Tampa Bay’s practice squad. Here’s the full list:
- Shelton Johnson, S
- Chandler Jones, WR
- Seth Lobato, QB
- Matthew Masifilo, DT
- Matt Patchan, T
- Jocquel Skinner, S
- Jeremiah Warren, OL
Of the players that finished the season on the team’s practice squad, defensive back Varmah Sonie, quarterback Mike Kafka, linebacker Denicos Allen, and linebacker Ka’Lial Glaud have not been signed to new deals. Meanwhile, Auman says that the club still intends to sign former Nevada punter Chase Tenpenny to a futures contract, as had been reported last month.
Draft Notes: Williams, Calhoun, Peat, Winston
In something of a surprise decision, Texas A&M running back Trey Williams announced (via Twitter) earlier this week that he intends to forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL draft.
“Special thanks to my Texas A&M family and coaching staff,” Williams wrote. “I’ve prayed about it and decided to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL.”
The junior running back was only a part-time player in the Aggies’ offense in 2014, carrying the ball just 81 times for 560 yards (6.9 yards per carry). While his explosiveness could intrigue NFL teams, Williams is not as highly regarded a prospect as a number of other underclassmen running backs who have already declared for the draft.
Let’s round up a few more draft-related notes to start off the first Friday of 2015….
- As recently as two weeks ago, Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams was believed to be returning for his senior season, so observers were surprised by a report that he was expected to enter the draft, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. Pauline hears that the second-round grade Williams received from the draft’s advisory committee was a determining factor in his decision.
- Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun also received a second-round grade recently from the advisory committee, rather than the first-round grade he was anticipating, according to Pauline. As such, Calhoun has yet to decide whether or not he’ll enter the draft.
- Sources tell Pauline that the family of Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin has been telling people he’ll remain with the Spartans for another year.
- Last month, a report indicated that Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, a probable first-round pick, was on the fence about his plan for next year. Per Pauline, “all [is] quiet” on that front at the moment, with no word of any agent meetings for Peat.
- Tight end Jesse James is reportedly telling people he intends to return to Penn State, but sources that have spoken to Pauline expect he’ll ultimately decide to enter the 2015 draft.
- According to Pauline, one league insider compared Jameis Winston to Johnny Manziel, speculating that – assuming Winston declares for the 2015 draft – he’ll be the player that general managers are hoping is off the board by the time their teams pick. Reading between the lines on Pauline’s comment, perhaps that means those GMs are worried their owners will push for Winston even if the front office has another player graded higher.
Coach Notes: Bills, Gase, 49ers, Tomsula
The Bears‘ coaching position is not among the most attractive open positions in the NFL this offseason, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Chicago job ranks well behind the 49ers and Falcons, and just barely ahead of the Jets and Raiders, according to a poll of 16 NFL executives and coaches, which was conducted before Doug Marrone opted out of his contract with the Bills. Speaking of those Bills, we have an update on their coaching search to kick off our latest round of coaching-related notes, so let’s dive in….
- The Bills have become the latest team to request an interview with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Gase, who already has interviews scheduled with the 49ers, Falcons, and Bears, becomes the first candidate solidly linked to Buffalo, though Frank Reich, Jim Schwartz, and Bill Cowher have been cited as potential targets as well.
- Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula hasn’t yet officially met with the 49ers to discuss the team’s head coaching position, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who tweets that the Niners brass is conducting a round of meetings on the road.
- As the 49ers search for their next head coach, the team will likely prioritize candidates that fit in with GM Trent Baalke‘s vision for a power running game and a dominating defense, writes Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. That means that defensive-minded coaches may have an advantage during the interview process.
- The Eagles‘ dismissal of Tom Gamble shows that Chip Kelly doesn’t have complete authority in Philadelphia, writes Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who wonders how the decision will affect the head coach’s future with the franchise.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
2012 Draftees Now Eligible For Extensions
Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and the rest of the NFL players drafted in 2012 are now eligible for contract extensions, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote earlier this afternoon. Draftees with four-year rookie contracts become eligible for a second deal at the end of their third season in the league, as they prepare to enter the final year of their rookie pact.
While Luck, 2012’s first overall pick, and Wilson, a third-rounder, are among the most notable names now eligible to sign extensions with their current clubs, there aren’t a ton of big-name 2012 draftees that teams will have to lock up. Robert Griffin III, Trent Richardson, Matt Kalil, Justin Blackmon, and Morris Claiborne were selected with consecutive picks after Luck in that year, and all five players are coming off disappointing or lost 2014 seasons.
As Florio notes, there are still several players besides the top two quarterbacks worth keeping an eye on, including Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, Bears wideout Alshon Jeffery, Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones, and Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David.
However, we may not see quite the flurry of extensions for star players that we did a year ago with 2011 draftees. Patrick Peterson, Tyron Smith, J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Richard Sherman, Colin Kaepernick, Andy Dalton, and Jason Kelce were among the noteworthy players from 2011’s draft class to ink new contracts since last February.