Minor Moves: Wednesday
Playoff teams and non-playoff teams both continue to make roster moves this week, and we’ll round up today’s minor transactions below. Here’s the latest:
- The Jaguars signed wide receiver Arrelious Benn to a two-year deal, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Dan Duggan of NJ.com reports (via Twitter) that the team also signed safety Jeremy Deering.
- Long snapper Brandon Hartson inked a futures contract with the Chiefs, according to agent Brian McLaughlin (via Twitter). Kansas City has been busy locking up players for 2015, announcing 14 reserve deals yesterday.
- Per Oliver Thomas of PatriotsObserver.com (via Twitter), the Patriots signed three players to reserve/futures contracts today: Defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, linebacker Rufus Johnson, and running back Dion Lewis. Since New England’s season isn’t over, the team can’t yet lock up any players from its practice squad to futures deals.
- The Saints have added another player on a reserve/futures contract, signing veteran safety Kenny Phillips today, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune. A former first-round pick, Phillips worked out for New Orleans in November.
Earlier updates:
- Cornerback Roc Carmichael and guard Antoine McClain inked reserve/futures deals with the Cardinals, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). Carmichael has spent time with the Eagles over the last two seasons, while McClain finished the 2014 campaign on the Bears’ practice squad.
- The Panthers signed guard Tyronne Green to a futures contract for 2015, the team announced today (Twitter link). Green most recently spent time with the Cowboys, having been cut by the team in July.
- The Bengals have placed wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher on the injured reserve list due to a concussion, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). While losing Sanzenbacher, who caught just nine balls this season, isn’t a significant blow for Cincinnati, the team hopes A.J. Green won’t miss this weekend’s game with a similar ailment. With the newly-opened spot on the 53-man roster, the Bengals promoted wideout Cobi Hamilton from the practice squad.
- Offensive tackle Joe Long, the brother of Rams tackle Jake Long, has been added to the Lions‘ taxi squad, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Detroit had been carrying just nine players on its unit, so no corresponding move was required to make room for Long.
- The Buccaneers have signed former Northern Colorado quarterback Seth Lobato to a reserve/futures contract for 2015, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
Draft Updates: Wednesday
NCAA underclassmen have a little over two weeks to declare for the 2015 NFL draft, and several have done so already. Our list of 2015’s early entrants can be found right here, and we have some more names to add to that list today. Here’s the latest on college players forgoing their remaining NCAA years and heading to the NFL:
- Simon Fraser University standout wide receiver Lemar Durant has declared for both the CFL and NFL Draft, according to TSN.
- LSU cornerback Jalen Collins will enter the 2015 NFL draft, according to Jim Kleinpeter of The Times-Picayune. Collins received a favorable draft grade from the NFL Advisory Committee, which indicated that he should either project as a first- or second-round pick.
- LSU linebacker Kwon Alexander will enter the 2015 draft, according to Scott Griffin of CBSSports.com and FOX 6 Birmingham (Twitter link). Alexander figures to be a mid-round pick in the spring.
- Stanford cornerback Alex Carter has decided to enter the NFL draft, writes Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I talked it over with my family, and we decided it’s time,” Carter said following Stanford’s Foster Farms Bowl victory over Maryland. The corner will likely be a day-two pick.
Earlier updates:
- Mississippi State running back Josh Robinson announced today on his Instagram that he’ll be entering the 2015 draft, according to the SEC Network (via Twitter). Robinson had a breakout junior year for the Bulldogs and is expected to be a mid-round pick in the spring, per WalterFootball.com.
- Word is circulating that Houston wide receiver Deontay Greenberry has chosen an agent and is entering the draft, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. While Pauline says he likes Greenberry’s game “a lot,” WalterFootball.com’s assessment of the young wideout suggested he should return to school for his senior year. Still, he looks like a potential second-day pick.
- Rutgers tight end Tyler Kroft has opted to enter the 2015 draft, passing up his final year of college eligibility, coach Kyle Flood announced on Tuesday, according to Keith Sargeant of NJ.com. “I just had a meeting with Tyler Kroft and his dad a little while ago and Tyler is going to declare for the NFL Draft and we couldn’t be more excited for him,” Flood said. “We thank him for all of his contributions and everything that he’s added to our program over the last four years. He has four credits left to graduate, which he should be able to get that done this spring, and we’re looking forward to him having a great career in the NFL going forward.” Kroft is projected as a potential third- or fourth-round pick by CBSSports.com and WalterFootball.com.
- Shortly after his Penn State teammate Donovan Smith announced he was entering the draft, defensive end Deion Barnes confirmed that he would also forgo his final year of college eligibility, per a team release. “I talked with my family and we believe it’s best for me to move forward and forgo my fifth year,” Barnes said. The young defensive end has upside, but had an up-and-down college career and will have to perform well in workouts and at the combine to improve his draft stock.
Colts Place Gosder Cherilus On IR
As they prepare for this Sunday’s Wild Card game against the Bengals, the Colts have moved offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus to the injured reserve list, ending his season, the team announced today. Guard David Arkin has been promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to take Cherilus’ place.
Cherilus, 30, started 13 of the team’s 14 games for the Colts this season at right tackle before being slowed by groin and shoulder injuries, appearing in all but three offensive snaps in those 13 contests. Now that he’s slated to be out for any and all postseason games Indianapolis plays, Joe Reitz looks like the most likely candidate to step in and take over at right tackle.
A former first-round pick, Cherilus remains under contract with the Colts through 2017, though his cap hit jumps from $3.9MM this year to $6.9MM in 2015. We’ll have to wait and see if the club intends to keep him on board at that rate, particularly after a season in which he recorded a subpar -16.8 grade, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).
To replace Arkin on the taxi squad, the Colts signed wide receiver Kadron Boone.
Coach Notes: Kubiak, Raiders, Giants, Sumlin
Already cited as a candidate for multiple head coaching jobs, Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak told reporters today that he isn’t currently thinking about those opportunities (link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). According to Kubiak, his entire focus is on winning this Saturday’s game against the Steelers.
“I told you guys before that I’m consumed with what I’m doing,” Kubiak said. “It’s not time for stuff like that. It’s always flattering as a coach to be mentioned by any organization in football. My total focus is on our football game and trying to enjoy what I’m doing right now.”
As our head coaching search tracker shows, the Bears and Jets have requested an interview with Kubiak, so perhaps if the Ravens lose this weekend, those two clubs will have a chance to speak to him next week.
Here are a few more coaching-related updates, as we get ready to turn the page on 2014:
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll revealed that his offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell, has already interviewed for the Raiders‘ head coaching position.
- Following the departure of quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf for Nebraska, the Giants have re-hired a familiar face for the position, bringing back Mike Sullivan, the team announced today in a press release. Sullivan was the club’s quarterbacks coach in 2010 and 2011.
- Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin has informed multiple NFL teams with interest in his services that he’ll remain with the Aggies, sources tell ESPN.com. Will Carroll of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears from a source that Sumlin’s agent was contacted by three NFL clubs.
- Speaking of Texas A&M, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets that Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver was on the school’s radar for the same position with the Aggies. As ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson writes, Tarver’s contract with Oakland is set to expire, so there’s a good chance he’ll be on the move this offseason, especially if the team doesn’t make Tony Sparano its permanent head coach.
Chargers GM Talks Rivers, RBs, Offseason
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco addressed reporters in an end-of-season press conference today, and Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune passed along several of the GM’s more notable comments. Here are the highlights from the presser, with all links headed to Gehlken’s Twitter account:
- Philip Rivers is under contract for one more year, and the Chargers will “definitely” work to extend his contract this offseason, said Telesco, adding that he thinks the quarterback has several good years left in him, and he wants Rivers to finish his career in San Diego. Still, Telesco admitted that he has to keep an eye on “what’s next” at the QB position, which may mean adding a young player to develop in the not-so-distant future.
- Telesco is pleased with the culture and the foundation in place in San Diego, and thinks the next step is for the Chargers to continue developing their current young players and adding complementary pieces — no overhaul of any kind is necessary.
- Discussing San Diego’s running backs, Telesco said Donald Brown – who is under contract for 2015 – will be back and that the front office knows what Ryan Mathews means the team. Mathews is a free agent, and the GM appreciates having time to make a decision on him.
- Telesco also acknowledged that the running game must improve, which involves upgrading the offensive line as well.
- The Chargers have “a number” of contracts to extend or restructure heading into the offseason, according to Telesco, though he didn’t identify specific deals.
- The interest Frank Reich is receiving as a head coaching candidate doesn’t surprise Telesco, but the GM “selfishly” wants the offensive coordinator to remain in San Diego. The club won’t stop Reich from pursuing head coaching opportunities.
- Telesco is comfortable with D.J. Fluker at right tackle moving forward.
Front Office Notes: Eagles, Raiders, Bills
We’ve passed along a couple rounds of coaching-related rumors already today, but with teams looking ahead to the 2015 season, some front-office shakeups could occur as well. Let’s check in on the latest updates on front offices around the NFL…
- In a surprising move, the Eagles announced today that they’ve mutually agreed to parted ways with vice president of player personnel Tom Gamble (Twitter link). Reporting on the move before it was officially confirmed by the team, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link) called it a firing, predicting that the Eagles may refer to it as parting ways, but “it is what it is.” Gamble was identified by Adam Caplan of ESPN.com a couple weeks ago as one of the league’s top candidates to land a GM job this offseason.
- Reacting to Gamble’s departure, Eagles writers like Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link) and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com suggest that it sounds like a win for GM Howie Roseman, who has the backing of owner Jeffrey Lurie. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote earlier this week, head coach Chip Kelly was a fan of Gamble, calling him a “heck of a football guy” while referring to Roseman as more of a cap manager.
- According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Mike Holmgren, Kevin Warren of the Vikings, and Russ Brandon of the Bills are drawing some interest from the Raiders as a potential team president. Following up on that report, Tim Graham of the Buffalo News tweets that Brandon may have headed to Oakland if Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula hadn’t taken over as the owners in Buffalo, but he’s staying with the organization now.
- With a midnight opt-out deadline looming for Bills head coach Doug Marrone, La Canfora tweets that he continues to hear about friction between Marrone and general manager Doug Whaley. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Marrone is still expected to remain in Buffalo, so it will be interesting to see if Whaley returns for the 2015 season as well.
- Earlier this afternoon, we learned that Vikings assistant GM George Paton turned down opportunities to interview for the Bears‘ and Jets‘ general manager openings, and will stick with Minnesota.
George Paton Turns Down Bears, Jets
Despite receiving interest from both the Bears and Jets for their open general manager positions, Vikings assistant GM George Paton has turned down the opportunity to interview with either team, according to Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). It appears Paton will remain in the Minnesota front office for the 2015 season.
Paton “has been a hot commodity and is getting hotter,” according to Pompei (Twitter link), who adds that the Vikings executive is well-respected around the league, and has played a large part in restocking the club’s roster. The Jets also expressed interest in Paton during their last GM search, but he turned them down at that time as well.
With Paton out of the mix, the Jets are set to interview Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan, Browns personnel executive Bill Kuharich, Eagles director of pro personnel Rick Mueller, and Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner. Current Jets senior director of football administration Rod Graves, who is running the team’s football operations during the GM hunt, will also interview for the position today, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
As for the Bears, Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross, Titans VP of player personnel Lake Dawson, and Ravens director of pro personnel Vince Newsome have all been cited as potential candidates for their GM job. Both Chicago and New York have also expressed interest in Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll be willing to discuss the possibility of leaving Baltimore.
Coach Notes: Bears, Quinn, Marrone, Ryan
The Bears are eyeing a pair of Ravens employees, according to Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report, who reports (via Twitter) that Chicago has expressed interest in Eric DeCosta for the team’s general manager job and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak for its head coaching opening. Both men have drawn interest from the Jets as well, and we detailed yesterday why DeCosta may be reluctant to pursue any GM jobs, given the nice situation he’s in with the Ravens. Still, it looks as if the Bears will kick the tires and try to schedule an interview.
Here’s more on the head coaching searches from around the NFL:
- Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has interviews scheduled with the Jets and Bears on Friday, and the Falcons on Saturday, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
- Most Bills assistant coaches are only signed for one more season, and head coach Doug Marrone would like some more stability from ownership for his staff, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, as of this morning, those Bills coaches aren’t sure whether or not Marrone will opt out of his contract, says Caplan (via Twitter). Mike Rodak of ESPN.com took a look this morning at why Marrone would consider using his opt-out, which has a deadline of today.
- Refuting an earlier report, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins did not make an offer to Rex Ryan to be their defensive coordinator.
- Adam Gase‘s interviews with the 49ers, Falcons, and Bears are scheduled to take place this Friday and Saturday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
- This is our second round-up of coaching news and rumors today — you can find the first right here.
Ndamukong Suh Fined, Not Suspended
WEDNESDAY, 9:23am: While it may just be a matter of semantics, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello clarified today (via Twitter) that Suh didn’t win his appeal, and that Cottrell didn’t accept his excuse for the incident. Rather, the arbitrator made the decision that a $70K fine was a more appropriate penalty than a one-game suspension.
TUESDAY, 4:23pm: Suh has won his appeal, with Cottrell overturning the suspension and hitting the Lions defender with a $70K fine instead, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Suh will now be permitted to play against the Cowboys this weekend.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), the league knew there was a real possibility of the one-game ban being overturned, but wanted to send a strong message about unnecessary contact.
MONDAY, 1:49pm: Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been suspended one game for stepping on the leg of quarterback Aaron Rodgers during Detroit’s loss in Green Bay on Sunday, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link via Ashoka Moore). The league has since confirmed the one-game penalty without pay.
Suh will almost certainly appeal the one-game ban, and when he does, the hearing officer will be Ted Cottrell, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It seems unlikely that the suspension will be overturned though, particularly given Suh’s history of on-field incidents, so the Lions will have to prepare to be without their best defensive player for next weekend’s Wild Card playoff game in Dallas.
If Suh’s suspension is upheld and the Lions are eliminated from the playoffs by the Cowboys, the standout defensive lineman may very well have played his last game in Detroit. Facing free agency this offseason, Suh hasn’t expressed strong interest in re-signing with the team, and his massive 2014 cap number makes him a difficult player to franchise. Additionally, the Lions certainly won’t be happy with Suh’s latest transgression, which will ensure that the club is shorthanded at the worst possible time.
Earlier in December, I examined the Lions’ options for handling Suh’s looming free agency.
Washington, DC Jim Haslett Part Ways
Jim Haslett is out as the defensive coordinator in Washington, the team announced today (via Twitter). In breaking the news, the club classified Haslett’s departure as a mutual agreement between the two sides to part ways.
“Jim and I have had discussions over the last few days and have decided that it’s best for everyone that we have a new defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins,” head coach Jay Gruden said in a statement, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter links). “I wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
Despite Gruden telling reporters earlier this week that he would recommend retaining Haslett, the defensive coordinator was viewed as a candidate to be fired this week after his unit struggled in 2014. Per Football Outsiders, the team’s defense finished 27th in DVOA, including 32nd against the pass. Washington also allowed 27.4 points per game this season, tied for the third-worst mark in the NFL.
Washington will now be in the market for a new defensive coordinator for the first time since 2010. It’s not clear yet who will be on the club’s list of candidates, but more teams are seeking a new offensive coordinator than a DC at this point, so Washington could get a head-start on interviewing potential targets.