Steelers Notes: Haley, Bell, A. Brown, Ben
According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (hat tip to Pro Football Talk), Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley is believed to have told people he wasn’t interested in any head coaching jobs this year. Haley was identified as a potential candidate for the Dolphins early in their search process, but his name didn’t surface after that for any openings around the league, and Bouchette’s note helps to explain why.
Bouchette and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review each passed along several more Steelers-related items today from team president and co-owner Art Rooney II, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- The Steelers are optimistic that Le’Veon Bell will fully recover from his torn MCL and still view the running back as a difference-making player. Bell is under contract for one more year, and Rooney isn’t sure if Pittsburgh will explore an extension now or later, but the team has him in its long-term plans (all Twitter links via Kaboly).
- The Steelers will likely address Antonio Brown‘s contract “as the offseason goes on,” though Rooney didn’t go into specifics, and said the team will have to be “cautious” when considering a restructure or extension for the star wideout (Twitter links via Kaboly).
- Although he acknowledged that the team still has some work to do, Rooney said the Steelers’ cap situation is “manageable,”and should allow the club to be “maybe a little better” at going after free agents (Twitter links via Bouchette).
- Rooney identified pass defense as an area that the Steelers will focus on this offseason, so the team figures to keep a close eye on defensive backs in free agency and the draft (Twitter link via Kaboly).
- It doesn’t sound like the Steelers will draft Ben Roethlisberger‘s eventual successor this year. Rooney said today that there’s not much sign of Roethlisberger falling off, so the club won’t start down that road yet (Twitter link via Bouchette).
Colts Extend GM Ryan Grigson Through 2019
When the Colts announced several weeks ago that head coach Chuck Pagano would be retained, the team indicated that general manager Ryan Grigson would receive a new contract of his own to coincide with Pagano’s new four-year deal. That extension has now been finalized, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Grigson got three years added to his contract and is now locked up through 2019.
Grigson, who previously worked for the Eagles as the team’s director of college scouting and then their director of player personnel, was hired by the Colts in 2012 as the team’s general manager. Grigson’s first draft pick in Indianapolis was quarterback Andrew Luck, who has helped lead the team to three playoff berths in the last four seasons.
As the Colts struggled through the 2015 season, however, with Luck battling injuries and missing a chunk of the season, some of Grigson’s personnel decisions came under fire. Veteran free agents expected to be major contributors in 2015, such as Andre Johnson, Trent Cole, and Todd Herremans, underperformed, and Pagano and Grigson reportedly weren’t seeing eye to eye on multiple team matters.
However, rather than clear house at season’s end, Colts owner Jim Irsay decided to bet on Pagano and Grigson bouncing back from a poor 2015 showing. With a handful of offseason decisions around the corner, it’ll be interesting to see how the GM handles free agency and the draft this time around, with a new contract in hand that gives him a little more security. There has been speculation that the Colts won’t be as aggressive on veteran free agents this winter.
Tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen are among the top potential free agents for the Colts this offseason, while an extension for Luck will almost certainly be addressed within the next year or so.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Von Miller, Cardinals, 49ers
If Von Miller were to reach the open market, he would likely be looking to become the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who points to Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114MM deal with the Dolphins as the one Miller would like to match or exceed. As Cole notes, there would be plenty of teams with interest in the outside linebacker if he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
However, the odds of Miller hitting the open market look pretty slim. Even though the Broncos have other key free agents that could be candidates for the franchise tag, including Brock Osweiler and Malik Jackson, Denver is expected to use that tag on its star pass rusher, says Cole. That doesn’t mean Miller won’t sign a long-term deal this offseason, but it would have to be either with the Broncos or with a team willing to give up two first-round picks to land him, so his leverage will be limited.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:
- The Cardinals‘ top priority this offseason will be improving their pass rush, and GM Bruce Arians said on Arizona Sports 98.7 that he doesn’t expect to make an impact addition in free agency, says Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. That means that the team will likely target a pass rusher early on in the draft.
- Within his article, Urban notes that if a player like Miller were to avoid the franchise tag and reach free agency, it could change the Cardinals‘ stance. While that’s unlikely to happen, I wonder if Arizona might be willing to consider an offer sheet for the Broncos pass rusher even if he gets franchised — parting with two first-round selections wouldn’t be as significant a blow for a team like the Cardinals, whose first-rounders won’t be particularly high picks. Teams are typically hesitant to pursue other teams’ franchised players, not wanting to part with those picks, and I doubt the Cardinals would seriously go after Miller if he’s franchised. For a pass rusher of his caliber though, it’s at least worth considering.
- While the 49ers have the cap space and low payroll necessary to be very aggressive in free agency, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap doesn’t expect the team to splurge in March. Within his preview of San Francisco’s offseason, Fitzgerald suggests it would make sense for the Niners to lock up defensive lineman Ian Williams to a three-year contract and cut linebacker Ahmad Brooks.
Cowboys Unlikely To Re-Sign Greg Hardy
Shortly after Greg Hardy made his debut for the Cowboys this past season, the team’s decision-makers expressed enthusiasm about locking him up to an extension, ensuring that he remained in Dallas beyond 2015. However, neither Jerry Jones nor Stephen Jones has reiterated those sentiments recently, and sources close to Hardy tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that the defensive end is unlikely to be back with the Cowboys.
According to Cole, Hardy partied frequently during the 2015 season, which contributed to his tardiness for the occasional team meeting and didn’t particularly endear him to the Cowboys as the season wore on. When taking into account his questionable in-season decisions, both on and off the field, as well as his alleged domestic violence history, it makes sense that the Cowboys would consider Hardy to be too much of a liability – or at least a distraction – to invest in going forward.
Still, Hardy had another solid season as a pass rusher in 2015, recording six sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception in 12 games for the Cowboys. He wasn’t quite as dominant as he was during his best years in Carolina, but Hardy ranked as the league’s 28th-best edge defender, out of 110 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus.
Based on his on-field production, Hardy’s camp expects him to land with some NFL team, though it remains to be seen which clubs will be willing to take a shot on the 27-year-old. As was the case last offseason, it’s hard to imagine any team locking him up to a multiyear contract that features a big chunk of guaranteed money, so Hardy could be in line for another short-term, incentive-laden deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC East Notes: Aponte, Dolphins, Pats, Lewis
Although there were some rumblings that longtime Dolphins executive Dawn Aponte would be heading to Detroit to help Lions GM Bob Quinn deal with contracts and the salary cap, Aponte will be staying in Miami, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post and Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter links).
Let’s check in on some more items from out of the AFC East…
- The fact that Adam Gase retained nine coaches from the Dolphins‘ old coaching staff doesn’t mean that he had trouble finding better candidates, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. As Salguero explains, many of those coaches drew interest from other teams around the league, so it’s not as if they aren’t highly regarded — special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, for instance, had four interview requests, all of which the Dolphins turned down, says Salguero.
- While the Patriots will have some potential free agents to deal with this offseason, the team’s priority may be to lock up the “big four” defenders who could reach the open market after the 2016 season, says Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. New England has a little over a calendar year to explore extension for cornerback Malcolm Butler, defensive end Chandler Jones, and linebackers Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower. In Reiss’ view, the latter three players could all be in line for deals that exceed $8MM annually — Butler will be a restricted free agent, so he should be relatively affordable for at least one more year beyond 2016.
- Running back Dion Lewis, who signed a contract extension with the Patriots in the fall, is currently on track to be recovered from his torn ACL in time to participate in training camp, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
Coach Notes: 49ers, Butler, Giants, Chargers
Adam Gase‘s coaching staff in Miami initially wasn’t expected to include more than a couple of the assistants who finished the 2015 season under Dan Campbell. However, the new Dolphins head coach ultimately decided to keep nine members of the team’s old coaching staff on board, as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. According to Dolphins football czar Mike Tannenbaum, it was Gase – not Tannenbaum or GM Chris Grier – that made the decision to retain those coaches.
“The coaching staff in particular reports to Adam and certainly Chris and I made some suggestions, but they [all] went through and were vetted through a pretty rigorous process,” Tannenbaum said. “They wouldn’t be on our staff if Adam didn’t feel good about them.”
Here are a few more coaching notes from around the NFL:
- Mike Vrabel wasn’t the only Texans assistant to interview for the 49ers‘ defensive coordinator job before Chip Kelly ultimately decided on Jim O’Neil. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco also spoke to Texans secondary coach John Butler about the position. “The 49ers like our coaching staff; we’ve got a really strong staff,” Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said. “John Butler is another guy that was sought after. Our staff is held in pretty high regard. I think that’s a credit to those guys and a credit to our players.”
- The Giants interviewed former Chargers assistant Don Johnson for their defensive line coach job, according to James Kratch of NJ Advance Media. Former Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni also met with the Giants recently about that role.
- In addition to hiring a defensive line coach, the Giants may also add an assistant defensive line coach to their staff, a league source tells Kratch. Tom Coughlin didn’t have that position on his staff, but it appears Ben McAdoo is considering it.
- Former Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, who was not retained by Bill Belichick after New England’s elimination from the postseason, is meeting with the Chargers about their assistant offensive line coach job, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/27/16
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- CB Cariel Brooks (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Miami Dolphins
- WR Tyler Murphy (Twitter link via Dov Kleiman of RantSports)
New England Patriots
- DL Joe Vellano (Twitter link via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald)
North Notes: Bakhtiari, Browns, Lions
It’s not too early for Ted Thompson and the Packers to start thinking about extending David Bakhtiari‘s contract, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today-Wisconsin. Green Bay’s starting left tackle is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and is interested in remaining with the team beyond 2016, as he tells Wood.
“I think it’s mutual,” Bakhtiari said of his interest in sticking with the Packers. “I like it here, and they like me. I have another year. So I think if they want to do it early, awesome. If not, then we have one more year to work together. So we can talk about it then. I do think it’s too early though.”
The Packers don’t foray into free agency much, but do typically lock up their own players, so it could be a matter of when, not if, the team gets something done with Bakhtiari. We saw Green Bay lock up Mike Daniels months before he was eligible for free agency, but the club sometimes lets talks go down to the wire — Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga signed extensions a year ago just before hitting the open market.
As we wait to see if Bakhtiari and the Packers can get anything done this offseason, let’s round up some more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….
- Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown would be shocked if the team traded up to No. 1 in the draft, telling Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the club is more likely to trade down, if it moves off the No. 2 pick. The Titans have the first overall pick, so if the Browns intend to select a quarterback second overall, the only way they won’t get their man is if another team trades for Tennessee’s pick.
- New Lions general manager Bob Quinn said today that he hasn’t talked to Calvin Johnson yet about whether or not the wide receiver wants to continue playing, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Although Quinn doesn’t want to rush Johnson into a decision, the GM admits he “absolutely” hopes to have resolution on the issue before free agency begins in March.
- Although there’s no question that Lions players wanted Jim Caldwell back as the team’s head coach, Quinn didn’t consult with any players before making a decision on Caldwell, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com details.
- Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle passes (Twitter links) along a couple workout updates, reporting that the Browns recently tried out kicker Kyle Brindza, while the Vikings auditioned running back Isaiah Pead.
Russell Okung To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Russell Okung‘s free agency will be a case worth watching closely this offseason, since the Seahawks tackle is set to represent himself, opting to head to the open market without an agent. While teams – besides the Seahawks – aren’t permitted to talk to Okung until March, the left tackle contacted all 32 clubs today, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
According to La Canfora (Twitter links), Okung sent an email to all 32 teams, letting them know that he’ll be undergoing surgery to repair his dislocated left shoulder, an injury he suffered during the Seahawks’ divisional-round loss to Carolina. Okung said in the message that he expects to be fully cleared in five months, which would put him on track to participate in training camp. The 28-year-old also expressed a desire to talk to any interested teams ASAP.
Of course, as La Canfora notes (via Twitter), Okung technically remains under contract with the Seahawks for a few more weeks, so there likely won’t be any teams replying directly to today’s email. Okung won’t officially be allowed to talk to interested teams until March 7, when 2016’s legal tampering period begins.
In the most recent edition of our free agent power rankings, Okung ranked ninth overall. However, PFR’s Dallas Robinson cautioned that the former sixth overall pick isn’t in the same class as left tackles like Trent Williams and Tyron Smith, who have signed mega-deals within the last couple years. With shoulder surgery looming and no agent to go to bat for him, Okung will face a challenge this offseason as he seeks a lucrative long-term contract of his own.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Notes: Ertz, Celek, Bradford
It’s been a busy week so far for the Eagles, who signed a pair of tight ends to new contracts and are still looking to hire a key personnel executive for their front office. Let’s check out the latest out of Philadelphia….
- Using the contracts signed last winter by Julius Thomas and Charles Clay as points of comparison, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap breaks down Zach Ertz‘s new deal with the Eagles. Fitzgerald also explains why Brent Celek‘s extension has plenty of value for Philadelphia, assuming the team had already decided to carry the veteran tight end on its roster for 2016.
- The new deals for Ertz and Celek show that – after ceding power to Chip Kelly for a year – Howie Roseman is re-committing to building an atmosphere in which players drafted by the Eagles feel valued by the organization, and stick with the team for the long term, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. “It’s an important message to your team, that if you play really well and you do the right things and you’re drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, you’ve got a chance to stay for a long time,” Roseman said. “I think it’s important for the organization.”
- Josh Paunil of PhillyMag.com spoke to former agent Joel Corry about the likely value of potential extensions for players like Fletcher Cox, Lane Johnson, and Vinny Curry. Corry also explained why he thinks Sam Bradford may ultimately sign a one-year contract this offseason rather than a long-term deal.
- If the Eagles know whether they plan re-sign Bradford or let him walk, they’re not tipping their hand yet, as Bowen details in a Daily News piece.
- Bowen and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links) are both hearing rumblings that the personnel executive ultimately hired by the Eagles to work with Roseman will be a retread, rather than an up-and-comer.
- The Eagles have hired Missouri’s Chris Wilson as their defensive line coach, Doug Pederson said today, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).