Robby Anderson Pleads Not Guilty On Charges From January Arrest
On Monday, Jets receiver Robby Anderson entered a written plea of not guilty on nine charges stemming from his January 19 arrest in Sunrise, Fla., Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News reports. 
The charges include three felonies: second-degree felony harm to a public servant or family, third-degree felony fleeing/eluding police while lights/siren active and third-degree felony speeding. After being arrested, Anderson threatened to sexually assault the wife of the arresting officer, according to reports. Anderson was allegedly clocked at 105 mph in 45-mph zone speeding away from police while running multiple red lights.
This is not Anderson’s first run-in with police. He was arrested last year after getting into a fight at a Miami-area music festival. He is facing charges of felony resisting arrest with violence and obstruction of police for that incident and will appear in court on March 26.
The Jets have yet to comment on the incident and head coach Todd Bowles declined to talk to reporters at the Senior Bowl this past week.
Anderson enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Jets in 2017, registering 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns in his second seasons in the league. A big-play threat, Anderson recorded six of his seven scoring grabs from more than 20 yards away from the goal line.
Chad O’Shea A Candidate To Be Next Patriots OC?
With the departure of Josh McDaniels to Indianapolis imminent, the team will be in search of its first offensive coordinator since McDaniels took the job in 2012. In a piece detailing the transition Tom Brady will have to make, NBC Sports’ Tom E. Curran writes that receivers coach Chad O’Shea is a potential candidate to assume the role. 
If the team decides to go the in-house route, O’Shea appears to be the obvious candidate. A former college quarterback, O’Shea has served as an assistant or coach since 2003 with the last eight seasons coming with New England. He also currently serves as the team’s red zone coordinator, so his hands are all over the offense.
O’Shea also has previous, albeit limited, game-calling experience. He assumed the role in New England’s final preseason game against the Giants, a 40-38 loss. In the game, third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns.
Under O’Shea’s direction, Wes Welker and Julian Edelman both cracked 100 catches in a season. In 2017, Brandin Cooks recorded his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign in his first season with the Patriots, and Danny Amendola registered 61 receptions.
Packers Release Safeties Coach Darren Perry
Packers safeties coach Darren Perry has been released to pursue other opportunities, the team reported on Monday. Perry asked for his release and it was granted by head coach Mike McCarthy, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein hears (Twitter link).
Silverstein also notes (Twitter link) that McCarthy wanted Perry to return, but named Jason Simmons secondary coach, who would be over both cornerbacks and safeties.
Perry had served as safeties coach with the Packers since 2009 and coached in the secondary for the Bengals, Steelers and Raiders before moving to Green Bay. Earlier this month, Perry received interest from the Titans, possibly for their defensive coordinator role under new head coach Mike Vrabel, Paul Kuharsky reported (Twitter link).
It is just the latest bit of reshuffling in Green Bay’s busy offseason. After the end of the regular season, longtime general manager Ted Thompson was reassigned. He was replaced by the team’s director of college scouting Brian Gutekunst. The team also added new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.
NFC Notes: Cousins, Cowboys, Garoppolo, Cards
One of the top dominos to fall in free agency this offseason will be the future of Kirk Cousins. The Redskins have used both the transition tag and franchise tag on the signal-caller in the last two years, respectively, and their intentions this offseason remain unknown.
One option would be to again use a tag on Cousins and then trade him to another team, NBC Sports’ Rich Tandler writes. In theory, Tandler states, Cousins would agree to a deal with another team but would not sign an offer sheet. He would then be receive the transition tag from Washington, who would then trade him to the agreed upon team.
Tandler notes the pros to the deal would be an assurance to Cousins that Washington wouldn’t match an offer, the Redskins would receive compensation for his departure and the other team would get their franchise quarterback without signing him to a heavily front-loaded contract.
Of the teams who would potentially be interested in such a deal, the Browns, Broncos and Jets seem like the most obvious candidates to get something done.
It’s still early in the offseason, but the Cousins situation will be among the most interesting and pivotal of the offseason.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Switzer underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle, the team reported. Primarily deployed as a kickoff and punt returner in his rookie season, the North Carolina product is expected to assume a heavier workload on offense in his second season.
- The Cardinals are looking to hire Titans defensive line coach Nick Eason for the same position, AZ Central’s Kent Somers hears (Twitter link). The position was previously held by Brentson Buckner for the last five seasons. Eason played 10 seasons in the NFL and has been with the Titans since 2014.
- 49ers general manager John Lynch has stated often that he envisions Jimmy Garoppolo as the quarterback in San Francisco for the foreseeable future. Lynch confirmed this week that steps have been taken to ensure that happens, reports the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch writes. The chances of Garoppolo playing somewhere other than the Bay Area in 2018 are slim to none. If a multi-year deal cannot be quickly reached, the team is sure to use the franchise tag on the signal-caller who has yet to lose as a starter in the NFL (7-0).
Lawrence Talks To Begin Next Month
To no one’s surprise, Pro Bowl defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is priority No. 1 for the Cowboys this offseason. Though he is the top target, Lawrence and his camp have yet to begin discussing a contract extension with the Cowboys and don’t expect to until later in February, ESPN’s Jenna Laine writes. 
Lawrence’s agent, David Canter, says he expects to sit down with Cowboys brass at the NFL Combine, which begins on Feb. 28 in Indianapolis. Judging from Canter’s comments, Lawrence will not be giving Dallas a hometown discount.
“It’s really up to them to want to do a deal that’s in line with what the market is for a young, ascending, elite franchise-caliber defensive end. Whatever that number ends up being remains to be seen. But I do imagine and believe that we’ll have multiple conversations over the next month or so. I think it’s early right now.”
Even if a longterm deal is not struck, it is fully expected that the Cowboys will use their franchise tag on the pass rusher. In 2017, Lawrence posted 14.5 sacks — tied for second in the league with Calais Campbell — and registered 27 quarterback hits. His sack total was the highest by a Cowboys defender since DeMarcus Ware in 2011.
The last time the Cowboys used the franchise tag was on Dez Bryant in 2015, shortly before signing the receiver to a contract extension. Using the franchise tag on Lawrence would cost the Cowboys about $17.5 MM.
Canter is also the agent of Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon, who signed the largest contract in NFL history for a defensive end when he landed a five-year, $85 MM deal in 2016.
Panthers Set Up GM Interviews For Next Week
Though interim general manager Marty Hurney is the frontrunner to be named the Panthers new GM, the team has also scheduled interviews with a pair of external candidates for next week, the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person writes. 
Those two candidates are Texans assistant general manager Jimmy Raye III and Bills assistant college scouting director Lake Dawson. Both Raye and Dawson, as Person notes, satisfies the Rooney Rule that requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate.
Though a time has not been divulged, the Panthers are also expected to sit down with Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden, who formerly served as a scout with Carolina.
Raye, a former player with the Rams, joined the Houston front office after stints with the Colts, as vice president of football operations, and Chargers, as director of player personnel. He has 23 years of experience in the NFL and previously interview for the Texans GM job earlier this month. Dawson joined the Bills in May 2017 following a stint as Cleveland’s national scout. He served as a receiver for six seasons before getting into college and pro scouting.
Hurney, who rejoined the Panthers following the dismissal of Dave Gettleman in the 2017 offseason, will not have a formal interview. His contract runs through June and has been backed by head coach Ron Rivera. In his one season on the job, Hurney dealt top wideout Kelvin Benjamin to Buffalo, which led to Carolina’s passing improvement down the stretch.
Packers To Prioritize Tight End In Free Agency?
Packers new general manager Brian Gutekunst has many routes he could potentially take in his first offseason at the helm. Making a splash at tight end in free agency is one of the possibilities according to USA Today’s Pete Dougherty. 
Going after a big name at tight end isn’t unfamiliar territory for the Packers, who swung and miss on their signing of Martellus Bennett in 2017. The team had some success with Jared Cook in recent years, but have lacked a consistent, big-bodied pass catcher at the position for years.
One name that Dougherty thinks should be on the team’s radar is Jimmy Graham, who is unlikely to return to the Seahawks in 2018. The veteran tight end secured his fifth Pro Bowl selection after tallying 57 receptions and 10 touchdowns in 2017.
Adding Graham to a receiver corps that includes Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb would give the team arguably the best pass-catching group in the NFL. Throw in the fact they would also have Aaron Rodgers slinging them the ball and Green Bay’s offense could be a matchup nightmare for defenses.
Graham was the NFL’s top-paid tight end the last four years with average annual salary valued at $10MM. He will almost assuredly not command that type of money after four underwhelming seasons in Seattle by Graham’s standards. A return to a pass-happy attack, however, could see the former Saints great reemerge as an elite option at the position.
Giants To Overhaul Draft Process
The Giants could look very different in a short time after the hiring of new general manager Dave Gettleman. The team is not only expected to announce Pat Shurmur as the team’s new head coach, but it is set to change its entire draft process, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz writes. 
Schwartz notes that Gettleman will be “tearing up the Giants’ entire operation when it comes to the draft — from how players are graded, how scouts will be assigned and how the actual draft board is assembled.”
The idea of the moves, which were not divulged in the piece, is to eliminate the misses in the middle rounds that the team has endured in recent years. That is one area where Gettleman has had success in his four years with the Panthers. From 2013-16, Gettleman oversaw the drafting of Kawann Short (second round), James Bradberry (second), Trai Turner (third round) and Daryl Williams (fourth), all of whom have cemented starting spots in Carolina.
In addition to revamping the team’s draft-board process, Gettleman is also expected to change the way the team’s scouts scour the country in search of talent. The Giants do not have regional or national scouts like most teams. They are instead assigned an area, and former GM Jerry Reese served as an “extra set of eyes” on the team’s A-rated prospects.
From the sound of things, it appears Gettleman is focused firmly on how the team evaluates talent and acquires it through the draft. That’s a good place to start with a team that owns the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft.
Texans Make Crennel Defensive Coordinator
The Texans didn’t have to look far to replace defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, who left to become the Titans’ head coach on Saturday. The team will make assistant coach Romeo Crennel the new leader of the defense, a source tells The MMQB’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). 
A longtime coach in the NFL, Crennel has spent the last four seasons in Houston as the team’s defensive coordinator (2014-16) and transitioned to an assistant head coach role in 2017 after the team moved Vrabel to defensive coordinator. In his final season as the team’s defensive coordinator, Houston allowed the fewest yards in the league.
Crennel rose to fame in New England and helped the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator (2001). He remained with the team through 2004, boasting three top-10 finishes in scoring defense, before joining the Browns as head coach. He spent four seasons at the helm in Cleveland and delivered the team’s last 10-win campaign (2007) before joining the Chiefs as defensive coordinator. The following season, he ascended to head coach and remained with Kansas City for two more seasons.
The transition back to defensive coordinator will be a smooth one for Crennel, who was still heavily involved with the defense in 2017, FOX 26’s Mark Berman reports (Twitter link).
Crennel should benefit from the return of J.J. Watt, who was sidelined for much of the 2017 campaign with an injury.
Titans Hire Mike Vrabel As Head Coach
Less than a week after the departure of Mike Mularkey, the Titans have found his replacement in Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, the team announced Saturday. 
The former Patriots linebacker is set to be introduced at a press conference on Monday. Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed. Vrabel becomes the 19th head coach in franchise history and the fourth since 2011.
Vrabel met with team general manager Jon Robinson and instantly hit it off, according to Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. “You could see their connection right away from the history they have with one another – seeing the game in a similar way and talking the same language. Mike has a commanding presence and a deep knowledge for how he will attack this head coaching opportunity,” she said.
The chemistry should come as no surprise, as both were members of the Patriots organization –Vrabel as a player and Robinson as a scout.
“This is an incredible opportunity and one I have been preparing for my entire football life,” Vrabel said. “I am excited to get to work & that work starts now. Everything we do is going to be geared towards winning & being physical.”
Vrabel, 42, served one season as Houston’s defensive coordinator after beginning his NFL coaching career as a linebackers coach with the Texans for three seasons. The 14-year NFL veteran won three Super Bowls as a player, spending the majority of his career in New England. He earned one Pro Bowl and one First Team All-Pro selection (2007).
Despite being highly thought of around the league, Vrabel’s first season as defensive coordinator did not jump off the page. Houston’s defense finished last in points allowed, middle of the pack in yards and in the bottom 10 in sacks.
At the outset of the search, Robinson made it clear he wanted a “leader of men.” It was thought Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was that leader, but Vrabel wowed Robinson in their meeting on Wednesday and the team never met with McDaniels. The team also interviewed Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.