AFC West Notes: Broncos, Hughlett, Chargers
The Broncos were expected to be one of the best teams in the NFL coming into the season after winning the AFC in 2013. They brought back most key components of a record-breaking offense, but the difference this year is on the defensive side of the ball, writes ESPN Insider Aaron Schatz.
The newfound strength of the defense has been with a few offseason additions. The team signed Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and DeMarcus Ware, and selected Bradley Roby in the first round of the NFL Draft. The defense has been far improved with these new players.
Here are some other words from around the AFC West:
- The Broncos have a big list of impending free agents, leading to questions about how long their window to win a championship will be open. Mike Klis of the Denver Post is not overly worried, noting that a number of the free agents are restricted and that the teams will be able to lock up the big pieces like Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas.
- The Chiefs tried out long snapper Charley Hughlett yesterday, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The Chargers are favored to beat the Chiefs this weekend, and part of the reason they have been able to succeed is the improvements they made on defense. Two additions in the secondary are big reason for that. First-round pick Jason Verrett has been phenomenal, and former Chief Brandon Flowers has had a career resurgence in San Diego, as Joel Thorman and John Gennaro noted in a Q&A on ArrowPride.com. “The biggest difference between last year’s team and this year’s Chargers is that the secondary went from atrocious to above-average with the additions of Brandon Flowers and Verrett,” said Gennaro.
“Everything’s Been Fine” With Manziel, Hoyer
Earlier this week, Browns’ quarterback Brian Hoyer refuted a report that he would have no interest in re-signing with the team if Johnny Manziel is on the roster. Although he denied the report, the thought that Hoyer wouldn’t want to assume a Matt Cassel in Minnesota type role, remaining as a placeholder to the eventual first-round pick makes sense.
Still, Hoyer insists that there is no truth to the report at all. However, there is definitely some conflict going on, with both quarterbacks looking to be the long term starter in Cleveland. It is not only Hoyer that has to respond to that report, but Manziel who now has the uneasy role of backup quarterback who has to pretend to have no interest in the starting job in order to not cause waves in the locker room.
Still, so far he is saying the right things, writes Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal and News-Herald. “Brian didn’t even really need to come up to me because obviously he dismissed that and then between me and him and our room, I don’t think we ever even thought that had even the slightest piece of legitimacy behind it,” Manziel said. “So between me and him, everything’s been fine.”
Manziel is the only rookie quarterback drafted in the first 60 picks in 2014 who has not started a game this season. Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, and Derek Carr have all been handed the starting jobs for their respective teams. Hoyer is the only veteran quarterback who was able to ward off his successor.
“I think all of that stuff will really play itself out, but it’s not something that’s really been on my mind,” said Manziel. “I think it’s hard to sit here right now and kind of guess how things are going to play in the future. but every quarterback that’s come into the league has had a different circumstance. I think it’s all about how you handle it when you’re not on the field and continuing to try and better yourself even when it’s really hard.”
However, despite saying the right things, Manziel acknowledges that he is prepared to go in if he is called upon, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland.com.
“I feel a lot more confident, a lot more comfortable,” said Manziel. “Getting into a new system, just getting around these guys, the whole process of being under center a lot more, everything that’s involved in this offense just wasn’t anything that I was asked to do really at A&M. I knew it would take me some time. Now going through these game plans and getting some of the same ideas spilling over into the next week, I’m a lot more honed in on that.”
Quarterback situations can be fickle in the NFL. One injury, or one bad game from Hoyer could open the door for Manziel to get some game action. Play well enough in that opportunity, and it may be enough to overtake Hoyer for good. Manziel stresses readiness in case that opportunity presents itself.
“My strategy, my mindset really haven’t changed much this year except stay on top of my stuff and make sure I’m ready,” said Manziel. “It’s a wacky league, so you never really know when you could be thrust in there.”
Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan follows a similar philosophy with his young quarterback. Shanahan is committed to Hoyer, but stresses that Manziel must be prepared for his time under center, despite limited opportunity.
“He could end up being – as the cliché is – one play from starting,” said Shanahan. “I hope he’s working to be ready, and if that ever does happen I think he will be.”
While some have pointed to Steve Young sitting behind Joe Montana or Aaron Rodgers sitting behind Brett Favre, the Hoyer/Manziel situation might be most similar to Philip Rivers sitting behind Drew Brees, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Fowler writes that all Manziel can do in the mean time is to come up with creative ways to say that he is alright waiting for his turn.
It might not be in Manziel or Hoyer’s best interest to leave Cleveland. Shanahan’s recent record with quarterbacks has been fantastic, and both could benefit by playing under his expertise, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Hoyer is playing his best football right now. In Washington, Robert Griffin III was dominant when healthy, and Kirk Cousins was drawing trade interest before being thrust into the lineup this season where he has mostly turned the football over. Before that, Shanahan spent time with the Texans, where Matt Schaub had some great years before self combusting in 2013, shortly after Shanahan left.
Hoyer staying in Cleveland would make sense, but the truth is that the Browns are committed to Manziel at some point in the future. Albert Breer of NFL.com writes that the team should take a wait and see approach with Hoyer when it comes to a contract extension. Giving him an extension now would risk him petering out, and the team would be heavily invested in a backup after a small sample size of competency.
Of course, if they wait too long, Breer points out that the uneven quarterback situations with the Bills, Buccaneers, Jets, Texans and Titans that Hoyer could have multiple suitors in the open market, and a bidding war could force the Browns hands. They may be starting Manziel next season out of necessity rather than choice.
Still, as of right now, the Browns are 3-2 and clicking on multiple cylinders. Hoyer has them in the playoff race, and All Pro wide receiver Josh Gordon will be back in uniform in a few weeks. For now, Hoyer is the starter and Manziel is the backup, and everything’s been fine between them.
Poll: Who Won The Percy Harvin Trade?
With the Percy Harvin trade dominating the Friday evening headlines, there are definitely arguments for why both sides were interested in completing the deal.
For readers of Pro Football Rumors, it would be impossible not to see a laundry list of opinions, whether you are looking at it as the Seahawks moving on from a headache or as the Jets acquiring a playmaker.
There are arguments for both teams as the victors in this trade. Yes, Harvin is a unique playmaker, but at the same time he clearly wore out his welcome at his last two stops, leading to an unceremonious exit.
In addition to the compilation of links and responses earlier, Manish Mehta of the Daily News points out that the Jets passed on DeSean Jackson this offseason assumedly because of character issues. Harvin’s character has been called into question since the trade became public.
Albert Breer of the NFL Network notes that the team just moved on from Santonio Holmes who was a negative influence in the locker room, only to trade for another combative personality in Harvin months later (via Twitter). As the story continued to develop, Breer has sided more and more strongly with the Seahawks’ decision to move the star receiver (via Twitter).
Still, it is tough to believe losing a player of that quality is without a doubt a positive, especially considering how hard his teammates have taken the news. Cliff Avril and Marshawn Lynch have already taken to Twitter to vent their frustration, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report reports that the Seahawks’ locker room has been shocked and stunned by the deal (via Twitter).
It will be at least until the end of the season before we can be sure who won this trade, maybe longer if Harvin plays out his contract with the team. Still, early reactions might favor the Seahawks, but could go either way depending on our readers.
Jets Notes: Percy Harvin, John Idzik
The Jets have pulled off the biggest trade of the 2014 season, grabbing Percy Harvin from the Seahawks for a conditional draft pick. The deal is unlikely to be topped as the trade deadline is fast approaching at only 11 days away. We already looked at a variety of opinions from the Seahawks’ perspective, and below are a few Jets’ notes in the aftermath of the Harvin trade.
- A number of pundits have immediately reacted to the trade favorably for Seattle, but have viewed the move as a sign of desperation for the Jets. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com notes that the move is out of character for general manager John Idzik, and that the 1-6 Jets are unlikely to recover whether or not Harvin contributes.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk feels like the trade is a “Hail Mary” for the Jets, and his colleague Michael David Smith agrees that the destination for Harvin does not make much sense.
- Joe Banner, who formerly held the positions of President of the Eagles and CEO of the Browns, agreed that the deal was a reach for the Jets (via Twitter). “This looks to me like an act of desperation by the Jets, as opposed to a step in a well thought out plan,” writes Banner. “Hard to understand this one.”
- In Alex Marvez’ piece for Fox Sports, he also praises the Seahawks for cutting bait while using the word “desperation” to describe the Jets’ motives.
- Not everyone agrees that the move was a desperate one, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com defends the trade for the Jets (via Twitter). Fitzgerald notes that the move sets them up for the future, where they will get a chance to see what Harvin can do without have to spend guaranteed money on another free agent receiver (via Twitter).
- Due to the lack of guarantees in his contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that the next nine games with the Jets will likely amount to a tryout for him, with $41.5MM left to be earned through 2018 (via Twitter).
- Of the most positive reactions for the Jets, Dan Graziano of ESPN stands out (via Twitter). “Jets have tons of cap space, no weapons and are trying to develop a QB,” writes Graziano. “What’s not to like about the Harvin deal?”
- In determining winners and losers from the immediate aftermath of the trade, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com lists a lot of Jets’ players and coaches on the winning side, with not a single Jet listed as a loser in the deal.
- The Seahawks have already had their bye week, and with the Jets having already played Thursday, Harvin is racking up weeks off as Adam Schefter of ESPN points out (via Twitter). The Jets’ bye week comes the week of Sunday November 16th, which will serve as Harvin’s third week without a scheduled game this season.
- The Jets have been known as a graveyard for fantasy football contributors, but the move could actually help Harvin in that aspect, writes Drew Loftis of the New York Post. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhingweg has failed to be creative with the offense so far this season, but Harvin was underutilized in Seattle.
- Bob Glauber of Newsday has one big question following the Harvin trade. The question: why? He is left wondering what the reason for pulling the trigger on this deal at this time is for the Jets.
- Glauber is not the only one to ask that question, as Mark Cannizzaro of Newsday asks a similar question: why now? Cannizzaro also compared the move by Idzik to Jets’ former general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who was known for being aggressive in seeking out trades.
- Cimini also sees the similarites with Tannenbaum in this move, noting that Tannenbaum coveted Harvin during the 2009 draft (via Twitter). Reportedly he tried to trade up for him after already trading up for Mark Sanchez, but was unwilling to give up his 2010 first-round pick.
Percy Harvin Trade Roundup
The Percy Harvin trade came this afternoon seemingly out of nowhere, and has sent the NFL and all covering it into overdrive. For many of our readers, I am sure their Twitter feeds have turned into a sea of Harvin stories and opinions.
Luke Adams already did a fantastic job of covering the initial report, but below is a compilation of some of the most interesting aspects surrounding Harvin’s departure from the world champion Seahawks and his prospects going forward with the Jets.
- One team source for the Seahawks has already come out to explain the team’s motives, reports Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). “It was time for a change. It’s that simple. We got a good deal. He’s happy, we’re happy,” said the source. “Percy didn’t want to be here. We accommodated him.”
- Freeman also noted that a piece he wrote last December in which he labeled the Harvin trade from the Vikings to the Seahawks as a bust had produced the most hate he had ever experienced from a fan base over something he had written (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks will still have the remnants of Harvin on their cap over the next two seasons, but for the Jets it amounts to a four-year contract worth $10MM per season with no guaranteed money, reports Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). The specifics of the contract can be found at OverTheCap.com.
- In the piece he wrote up about the trade, Fitzgerald believes that this is the rare case of a deal that works for both teams. Still, he notes that the Seahawks were able to clear cap space by trading a player who didn’t fit (via Twitter). He also points out the the team’s relationship with Jets’ general manager John Idzik likely facilitated the transaction (via Twitter), and that the team likely regrets not being able to re-sign Golden Tate in light of losing Harvin (via Twitter).
- Joel Corry of The National Football Post agrees that the decision to acquire and pay Harvin took Tate off the table during this past free agency period (via Twitter).
- One reason the Seahawks may have wanted to move on from Harvin is that he is being paid like one of the best receivers in the NFL, writes Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com (via Twitter). Over his short time with the team, he has failed to live up to that price tag. Rosenthal looks at some other reasons for the trade in his piece for NFL.com.
- Trading Harvin opens up cap space that could allow the team to re-sign other top players such as Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, and Russell Wilson, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk applauds the Seahawks for moving on after a mistake instead of making a second mistake keeping Harvin around.
- Anger management issues are central to the problems Harvin has had with both the Seahawks and Vikings, writes Albert Breer of NFL Network (via Twitter).
- Lance Zierlein of 790 Sports Talk in Houston heard similar things about Harvin’s anger management problems and the role they played in this trade (via Twitter). He reports that Harvin punched fellow receiver Tate leading up to the Super Bowl last year and almost fought with Wilson earlier this season (via Twitter). The problem was severe enough to significantly hinder the team (via Twitter).
- This doesn’t come as a surprise to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who has been hearing that the team’s locker room has been oddly tense for a defending champion (via Twitter).
- There is support for head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider‘s attitude towards negative locker room influences, headlined by Steve Sandmeyer of 1090 the Fan in Seattle (via Twitter).
- On the field, the team has been talking about how they need to get back to basics and feed the running game, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
Minor Moves: Saturday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here….
- The Bears have elevated linebacker Terrell Manning from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced on Twitter. The move could be an indication that D.J. Williams won’t be available for Sunday’s contest with the Falcons. To make room for Manning, Chicago has waived safety Shamiel Gary.
Earlier Updates:
- The Steelers have signed safety Ross Ventrone from their practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Ventrone will provide depth with Shamarko Thomas out with a hamstring injury this weekend, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The team waived Wesley Johnson to make room for Ventrone.
- The Bills have signed safety Kenny Ladler off their practice squad, to replace guard Chris Williams who was placed on injured reserve, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). Rookie fifth-round pick Cyril Richardson will replace Williams in the lineup, according to Rodak (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks have signed safety Steven Terrell off of their practice squad, reports Caplan (via Twitter). They waived defensive end Greg Scruggs to make room.
- The Titans have promoted Brett Brackett from the practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Brackett was undrafted in 2011, and spent time with the Dolphins, Jaguars, Eagles, and Cardinals before being released this past May. In order to make room for Brackett, the team placed left tackle Michael Roos on injured reserve. Roos is scheduled for surgery next week.
AFC Links: Irsay, Webb, Jets, Browns
Colts‘ owner Jim Irsay has rejoined the team as of yesterday, after serving a six week suspension that kept him out of the spotlight following his misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Head coach Chuck Pagano was happy to have the owner back with the team, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“It’s huge. We talked about it in the locker room (after win at Houston). A lot of great things have happened with this football team with the win and first place and all that stuff. You know we have 10 days to heal up and the best thing is that we get our boss back, we get our owner back,” said Pagano. ”We get the guy that is leading this whole thing, so it is going to be huge. He has been with us in spirit so to speak for the past six games, but I can’t wait to have him in that locker room with us again and have him back in the building and grinding away with him.“
- Ravens‘ cornerback Lardarius Webb has struggled this season, and with the emergence of 2011 first-round pick Jimmy Smith, he is not guaranteed a roster spot in 2015, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN. He is owed $8MM in 2015, and the team can save $5MM by cutting him. Hensley also notes that the team could approach Webb about taking a pay cut to stay with the team.
- The Jets already got their own post earlier today, where it was noted that they are in place to be big spenders in free agency this offseason. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that while he expects them to spend, he would be surprised if they handed out a huge contract to one player. For any Jets’ fans dreaming of signing Dez Bryant, Cimini tells them to “keep dreaming.”
- Geno Smith may appear confident, but through his first 21 games with the Jets, some may say it is a “false bravado” writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He notes that Smith’s off the field antics and on the field performance only give credence to the pre-draft reports that Smith would struggle with work ethic and fail to emerge as a leader at the NFL level.
- As the Browns prepare to face the Steelers this weekend, a team that has owned them since drafting Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. Pat McManamon of ESPN put together a list of stats and notes to watch as the team prepare to ruin Roethlisberger’s 18-1 record against the Browns.
Impact Of Midseason Coaching Changes
It was not a surprise that Raiders’ head coach Dennis Allen failed to make it through the season. More than 24% of our readers thought Allen would be the first coach fired (although 35% were wrong to think Jason Garrett would go first).
More than 65% of our readers thought Allen deserved to be fired when polled two weeks ago, after the Raiders blowout loss at the hands of the Dolphins.
Interim head coach Tony Sparano is now tasked with the challenge of taking over the team midseason and returning them to respectability.
Interim head coaches have fared poorly over the last decade and a half. Of the 23 interim head coaches since 2000, not one made the playoffs, and only two brought their teams to winning records, reports Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times. Further, only seven interim head coaches had winning records in their games coaching the team.
Of the eight interim head coaches to keep the job the next season, seven were either fired or the team decided against re-signing them after their initial contracts. Only Garrett of the Cowboys was able to secure a second contract from his team. Garrett has yet to make the playoffs as the head coach of the team, although they are 4-1 to start the season.
That doesn’t bode well for Sparano, who has failed to achieve any success as a head coach, offensive coordinator, or position coach since winning the AFC East with Chad Pennington in his first year as head coach of the Dolphins. Miami ran him out of town, and he lasted only one season as offensive coordinator with the Jets.
The Jets’ coach Rex Ryan is on the hot seat himself, with very tough matchups against the Broncos and Patriots coming up the next two weeks. Staring at 1-6, and possibly even 1-7 if they lose to a surprisingly good Bills team, Ryan could be the next coach fired. The Jets should just know that recent history does not suggest that a midseason coaching change will solve anything.
NFC Notes: Cobb, House, Prater, Cowboys
Randall Cobb has started the season by catching six touchdowns in the first five games, and has been one of the best receivers in the league working out of the slot. Set to hit free agency this offseason, the Packers failure to ink him to a long term extension has been a well covered topic.
Rob Demovsky of ESPN writes that it might be Cobb who is pushing off extension talks. Cobb said as much earlier this offseason, when he told the media he hadn’t accomplished enough to earn that extension.
He notes that if Cobb is looking at similar money to what Jordy Nelson received, that he will need to produce more catches and yards on a consistent basis to go along with his frequent trips to the endzone. Our readers at Pro Football Rumors believed that Nelson was the more important piece of the offense, responding to a poll from early July.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- Demovsky also addresses whether the Packers would be more likely to try to keep Tramon Williams or Davon House when their respective contracts are up. He writes that although Williams is currently playing at a high level, that House is an ascending player and that general manager Ted Thompson traditionally prefers youth. Williams will turn 32 in March.
- The Lions focused on improving their offense this offseason, including adding Golden Tate in free agency and Eric Ebron in the draft. However, their offense has been paltry, ranking 27th in the NFL in points per game, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The team has missed eight field goals through five games, and have signed kicker Matt Prater this week, hoping to solve some of their kicking woes. Prater couldn’t be worse than the duo of Nate Freese and Alex Henery, and if the team had converted those eight field goals, the offense would have risen to a respectable 16th in points per game.
- The Cowboys have jumped out to a 4-1 start behind an improved defense and more consistent offense, but Rick Gosselin of DallasNews.com believes age is a major factor in their success. The Cowboys have the second youngest average age in the NFL after the Bills, in a team building philosophy that emulates their opponent this weekend, the Seahawks. It also brings back memories of the 1992 Cowboys who were the first of three championship teams in a four-year span. Those Cowboys were also among the youngest rosters in the NFL.
Poll: Will The Patriots Trade Tom Brady?
The tension between Tom Brady and the Patriots’ coaching staff has become one of the strange ongoing stories of this NFL season. If it continues it could influence whether he finishes his career with the team. The Patriots have quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who was drafted in the second round and could serve as Brady’s successor.
Now the word is that the move could happen as early as this offseason. Some have gone as far as to say that the Patriots will shop Brady around this offseason. Brady remains committed to the team.
“I love all those guys, my coaches,” said Bady. “I’ve never had any tension with them, truthfully. It’s unfortunate that some things get said and talked about, especially when they don’t come from me, and I think that’s the — when you’re in the middle of an especially tough week with our team to deal with things that are really outside football that are very personal — very personal relationships that I’ve built up for a long time.”
The team just came off a big win against the Bengals, and despite some struggles, are still looking to be a powerhouse in the AFC. However, if a team comes to the Patriots with a huge trade offer, some think the team would entertain a deal.
With all that being said, it is hard to imagine Brady ever playing with another franchise. He has said he wants to play another four or five years, and it would be a surprise if he didn’t remain with the team he won three Super Bowls with for the entirety of his career. Still, head coach Bill Belichick has a reputation for getting rid of star players before they decline, but Brady would probably like to think he is the exception to that rule.