Poll: Which Coach Will Be Fired First?
Cowboys‘ head coach Jason Garrett has been on the hot seat for a while, with a myriad of 8-8 finishes on his coaching résumé. He has finished with eight wins in each of his three full seasons as the team’s coach, after going 5-3 taking over for Wade Phillips in 2010. Garrett’s odds of being the first coach fired are set at 2/1, according to Bovada Sportsbook.
However, Garrett is far from the only coach who should be worried about his job. Raiders‘ coach Dennis Allen (4/1 odds) has been given the organizational mandate to win some football games, despite being saddled with below average talent on the roster. General manager Reggie McKenzie might have to fire Allen in order to buy himself some time to improve the depth chart.
Dolphins‘ coach Joe Philbin (7/1), Bills‘ coach Doug Marrone (8/1), and Jaguars‘ coach Gus Bradley (12/1) have yet to take their teams to the playoffs, and their owners will only accept that for so long.
Jets‘ coach Rex Ryan (10/1), Bengals‘ coach Marvin Lewis (20/1), and Falcon’s coach Mike Smith (20/1) are all in danger of being fired if they miss the playoffs in 2014, following various levels of disappointment over the past few seasons. Panthers‘ coach Ron Rivera (20/1), who is coming off a 12-4 season, but is set to take a step back, is also a possibility if the season goes south early.
NFC East Notes: Benn, Helu, Garrett, Giants
Eagles‘ wideout Arrelious Benn was far from guaranteed a roster spot, but he is working as hard as possible to make the team, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Benn showed that he can contribute on special teams by blocking a punt in their preseason game against the Patriots. He also caught a touchdown in the game, on a ball that was intended for another receiver but came loose in the air as Ifeanyi Momah fell to the ground in the end zone.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Cowboys‘ head coach Jason Garrett has been a popular choice to the question of first coach to be fired in 2014, but Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com doesn’t see owner Jerry Jones pulling the trigger during the season. Despite being listed with 2/1 odds according to Bovada, Archer believes the team is more likely to ride out the season with Garrett without a potential successor.
- Redskins‘ running backs have struggled in pass protection drills, with Roy Helu, Lache Seastruck, and starter Alfred Morris each having their own problems, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. The drill is supposed to favor the defense, however, and Helu still has the edge on the role of third-down back. “It’s a somewhat superficial drill,” Helu said. “But it’s a harder drill than game situations. The first thing we have to do is be physical because it’s one-on-one and second we are going to win with technique.”
- The Giants had a lot of problems with their quarterback play in 2013, but there is currently a competition going on for the backup spot on the team, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Curtis Painter will take the backup reps this week, after Ryan Nassib was given them previously.
AFC North Links: Browns, Ravens, Steelers
Browns‘ head coach Mike Pettine had a lot to say about his team, and spoke with reporters after today’s final practice of training camp. Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com transcribed his thoughts about how the team has fared since training camp opened. Pettine broaches many subjects, notably the fight that occurred during practice, various injury questions, and the current quarterback situation.
Here are some other links from around the AFC North:
- In case Pettine couldn’t answer all the Browns‘ fans’ questions, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com took a stab at answering some reader e-mails. The majority of the questions dealt with the quarterback position, but were not limited to Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer. Third and fourth stringers Connor Shaw and Rex Grossman drew their own inquiries as well.
- The Ravens wrapped up their own training camp, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com gave his breakdown of the entire camp. He announced his best, most disappointing, and most improved players on each side of the ball, as well as highlighted some of the best and worst individual plays from camp.
- The Ravens have as many as seven wide receivers competing for the final spot or two on the team’s active roster, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. “Nobody has really separated themselves because nobody has fallen off right now,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “They’ve all played well. The games are going to be a big thing now. If practice doesn’t separate guys, then maybe the games will.”
- The Steelers‘ have five serious candidates competing for four roster spots at offensive tackle, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. While the starters are more or less in place, and Mike Adams is cemented as the backup at both spots, Guy Whimper and Wesley Johnson are battling for the final spot. Whimper has the experience, but Johnson is versatile and still has room to develop after being drafted this past May.
Ken Whisenhunt Talks Titans’ Preseason
Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt had a lot to say about his team’s performance Friday night, remaining optimistic despite the 31-24 loss to the Saints. Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reported many of Whisenhunt’s best statements and responses in a series of tweets.
Here are some of the highlights, as reported by McCormick (all links via Twitter).
- On Jake Locker‘s performance: “For his first chance of really operating the offense, did a nice job in reads and handling the environment.”
- On Zach Mettenberger’s performance: “Great experience for him, and he made some plays. Had some turnovers, but needs to learn from them.” Whisenhunt also noted that although he fumbled again this week, it was much closer to being an incomplete pass.
- On Bishop Sankey’s fumbling problems: “He’s a rookie and he’s going to have to work through that.”
- On the kicker competition: “Travis Coons‘ field goal very impressive and Maikon Bonani did well on kickoffs.” He wouldn’t say who has the edge at this time.
- On the kick returner competition: Marc Mariani has done well on returns, but the team will allow Leon Washington and Dexter McCluster to get opportunities later in preseason. Both have a great body of work, and Whisenhunt knows what they can do.
Jaguars Sign Two, Waive Two
We’ll round up today’s minor transactions here, with the latest news appearing at the top, starting with the Jaguars’ latest transaction:
- The Jaguars have signed fullback Harvey Unga and offensive tackle Cody Booth, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. They have waived wide receiver Chad Hall and waived/IR fullback Bradie Ewing to make room for the new additions.
NFC North Links: Neal, Peppers, Lions, Bears
Packers‘ running back Rajion Neal has been impressive this preseason, but he must return quickly from injury if he wants a chance of making the team’s final roster, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Neal is currently behind Eddie Lacy, James Starks, and DuJuan Harris on the depth chart, even though a knee injury forced him out of the preseason opener and will cause him to miss this week’s game as well. He will have to come back and impress in the final two games if he intends to convince the Packers to keep a fourth back on the roster.
Here are some other links from around the NFC North:
- New Packer Julius Peppers saw limited action in the preseason opener, and failed to make his impact known, writes Demovsky. He has vowed to improve on his performance. “It matters, it matters,” said Peppers. “We all are going to need these reps to get ready for the season, which is going to be upon us pretty soon. It’s a chance to get better. We have a couple more opportunities to try to accomplish those goals.”
- The Lions have a running back who is also looking to make a 53-man roster, in George Winn, who has been impressive this offseason according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Winn has a reputation as a hard runner, scoring a touchdown from the one-yard line, and had two special teams tackles against the Raiders.
- The wide receivers competing to make the Lions‘ roster after Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate will likely come down to some extremely tough decisions, writes Twentyman. Jeremy Ross, Kris Durham, Ryan Broyles, and Corey Fuller have all made a case for a roster spot during the preseason thus far.
- The Bears have transformed from a defensive minded team to an offensive force over the years, but they could see an improvement on defense from linebackers Jon Bostic and Shea McClellin, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times.
AFC West Links: Raiders, Chargers, Chiefs
Matt Schaub struggled to lead the Raiders‘ first team offense in their first preseason game, but head coach Dennis Allen was “not displeased” with the performance, writes Vic Tafur of SFGate.com. He noted that while Schaub did not play well, his receivers dropped two passes and the coach and quarterback had a miscommunication on a third down play.
Here are some other links from around the AFC West:
- Another Raider to watch was first-round pick Khalil Mack, who flashed his enormous talents at times in the first game, according to Tafur (via Twitter). Allen did say that Mack was “a little bit late reacting” in his NFL debut.
- The Chargers are dealing with a number of minor injuries as they head back to practice, preparing for their next preseason game, and Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com discusses them in his Training Camp Report.
- The Chargers are moving closer to deciding on their 53-man roster, and Kevin Acee and Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego predict who will make the team. They expect the Chargers to load up on skill positions, keeping three quarterbacks, four running backs, six receivers, and four tight ends. That of course will leave the team thin at other spots.
- Chiefs‘ tight end Travis Kelce made a huge play on a 69-yard catch and run in the preseason opener, flashing some of the talent Kansas City missed with him missing 2013 with an injury, writes the Associated Press on USA Today. Both quarterback Alex Smith and head coach Andy Reid were impressed with the second-year playmaker.
- Even with running backs Montee Ball and C.J. Anderson currently nursing injuries, head coach John Fox does not see a pressing need for the Broncos to add another back to the depth chart, writes Lindsay Jones of the USA Today (via Twitter).
NFC South Links: Bell, Griffin, Robinson
The Panthers‘ offensive line had a poor showing in their first preseason game, getting dominated by the Bills’ defensive line, writes Tom Sorenson of the Charlotte Observer. Granted, the team was without their top two running backs, the unit was unable to open holes for their running game. The offensive line was one of the biggest questions heading into 2014, especially without finding a legitimate replacement for Jordan Gross, who retired unexpectedly this offseason.
Here are some other links from around the NFC South:
- Byron Bell filled in at left tackle for the Panthers and did not allow any sacks, but has not locked himself into the starting job just yet, writes David Newton of ESPN.com. Nate Chandler, who took the position on the second team, did give up a sack fumble, and the depth for the unit is not good.
- The Saints might have found a long-term backup to Drew Brees in second year man Ryan Griffin out of Tulane, writes Chris Wessling of NFL’s Around the League (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints agree with Wessling’s assesment (via Twitter).
- Patrick Robinson is holding on to the Saints‘ second starting cornerback job, after a strong showing against the Rams, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com. Corey White is entrenched as the nickel corner, and with Champ Bailey struggling with injury and second-round pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste struggling with performance, it has become Robinson’s job to lose.
- The Falcons are getting safety Dwight Lowery and linebacker Pat Angerer back from concussion, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, as part of his training camp report.
Rodak On Bills’ Offensive Line
The Bills’ offensive line received some great news today, as starting left tackle Cordy Glenn was removed from the non-football illness list and rejoined the team, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). Glenn, a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, started 13 games as a rookie and all 16 games last season. The former Georgia Bulldog has experience at both tackle and guard.
While the team is excited to have their best offensive lineman back, head coach Doug Marrone was clear that Glenn will be brought along slowly, according to Rodak (via Twitter). He will not take part in team drills for a while.
The first team in warmups consisted of Glenn at left tackle, Cyril Richardson at left guard, Eric Wood at center, Kraig Urbik at right guard, and Erik Pears at right tackle (via Twitter). Guard Chris Williams is not practicing, and Seantrel Henderson, who has been filling in for Glenn, has been bumped to second team.
Henderson, who struggled with marijuana in college, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Before that, he was one of the most highly touted high school offensive linemen in recent memory. When Glenn retakes his starting position, Rodak questions whether Henderson will be taking reps at guard or competing with Pears for the starting right tackle job (via Twitter).
Marrone would not divulge the plans for Henderson now that Glenn is back with the team, but did give the rookie a vote of confidence, saying that Henderson “can play left tackle in this league.” (via Twitter)
The Bills drafted three offensive linemen this May, and Henderson has been the most impressive, according to Rodak (via Twitter). He is a lock to make the 46-man roster, and will serve as a backup swing tackle at the very least.
Mallett, Cousins Trade Value
An old NFL cliche is that everyone always loves the backup quarterback, and Albert Breer of the NFL Network spoke to a few team executives to see how much they love a pair of the league’s most interesting potential starting passers, Ryan Mallett and Kirk Cousins.
Mallett was drafted in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Though purely on talent he was projected as a possible first-round pick, he fell in the draft due in part to character issues surrounding him leading up to the draft. In his three seasons with the Patriots, he has yet to see any significant game action.
One AFC general manager was quoted by Breer regarding Mallett’s trade value (via Twitter):
“New England has invested a lot of time in him. If they were really high on him, they would not have drafted one this year, pending UFA or not.”
An NFC executive also made a point about how Mallett is valued among Patriots’ coaches, noting that not only did the team draft Jimmy Garoppolo, but no former Patriots’ coach expressed interest on bringing in Mallett as they switched teams (via Twitter):
“The fact that nobody Pats-related ever went after him speaks volumes. Plus, he can’t help you this year, so why not just sign him as a FA?”
Redskins’ backup Cousins has considerably more value according to the sources Breer spoke to. Cousins was drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft, as a fourth-round pick. The team chose Robert Griffin III with the second-overall selection, which slid Cousins immediately into a long term backup role.
An AFC executive prefers Cousins to Mallett because Cousins has a body of work to show for, and has another year on his contract the team would control (via Twitter):
“In my mind better than Mallett – he has a body of evidence. I think he could be a low-end starter or at very least a ‘compete with starter’ piece.”
An NFC Pro Scouting Director is also ambivalent about his ability (via Twitter):
“You could probably get as high as a conditional 3rd for him. Depends on the desperation of the club. … A low end starter. Someone that you’ll end up looking to replace. Better than Cassel and look what was given up for him.”
One NFC general manager did say he might be able to fetch the Redskins a second-round pick, but more likely a third rounder would be a higher pick (via Twitter):
“If you look at trade history, high end would be a 2nd round pick. Or realistically a 3rd.”
Yes, Cousins could grab the Redskins an extra pick, but none of the sources Breer spoke to was particularly high on either quarterback. While there is a common thought that both Cousins and Mallett could become one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the league, but they would still be the bottom rung of starters.
It is unlikely that either player gets traded in the near future, as both passers are more valuable as backups with their current teams than they are as potential starters elsewhere in the league.