Kevin O’Connell Serious Candidate For Redskins’ HC Job
Redskins offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell is expected to receive serious consideration for the team’s head coaching post, as Mark Maske of the Washington Post writes. O’Connell, 34, has been with Washington since 2017, and this season is his first as the Redskins’ OC.
Before Washington elevated him from passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach in January, O’Connell garnered interest from multiple other teams. For all of the Redskins’ problems, they have had a number of young and talented coaches rise through their ranks — Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, and Kyle Shanahan, to name a few — and apparently there is a belief that O’Connell can follow in their footsteps.
Washington is near the bottom of the league in points per game and yards per game this year, but the offense is largely bereft of talent at the skill positions and along the O-line, so it would be difficult to hold the performance of O’Connell’s unit against him. As Maske notes, the real question will be whether O’Connell, interim HC Bill Callahan, or an outside candidate will be best-suited to maximize Dwayne Haskins‘ potential.
Owner Dan Snyder has not had much problem luring big-name head coaches to the nation’s capital; the problem has been making it work once those coaches arrive. Plus, team president Bruce Allen could be an obstacle. One of Maske’s sources, an agent who represents coaches, said that no coach worth his salt will accept an HC job with the Redskins as long as Allen is in charge of personnel.
In addition to O’Connell, Maske names Gregg Williams, Marvin Lewis, and Mike McCarthy as big names who could attract Snyder’s interest.
Chiefs To Sign Stefen Wisniewski, Terrell McClain
The Chiefs, who are dealing with injuries to their O-line, are signing veteran Stefen Wisniewski, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets that the club is also adding a vet to their defensive front, Terrell McClain.
Wisniewski spent the last three years with the Eagles, who declined his 2019 option in March. He drew some interest on the open market, and Philly re-signed him in May, but he did not survive final cutdowns.
The 6’3″, 305-pound lineman offers experience at both guard and center and will, at the very least, provide veteran competence off the bench. He may also get a spot start here and there, and he has started at least six games per season since entering the league in 2011.
McClain, meanwhile, spent 2018 with the Falcons and appeared in 13 games. He hooked on with the Cardinals this offseason but, like Wisniewski, was cut at the end of August. He will likely become part of the Chiefs’ D-line rotation right away given that Chris Jones and Xavier Williams are both expected to miss time.
Both men have become NFL journeymen. The Chiefs will be McClain’s seventh team and Wisniewski’s fourth.
The Chiefs have also waived T Ryan Hunter.
NFC South Notes: Payton, Brees, Quinn
The extension that Saints head coach Sean Payton signed last month is a whopper. Payton was making $9MM per year under his previous contract, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the offensive guru will now be pulling down around $13MM per season. That deal is one of the largest among coaches of North American professional sports, and it obviously will put an end to speculation concerning Payton’s long-term future in the Big Easy.
Now for more from the NFC South, starting with the other face of the Saints:
- Drew Brees is throwing a football again, as shown on a video that the Saints star posted on Instagram. Brees managed to avoid a trip to the IR, and last week we learned that he is making progress in his recovery from thumb surgery. New Orleans is 2-0 with Brees’ backup, Teddy Bridgewater, at the helm, and the club will try to make that 3-0 against Tampa Bay this afternoon. Previous reports suggested that Brees could return for the club’s November 10 matchup with the Falcons.
- Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is on the hot seat, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says an Atlanta loss to the Texans today could expedite Quinn’s ouster. After all, a loss would drop the team to 1-4, and with difficult games against the Rams and Seahawks following the Falcons’ matchup with the Cardinals next week, Atlanta could be looking at a 2-6 record after the first half of the season. Atlanta has three former head coaches on its staff — offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, tight ends coach Mike Mularkey, and receivers coach Raheem Morris — and owner Arthur Blank may be thinking about putting one of them in charge to finish out the season if Quinn can’t right the ship immediately.
- Greg Auman of The Athletic observes that the Buccaneers could be in line for a third-round compensatory pick to offset the loss of Kwon Alexander in free agency and a fourth-rounder to offset the loss of Adam Humphries. As it currently stands, Tampa Bay signed enough outside free agents to negate those compensatory picks, but given that some of those free agents are underperforming (or barely playing), the Bucs could cut them loose prior to Week 9 to put themselves back on track for the compensatory selections. That means that Deone Bucannon, Breshad Perriman, and Bradley Pinion could all be in danger of being cut.
Antonio Brown Files Grievances Against Raiders, Patriots
It was an inevitably, but free agent wideout Antonio Brown has now filed his much-discussed grievances against the Raiders and Patriots, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. We learned last week that Brown could be filing the following grievances:
• Fine appeals with the Raiders: $215K
• Salary guarantees with the Raiders : $29MM
• Signing bonus with the Raiders: $1MM
• Unpaid Week 1 salary from the Raiders: $860K
• Salary guarantees with the Patriots: $1MM
• Signing bonus with the Patriots: $9MM
• Unpaid Week 3 salary from the Patriots: $64K
• 2020 option year with the Patriots: $20MM
Rapoport confirms that all of the above grievances have been filed except the one concerning the 2020 option year with the Patriots, which felt like a major longshot anyway. In sum, Brown is seeking roughly $40MM in unpaid salary and bonuses.
However, Brown’s grievances are unlikely to be heard until the spring. Recent reports have suggested that AB stands a good chance of recouping the $9MM signing bonus from New England, but he could have a tough time recovering most of the other amounts.
We heard earlier this week that the NFL has yet to interview Brown concerning the sexual assault/rape allegations levied against him, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk — while acknowledging that Brown does not merit any sympathy — says the NFL could be deliberately slow-playing the situation to keep Brown out of the league. After all, no team will sign Brown while the league continues to stay silent as to whether the embattled wideout is destined for the commissioner’s exempt list, and the league doesn’t really have to say anything until its investigation is concluded (the last step of which is the interview with Brown). That’s not a violation of the collusion provisions of the CBA, but it is a convenient loophole.
Latest On Jalen Ramsey, Jaguars
Jalen Ramsey has dominated NFL headlines over the past several weeks, and it seems his standoff with the Jaguars is no closer to a resolution. Jags owner Shad Khan refuses to have a player dictate how he runs his club, and he remains determined to retain Ramsey and rebuff all trade offers, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes.
Indeed, one source told Schefter that the Jags wouldn’t trade Ramsey for five first-round draft picks. We heard last week that the Jags rejected an offer of two first-rounders for Ramsey, and Schefter confirms as much. However, Schefter also says the team that made the offer wanted a second-round pick from the Jags to help offset the loss of so much draft capital, but the Jags weren’t interested in those terms.
One of the complicating factors in a potential trade is that, in addition to the premium draft picks that an acquiring team would have to give up, said team would also have to give Ramsey a massive contract extension. But Schefter says Ramsey would be willing to play for another team without having a contract extension in place, so at least an interested club wouldn’t have to negotiate with Ramsey and the Jaguars prior to completing a trade.
On the other hand, even if the Jaguars were interested in trading Ramsey, it’s unclear whether he could pass a physical due to the back injury that is keeping him out of a second straight game. Though plenty are skeptical about the severity of the injury, there appears to be at least some legitimate concern over it.
Stefon Diggs Generating Trade Interest
Although Vikings WR Stefon Diggs will play today, it seems the tension between player and team is still high. We heard that Minnesota had fined Diggs for missing practice and skipping some meetings this week, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen tweets that the fine total has now exceeded $200K.
Diggs, who signed a five-year, $72MM extension in July 2018, can certainly afford the fines, but it’s still a hefty sum that is not likely to fill the Maryland product with warm and fuzzy and feelings towards the Vikings (but, while the team would be entitled to void Diggs’ $40MM in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Vikes have not taken that nuclear approach). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that multiple teams have tried to capitalize on the discord by reaching out to Minnesota with trade inquiries, but the Vikings have remained adamant in their refusal to trade their disgruntled star this year.
However, Schefter suggests that some teams do believe Minnesota would change its stance if the offer was good enough, and the club could revisit trade talks in the offseason. Diggs is an electric playmaker who could add a charge to most any offense, and given the ever-growing market for wideouts, his current deal doesn’t seem particularly cumbersome.
The Vikings, who are currently 2-2 and in last place in the NFC North, will look to get back above .500 against the Giants this afternoon.
GMs Expecting Active Trade Deadline
The NFL has experienced a dramatic rise in significant trades over the past several years, and there may be a few noteworthy swaps going down this month as we get closer to the October 29 trade deadline. Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says there is a sense among general managers that we may see more trades in advance of this year’s deadline than ever before, largely because there is a larger gulf between pretenders and contenders than in seasons past (indeed, there are still six winless teams, which is the highest number at this point in the season since the 1970 merger).
La Canfora says the teams most actively laying groundwork for potential deals are the Saints, Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, Patriots, and Seahawks. Of course, a number of those clubs have already been pursuing Jacksonville CB Jalen Ramsey, and the Saints, Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs are casting a wide net for cornerback upgrades.
One of this year’s still-winless clubs, the Broncos, are reportedly more open to moving veteran pieces than they were last year, as La Canfora writes in a separate piece, with Derek Wolfe, Chris Harris, and Emmanuel Sanders all generating interest. Wolfe could make sense for Baltimore, and the Saints are expected to renew their pursuit of Sanders. Even Von Miller could be on the block, per La Canfora, especially since all of his major bonuses and guarantees have already been paid. Miller, 30, is reportedly open to a change of scenery at this point, but Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says the Broncos will not trade him (video link). However, the other players mentioned above could be available if Denver continues to scuffle.
But while Denver may be willing to talk shop, rival GMs are skeptical that the 0-4 Bengals, led by old-school owner Mike Brown, will be amenable to moving big-name vets despite their fading fortunes. La Canfora’s sources say Cincinnati could net a first-round pick for WR A.J. Green if the acquiring club is able to work out a new contract with him as a condition of the trade (and if Green recovers from his foot injury soon). The Patriots and Saints could make a push for Green or Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, and Cincy could also swing deals for players like Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap if the club is willing to listen to offers.
Like fellow winless outfits Denver and Cincinnati, the Jets could be active in shopping veteran players in advance of the deadline. La Canfora specifically names Kelechi Osemele and Leonard Williams as players who could be on the move, though he says there has been no trade chatter surrounding Le’Veon Bell at this point.
Finally, though the 0-4 Redskins have been steadfastly refusing to trade Trent Williams, some believe that the team will relent at some point and will ship Williams to a contender in need of O-line help.
Steelers Notes: McDonald, Moncrief, Grimble
Let’s take a quick look at the latest out of Pittsburgh:
- The Steelers’ trade for tight end Nick Vannett earlier this week led to some concern over the long-term health of fellow TE Vance McDonald, who is dealing with a shoulder injury. However, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the team is not worried about McDonald’s shoulder and simply wanted to bolster the talent at the tight end position (Twitter link). McDonald is officially listed as doubtful for Pittsburgh’s Monday night matchup against the Bengals.
- After dropping five passes in the Steelers’ first two games of the season, veteran wideout Donte Moncrief was benched for last week’s loss to San Francisco. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic tweets that Moncrief, who signed a two-year, $9MM pact with Pittsburgh in March, has been officially demoted to the third-string WR unit.
- Tight end Xavier Grimble was placed on IR earlier this week, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says Grimble sustained a torn calf muscle (Twitter link). Grimble played through the pain in San Francisco, but the team has decided to shut him down.
- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger underwent elbow surgery earlier this week and is expected to make a full recovery well before the 2020 regular season gets underway.
- The Steelers further bolstered their TE corps by signing Alize Mack to the taxi squad.
Antonio Brown To File Up To Nine Grievances/Appeals
The Antonio Brown news machine keeps chugging along. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Brown is poised to file up to nine grievances/appeals, which would be a league-record number of filings generated from one season for one player (though as Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets, no grievance has been filed yet).
Schefter helpfully summarizes the potential filings as follows:
• Fine appeals with the Raiders: $215K
• Salary guarantees with the Raiders : $29MM
• Signing bonus with the Raiders: $1MM
• Unpaid Week 1 salary from the Raiders: $860K
• Salary guarantees with the Patriots: $1MM
• Signing bonus with the Patriots: $9MM
• Unpaid Week 3 salary from the Patriots: $64K
• 2020 option year with the Patriots: $20MM
• Potential appeal of NFL suspension
The consensus seems to be that Brown is likely to win his grievance against the Patriots for the $9MM signing bonus. However, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports confirms, that matter will probably not be resolved until 2020.
The NFL’s investigation into accusations of sexual assault/misconduct levied against Brown by two different women is ongoing. Despite reports that teams remain interested in Brown — reports championed by Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus — Brown himself has indicated that he is done with the NFL, and he recently enrolled in online classes at Central Michigan University.
Cardinals Undecided On D.J. Humphries Extension
Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries is playing out the fifth-year option of his rookie contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2020. But even though Humphries has opened each of the past three seasons as Arizona’s starting LT, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes that the Cards are undecided as to whether they will attempt to retain the Florida product long-term.
Humphries did not play a single snap in 2015, his rookie season, and then-head coach Bruce Arians criticized Humphries for his work ethic and commitment. Somers notes that no one doubts Humphries’ dedication at this point, and Humphries has played well in stretches, but he has not been able to consistently sustain a high level of play.
He has also been unable to stay healthy, having not played a full season of football since his freshman year of college. And, given the level of compensation that even league-average LTs are making these days — Somers estimates that Humphries would earn at least $12MM per year on the open market — the Cardinals’ reluctance to engage in extension talks is understandable.
When asked about Humphries’ performance this season, new head coach Kliff Kingsbury was non-committal. Kingsbury said that Humphries is “continuing to improve, and that’s what we’ve asked of him. We just have to keep him coming. He’s still getting comfortable in our system, and we’re getting comfortable with him, but I like what I’ve seen so far.”
One way or another, the Cardinals will have to invest either big money or premium draft capital into the left tackle position in 2020. For his part, Humphries is trying not to think too much about it.
“Thinking about it is not going to do anything for you,” Humphries said. “You can think all day about a paycheck — it’s still not Friday. Friday is going to come when it comes. It’s inevitable, if you’re working all week like you’re supposed to, Friday is inevitable.”