AFC Notes: Browns, Shazier, Welker
Per Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan — widely regarded as one of the league’s top talent evaluators — has joined the Browns as a personnel consultant to assist the team in this year’s draft (although Mike Jones of USA Today tweets that McCloughan is still running his private pre-draft scouting service and is not exclusively assisting any one team). McCloughan and new Browns GM John Dorsey are close, and both men worked together in Green Bay under then-Packers GM Ron Wolf. Washington fired McCloughan in March 2017, and McCloughan subsequently filed a grievance against the Redskins, the outcome of which is still pending.
Cleveland has 12 picks in the 2018 draft, including Nos. 1 and 4 overall, so McCloughan’s talents will certainly be put to good use (assuming he has, in fact, joined the Browns’ staff). McCloughan has previously said Oklahoma signal-caller Baker Mayfield is his favorite QB in this year’s class, though team sources indicate that there is no clear favorite if Cleveland decides to use the top pick on a quarterback.
McCloughan participated in meetings with the Browns’ full scouting department yesterday, so it certainly sounds as if he is working for Cleveland alone at this point.
Now for more from the AFC:
- Steelers LB Ryan Shazier has regained movement in his legs and is engaging in a regular walking routine, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. One source familiar with Shazier’s recovery said that Shazier is making “incredible progress.”
- The Broncos requested permission to interview Texans offensive/special teams assistant Wes Welker for its WRs coach position, per Mike Klis of 9News (via Twitter). Had Denver hired Welker in that capacity, it would have represented a promotion for him, but Houston denied the request. The Broncos hired Zach Azzanni as WRs coach instead.
- It seems fairly clear that the Raiders violated the Rooney Rule when they agreed to hire Jon Gruden as their next coach before interviewing any minority candidates, but commissioner Roger Goodell insisted during his state of the league address last week that Oakland was in compliance with the Rule. However, the way in which Goodell delivered that affirmation has raised plenty of eyebrows (as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports discusses in detail), and if the Raiders were found to be in compliance with the Rule, it seems unlikely any team will be found to have violated it in the future.
Colts To Target Darrell Bevell For Offensive Coordinator
Several weeks ago, it was reported that Josh McDaniels — who will be named as the Colts’ new head coach after today’s Super Bowl — would hire Raiders quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz as Indianapolis’ next offensive coordinator. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that a new name has emerged as McDaniels’ top target for the position: former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell (Twitter link).
Bevell, of course, has been in high demand. He has already interviewed for the Vikings’ offensive coordinator vacancy, and he interviewed for the Cardinals’ OC job before Arizona hired Mike McCoy. Bevell was also mentioned as a candidate for several quarterbacks coach positions, and Rapoport adds that the Giants are interested in Bevell for their own OC job.
Seattle fired Bevell on January 10, after the team failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2011. The Seahawks’ offense was a middle-of-the-road unit in 2017, but Bevell was on the sidelines for some of the club’s best seasons, including its Super Bowl XLVIII victory. However, his call for the Seahawks to pass from the 1-yard line spoiled a would-be victory in Super Bowl XLIX, and he was never really able to salvage his reputation with the fans thereafter.
But he apparently does have a number of supporters around the league. Given McDaniels’ background as an offensive guru, it is unlikely Bevell would have the same level of control over the Colts’ offense that he enjoyed in Seattle, but he would be working with one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Andrew Luck.
Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets that he heard Peetz may no longer be in the running for the Colts’ job last week. Peetz did not respond to Holder’s attempts to reach him in the past several days.
Lions Expected To Retain Jim Bob Cooter
This has been expected for awhile now, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that the Lions are expected to retain offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. Detroit, of course, will hire current Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as its new head coach shortly after today’s Super Bowl.
The Lions also interviewed Cooter for the HC job, though Patricia was long regarded as the favorite for the position. Cooter, just 33, is viewed as a rising star in the coaching ranks, and while the Lions’ offense has not set the world ablaze in his two full seasons as OC — the unit ranked 15th in DVOA in 2016 and 17th in 2017 — he does have the support of his quarterback. The day former Lions head coach Jim Caldwell was fired, Matthew Stafford lobbied for Cooter to be retained.
Plus, it can’t hurt for the team to have a little continuity. With Patricia taking over the team and defense, the offense will continue to operate under a familiar face and a familiar scheme.
As Schefter notes, Patricia and Cooter do not know each other personally, but they share a fan in Detroit GM Bob Quinn, who worked with Patricia in New England.
49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo Moving Closer To Long-Term Deal
Jimmy Garoppolo may not be on the sidelines for today’s Super Bowl, but he is about to become a very rich man. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the 49ers and their new quarterback have made significant progress in their negotiations towards a long-term contract, which would allow the two sides to avoid the oft-contentious franchise tag process.
Even if Garoppolo had not played a single snap for San Francisco following his surprising trade from New England during the 2017 season, he was still going to get paid. But once he was inserted into the 49ers’ starting lineup, all he did was lead the 1-10 Niners on a five-game winning streak to end the season, compiling a 96.2 quarterback rating in the process.
Garoppolo will, in all likelihood, lose a game in his professional career, but it hasn’t happened yet. He is 7-0 as a starter, and per Rapoport, his new contract will put him among the “upper echelon” of the league’s quarterbacks.
At last week’s Senior Bowl, San Francisco GM John Lynch certainly sounded optimistic that the two sides would get a deal wrapped up soon. He said, “When you find the right guy at that position, it’s really good for your franchise. We believe we’ve found the right guy. Now the challenge is getting Jimmy signed. We’re working hard towards that. We’ll see. I think he wants to be with us and we want him there. I think it makes too much sense not to happen. So it’s just a matter of getting it done.”
Redskins To Franchise Tag Kirk Cousins?
After the Redskins acquired Alex Smith and signed him to an extension, rumors and speculation as to where Kirk Cousins — who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March — would sign started to ramp up. The Broncos were most recently reported to be the frontrunners for Cousins’ services, but if Denver (or any other team) wants him, they may have to pony up more than cash. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Washington might still put the franchise tag on Cousins and then trade him to the highest bidder.
Mike Jones of USA Today confirms (via Twitter) that the Redskins have indeed had internal discussions about going this route. Of course, Cousins could still have a major say in where he ends up, even if he does not become a true unrestricted free agent. For instance, Cousins could delay signing the franchise tender for weeks or months, thereby forcing Washington to carry the $34.5MM franchise tag number against its salary cap. Cousins cannot be traded if he does not sign the tender.
Similarly, Cousins could tell any potential trade partner that he is unwilling to sign a long-term deal with that club, which would obviously make that potential partner wary of surrendering draft picks to acquire the 29-year-old passer. Also, if the Redskins were to put the tag on Cousins only to remove it later, they would lose the right to recover a 2019 compensatory pick, which they would get if Cousins were able to leave right away as a free agent.
In any event, the already drawn-out Cousins saga just got another twist. Teams can begin designating franchise players on February 20.
Dean Pees To Join Titans’ Staff?
It may be a brief retirement for Dean Pees. The former Ravens and Patriots defensive coordinator announced his retirement on New Years Day, but according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, momentum continues to build for Pees to join the staff of new Titans head coach Mike Vrabel (Twitter link). Zrebiec cautions that nothing is close to being finalized and that discussions are ongoing.
Pees could join Tennessee as defensive coordinator, or he could take another position on Vrabel’s defensive staff. The two men know each other well from their time in New England, as Pees was on the Patriots’ staff from 2004-09, and Vrabel was a starting linebacker for the Pats from 2001-08. Pees was Vrabel’s position coach for two seasons and then his defensive coordinator for three more years after that. If Zrebiec’s report is any indication, Vrabel and Pees developed a healthy respect for each other during that time.
Pees served as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator from 2012-2017, and he earned a Super Bowl ring in that position in 2012. Although his defenses suffered several late-game collapses that doomed Baltimore’s playoff hopes in the past several seasons, his unit did generate the most turnovers in the league last year (though many of those turnovers came against offenses featuring second-string and/or rookie quarterbacks).
In total, the 68-year-old Pees has 10 years of NFL experience as a defensive coordinator, which could be useful for a rookie head coach like Vrabel, who is taking over a playoff team that will have high expectations heading into 2018.
Broncos Will Try To Trade Aqib Talib
The Broncos are expected to put veteran cornerback Aqib Talib on the trading block, according to a report from 9News.com. Talib, who has often found himself in the news for the wrong reasons in his career, has nonetheless enjoyed a terrific run on the field for Denver, but he may be too costly for the Broncos to keep in 2018.
Talib has two years remaining on the six-year, $57MM deal he signed with the Broncos in 2014, and he is set to make $11MM in 2018, his age-32 season. Denver has two younger corners — Chris Harris, Jr. and Bradley Roby — under contract for a combined $17.02MM, and it would like to use some of its CB resources elsewhere.
There should be a good amount of interest in Talib, despite his age. He made the Pro Bowl again in 2017, and he has been a Pro Bowl participant in each of his four years in Denver (including a first-team All-Pro nod in 2016). He tacked on yet another pick-six this past season, giving himself six pick-sixes in his Broncos career. He was also a key member of the Broncos’ terrific defense that catapulted the team to its Super Bowl 50 championship.
It’s fair to wonder, though, if interested teams will simply wait for Talib to be released rather than try to trade for him. Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com says he asked three GMs at this year’s Senior Bowl if they would trade for Talib, and they all said “no” (Twitter link). After all, if the Broncos were to cut Talib, they would take on only $1MM in dead money, meaning that they would still shave $10MM off the books. So, if teams are confident Talib will be available anyway, they will not be as likely to give up draft capital for his services.
Talib has enjoyed success at every stop of his NFL journey, which began when he was selected by Tampa Bay in the first round of the 2008 draft. He was traded to New England in the middle of the 2012 season, and he made his first Pro Bowl in 2013, his only full season with the Patriots.
Poll: Where Will Case Keenum Play In 2018?
Case Keenum was one of the best stories of the 2017 season. Stepping in for the injured Sam Bradford, Keenum performed at a very high level throughout much of the regular season and guided Minnesota to the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. In the NFC Divisional Round matchup against the Saints, Keenum made up one-half of the Minnesota Miracle that catapulted the Vikings to the NFC title game against the Eagles.
But outside of that remarkable play, which was largely aided by a defensive lapse on the part of the New Orleans secondary, Keenum struggled in the playoffs, and he could not generate any momentum in the team’s 38-7 loss to Philadelphia last week. So, even though we heard just last Sunday that it would be shocking if the Vikings did not put the franchise tag on Keenum this offseason, it may not be so simple.
Indeed, while Keenum could certainly be a late bloomer who finally got a real chance to show what he could do in 2017, the fact remains that he is a career journeyman who will turn 30 in just a couple of weeks. And, since he did put up a couple of clunkers in the regular season to go along with his disappointing playoff performance, it may be hard to convince Minnesota to put the ~$23.3MM tag on him this offseason, let alone sign him to a long-term deal.
On the other hand, there are plenty of teams who are looking for a competent signal-caller, so Keenum could have a number of suitors. The Browns always need a quarterback, and they are loaded with plenty of cap space. Of course, they also have two of the top four picks in the draft, and they are widely expected to use one of those picks on one of this year’s top collegiate quarterbacks.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, have a talented roster and could be just a QB away from competing in 2018. Arizona just saw Carson Palmer retire, and they could realistically make a play for Keenum. The Jaguars came heart-wrenchingly close to advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history last week, and it has been rumored for months that they will be in the QB market in 2018. Keenum could certainly be a fit there, though Jacksonville could simply opt to bring back Blake Bortles, who was decent in the regular season and who played well in the team’s last two playoff contests. The Jags have also been connected to more established signal-callers like Alex Smith, who could be traded from Kansas City this offseason.
The Bills were interested in Keenum last year, and they could certainly be interested again this year, as Tyrod Taylor is far from a sure thing. But they will need to ask themselves whether Keenum would be a significant upgrade over Taylor, which is not an easy question. And Buffalo’s divisional rival, the Jets, are in need of a QB, but they, too, could look to fill that need in the draft. New York has also been connected to Smith in recent trade rumors.
More landing spots could become available as the offseason goes on. For instance, if the Redskins cannot agree to terms with Kirk Cousins, or if they choose not to franchise tag him for the third straight year, then they could take a look at Keenum.
The Vikings, though, also have a lot of cap room, so they could put the franchise tag on Keenum and still have enough space to address other needs. But they will also need to determine what to do with Teddy Bridgewater, whom they drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft and who has gamely battled back from a horrific ACL injury. Bridgewater is also an unrestricted free agent, and it’s not out of the question that Minnesota could bring back both him and Keenum.
It’s hard to believe that we’re even having this discussion, but here we are. Where do you think Keenum will play next season? He has expressed a desire to stay in Minnesota, but will he get that chance, or will he wind up elsewhere? Let us know in the poll below, and feel free to elaborate in the comments section.
Where Will Case Keenum Play In 2018?
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Vikings 42% (1,384)
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Cardinals 21% (694)
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Somewhere else 14% (458)
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Bills 9% (287)
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Jets 7% (244)
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Browns 5% (170)
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Jaguars 3% (93)
Total votes: 3,330
East Notes: Giants, Foles, Patriots
New Giants head coach Pat Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman — in stark contract to their predecessors at this time last year — recognize that Big Blue needs to make significant improvements to its O-line in order to return to contention in 2018, as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. Schwartz views the rapid improvement that the Vikings’ O-line made from 2016 to 2017, in large part due to heavy free agent and draft investment, as an indication that New York will be able to make a similar jump under Shurmur.
Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg are unrestricted free agents and there is no guarantee that either will be re-signed, John Jerry can be cut without many salary cap implications, and the new regime has no connection to Ereck Flowers, so the Giants’ line will be in for a major overhaul, and Schwartz thinks Shurmur is the right man to lead that change.
Now for more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Shurmur was able to retain Giants assistant offensive line coach Lunda Wells, who also garnered interest from the Raiders and other teams. New York will promote Wells to tight ends coach. In addition, the team is expected to retain RB coach Craig Johnson, per Schwartz (via Twitter).
- Carson Wentz believes he will be ready for the start of the 2018 season, which is already leading to speculation as to what the Eagles will do with Nick Foles, who has guided the team to a berth in Super Bowl LII in Wentz’s absence. Jimmy Kempski of the PhillyVoice says the team’s medical staff also believes Wentz will be available when Week 1 of the 2018 season rolls around, and Foles will count for $7.6MM against the cap in 2018, the last year of his current deal. Rather than let Foles leave in free agency after 2018, Kempski speculates that Philadelphia could trade Foles to a QB-needy team this offseason. Of course, the Eagles have the luxury of simply holding onto one of the best backups in the league if they do not get an offer they like.
- Patriots QB Tom Brady had an appointment earlier this week to remove the 12 stitches on his throwing hand that he played with in the AFC Championship Game last Sunday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Brady is expected to be fully healthy for Super Bowl LII.
- James Harrison has given the Patriots‘ defense a nice boost since joining the team on December 26, and the 39-year-old said he does not intend to retire at the end of the season. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Harrison says he may want to play for up to two more years.
- Assuming the Jets are not able to land Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold in this year’s draft, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com believes Gang Green would prefer Josh Allen over Baker Mayfield (Twitter link). Although Allen may be more raw than Rosen or Darnold, some believe he has the highest ceiling of any signal-caller in the draft.
Latest On Josh McDaniels, Patriots’ Staff
Josh McDaniels had his second interview with the Colts on Friday, and it apparently went well. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link) that, shortly after the conclusion of Super Bowl LII, Indianapolis will hire McDaniels as its next head coach.
Of course, this hardly qualifies as breaking news. We have known for some time now that McDaniels would be heading to the Colts once New England’s season is over, and the Friday interview was largely just an opportunity for him to sit down with Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard and owner Jim Irsay to make plans for the offseason. As Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets, Irsay was not present for the first interview, so the second summit was needed to get the owner’s official stamp of approval.
McDaniels will now turn his attention towards bringing yet another Super Bowl to New England before he departs. The Patriots, meanwhile, will need to replace not only McDaniels, but DC Matt Patricia as well. Plus, as Schefter points out, Pats special teams coordinator Joe Judge is on an expiring contract, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe hears that Judge may well join Patricia in Detroit (Twitter link).
Volin writes in a full-length piece that Patriots LB coach Brian Flores — who got some head coaching interest this year — seems like the obvious candidate to replace Patricia as New England’s DC. The real question, then, is who (if anyone) will replace McDaniels.
As Volin notes, head coach Bill Belichick has not had to fill either top coordinator position since 2012, but his history suggests that if he does name a new offensive coordinator, he will promote from within. Indeed, all of Belichick’s coordinators during his 18-year tenure in New England either worked with him at a previous stop or worked their way up inside the Pats’ organization.
During a portion of Belichick’s reign, the team has not even had an official offensive coordinator. McDaniels ran the offense as a quarterbacks coach in 2005, and current Texans head coach Bill O’Brien called plays for the offense during the 2008-09 seasons but did not hold the OC title.
Nonetheless, someone will need to run the offense, regardless of title, and Volin says the only two realistic choices on-staff are assistant quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski and receivers coach Chad O’Shea. Of the two, Volin sees O’Shea as the more likely target, as he has experience in all facets of the game and currently serves as the team’s red zone offense coordinator.