AFC West Notes: A. Smith, Broncos, M. Williams
After jumping out to a 5-0 start this year, the Chiefs have lost four of their last five games, making themselves vulnerable to the surging Chargers and even the Raiders in the AFC West. The team’s offensive struggles have contributed to that swoon, and quarterback Alex Smith has fallen off a bit after a torrid first half. He is coming off a miserable performance in Kansas City’s loss to the lowly Giants last week, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Chiefs would only turn to rookie first-rounder Patrick Mahomes if Smith were to get hurt. Smith will remain under center the rest of the year, though Kansas City still plans to shop him in the offseason as it prepares to usher in the Mahomes era.
Now for more notes from the AFC West:
- New Chiefs CB Darrelle Revis will likely make his Kansas City debut next week, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
- Paxton Lynch is back under center for the Broncos, and Rapoport (video link) says they want him to start the rest of the year so they can fairly evaluate what they have in last year’s first-rounder. The team will run a much simpler offensive scheme for Lynch than what it employed under former OC Mike McCoy, and Lynch has been encouraged to simply do what he does best, which is run around and improvise.
- We learned earlier today that the Raiders are likely to fire OC Todd Downing at season’s end, and that McCoy is an obvious candidate to replace him. Within that story, we cited another La Canfora article in which the CBS scribe reported that the McCoy firing might have been just the tip of the iceberg for the Broncos. He suggests that there is speculation that head coach Vance Joseph could be out after just one year on the job, and at the very least, that Denver could shake up other parts of its coaching staff.
- Broncos GM John Elway has taken a lot of heat for his club’s 3-7 record in 2017, but Mike Klis of 9News.com says that criticism is largely unwarranted. In an interesting piece that pits Elway’s draft results against those of his long-tenured colleagues, Elway comes out near the top of the heap of NFL general managers, which makes Klis believe he will be able to turn the ship around in 2018.
- We learned Friday that Chargers rookie wideout Mike Williams avoided an ACL tear during his team’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Cowboys, and Rapoport tweets that Williams has been diagnosed with a bone bruise. While Williams is expected to miss next week’s contest against the Browns, he will be week-to-week thereafter, which is a big deal for a team that has forced its way back into the playoff hunt.
NFC Notes: Jenkins, Winston, Seahawks
The Giants‘ disastrous 2017 season keeps getting worse. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, New York cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been playing for the last two months with a “debilitating” ankle injury that has limited his ability to cut and change direction (which certainly could explain why he has regressed this year after enjoying a strong 2016 campaign, his first with Big Blue). Schefter says that Jenkins will need to undergo ankle surgery at some point, and doctors are scheduled to discuss the matter tomorrow. It sounds as if Jenkins will be shut down so that he can have the surgery, which makes plenty of sense given that the Giants do not have anything to play for this year.
Now for more from the NFC:
- Schefter reports that the NFL has already spoken with Buccaneers head of security, Andres Trescastro, as part of its investigation into the most recent sexual assault accusations leveled against Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston. Schefter says the conversation was more introductory and exploratory in nature, and that the league’s investigation is not expected to be wrapped up by the end of the season (which is hardly surprising).
- Winston, of course, is also battling a shoulder injury, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) reports that the Buccaneers signal-caller received platelet-rich plasma injections several weeks ago and is rapidly improving. However, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com cautions that Winston receives an MRI every week, and last week’s MRI revealed he was still not ready to return to practice, despite the PRP injection. Taking reps in practice will be the next step for Winston.
- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated that there will soon be more clarity on the injuries to defensive stalwarts Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Avril is battling a serious stinger and numbness in his arm that was initially reported to be career-threatening, while Chancellor is contending with a neck injury that will likely sideline him for the rest of the year, though Carroll recently kept the door open on a return for his star safety.
- Seahawks left guard Luke Joeckel, who has missed the last five games following arthroscopic knee surgery, is expected to return to action for today’s matchup with the 49ers, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com writes.
- The Cowboys have waived Darren McFadden, and Ed Werder names the Seahawks as a potential fit for the former first-round pick (Twitter link). As Werder observes, Seattle is the only ream in the league without a running back that has rushed for 250 or more yards, making a McFadden-Seahawks marriage eminently plausible.
- In addition to shakeups at cornerback and the rest of their roster, the Cowboys are looking at potential changes to their safety positions as well, as Clarence Hill, Jr. of the Star-Telegram tweets.
Cowboys Players Frustrated, Team To Make Several Moves
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link), while Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has publicly supported head coach Jason Garrett and his staff, the players themselves are not so supportive. Last year’s NFC East champions are just 5-6 and are mired in a three-game losing streak during which they have looked lethargic and mediocre, and the players are frustrated that the coaching staff has not made proper adjustments to help resolve their issues.
For instance, Rapoport says players are angry that the coaching staff did not provide Chaz Green with enough blocking support when he filled in for injured left tackle Tyron Smith, and they are generally frustrated with the vanilla schemes on both sides of the football.
Some changes, though, are being made. We learned earlier today that the team elected to waive running back Darren McFadden, and Rapoport say Dallas also plans to bench cornerback Anthony Brown.
The team also plans to bolster its defensive line by signing veteran Datone Jones, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Jones, who was recently cut by the 49ers, is expected to ink a two-year deal with the Cowboys tomorrow. Jones is a former first-round selection who has already been a part of three organizations this year (the Vikings, Lions, and 49ers), though he only saw game action with San Francisco. He recorded six tackles in three games and offers help as a rotational piece.
Archer also reports that the Cowboys will release kicker Mike Nugent and will promote running back Trey Williams from the practice squad to take McFadden’s place on the roster.
The above transactions, however, are minor moves that are not likely to ease the tension that Rapoport says permeates the locker room. Indeed, as Clarence Hill, Jr. of the Star-Telegram tweets, the team is not making any play-calling or coaching changes.
Browns To Activate Josh Gordon
Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon is eligible to return to live action next week against the Chargers, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link), the team does plan to activate him and he will play next Sunday.
Gordon, who has been plagued by suspensions throughout his career, was conditionally reinstated on November 1, and he has reportedly looked like his old self in his subsequent workouts at the team facility. He apparently kept himself in good shape during his recovery from drug and alcohol problems, and all reports concerning Gordon since his reinstatement have been glowing.
Gordon, of course, produced one of the best seasons by a receiver in NFL history in 2013 when he led the league with 1,646 yards in just 14 games, but he has played just five games since that breakout campaign. His next game will be his first since 2014.
Gordon’s business manager, Michael Johnson, said Gordon is in the best mental state of his life and the Browns have “bought in.” For his part, Gordon is curious to see how effective he can be sober, as he says he has never been sober in his professional career.
If Gordon — who is still just 26 — can stay on the field even as an average player, it would represent one of the more incredible comeback stories in recent memory. Suddenly, there may be a reason to watch the Browns in the final few weeks of the season.
Eagles Working On Brandon Graham Extension
The Eagles are working on a new deal for defensive end Brandon Graham, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Graham has racked up six sacks this season — his career-high is 6.5 — and he currently ranks as the fifth-best edge defender in the league (out of 112 qualified players) per Pro Football Focus.
Graham is still under club control through 2018 as a result of the four-year, $26.5MM deal he inked in 2015, a deal that looks like a bargain now. Despite some rumblings that he would hold out of training camp this summer, he never did so and firmly indicated that he never planned to hold out. Nonetheless, the Eagles did add incentives to his current deal in August and now it seems they are prepared to reward him even more.
Philadelphia, of course, is 9-1 and is on the short list of Super Bowl favorites. The team also has a history of being aggressive in locking up key members of its roster, even late in the season (the Eagles signed Timmy Jernigan to a lucrative multi-year deal several weeks ago).
As La Canfora notes, Graham is something of a late-bloomer, but he has thrived under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and his impact goes far beyond his raw sack totals. He is a key cog in the club’s defensive success, and GM Howie Roseman is ready to pay him accordingly. La Canfora does say that the two sides have a fairly large gap to bridge, but the team’s interest in getting something done soon is genuine.
Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com (Twitter link) says that if Graham and the Eagles can agree to terms, his extension would likely lower his cap hit for 2018 (currently $7.5MM) to free up some space. After all, as Shorr-Parks observes in a separate piece, the cap hits for Jernigan’s new contract are out, and they are significant.
Raiders Expected To Fire Todd Downing After 2017
The Raiders fired defensive coordinator Ken Norton earlier this week, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that offensive coordinator Todd Downing is coaching for his job. Per La Canfora, the Raiders are unlikely to bring Downing back for 2018, and while head coach Jack Del Rio — who received a lucrative extension prior to the season — is probably not going anywhere, it appears as if his staff will look quite different next year.
Downing was a hot offensive coordinator candidate last offseason and drew interest from multiple clubs. The Raiders ultimately decided to promote him after allowing former OC Bill Musgrave‘s contract to lapse, but their offense has taken a significant downturn with Downing at the helm.
Downing, 37, has had success as a quarterbacks coach in the past, serving in that capacity with the Lions from 2011-13, the Bills in 2014, and the Raiders from 2015-16. Under his tutelage, Derek Carr became one of the better quarterbacks in the league, but Carr has regressed this season and the offense is missing the big plays that it enjoyed under Musgrave. The offense ranks just 18th in offensive points scored, 21st in yards per game, 22nd in plays of 10 yards or more, 27th in rushing yards, and 21st in overall passing.La Canfora adds that Downing has not endeared himself to other coaches and front office members, which could help trigger his ouster.
If the team does look for a new OC in 2018, La Canfora names Mike McCoy as a potential candidate. Per La Canfora, McCoy has been approached by several teams who want him to work as a consultant for the duration of 2017, but he is unlikely to entertain any such advances. Instead, he will simply wait for the winter hiring period, when he will be one of the more coveted coordinators on the market.
Even if Del Rio does not hire McCoy, he is likely to seek someone with more experience in light of Downing’s disappointing first season.
Mark Ingram Could Become Free Agent At Season’s End
Running back Mark Ingram, who is enjoying an excellent campaign with the surprising Saints, is under contract with New Orleans through the 2018 season as part of a four-year, $16MM deal he signed with the club in 2015 after the expiration of his rookie contract. He will be owed a $4MM base salary next season, but, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com observes, the final year of his contract will void if Ingram is named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.
While that provision is not news, it is the first time that it has really come into play. Ingram has been stuck in a series of time-shares since he was selected by the Saints in the first round of the 2011 draft, and while he has ceded reps to breakout rookie back Alvin Kamara in 2017, he has still managed to keep himself among the top of the league’s running back rankings. The 27-year-old has the most rushing yards in the NFL since Week 5 (636), the most yards from scrimmage in the league since Week 6 (724) and the most rushing touchdowns since Week 2 (eight). His eight rushing scores are are tied for first in the league, and he is fourth in the league with 806 rushing yards and fourth among running backs with 1,019 yards from scrimmage. So, while a first-team All-Pro nod might be a bit of a stretch right now, it may not be if he continues at his current pace.
If Ingram were to become a free agent at the end of the season, he would join Carlos Hyde as one of the top two free agent running backs (assuming the Steelers do not let Le’Veon Bell hit the open market). While running backs have had a tough go of it in free agency in recent years, Ingram would assuredly earn more than the $4MM he is currently set to make in 2018. Barring injury, he will go over 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight year, and he is a quality receiver out of the backfield.
Assuming the Saints re-sign Drew Brees in the offseason, they may not have enough cap space to bring Ingram back if he becomes a free agent, and they would likely give Kamara a larger role under that scenario. Again, this is all just a hypothetical discussion right now, but it will be an interesting situation to monitor down the stretch.
Cowboys To Waive Darren McFadden
The Cowboys are going to waive RB Darren McFadden, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport and Todd Archer of ESPN.com note that the decision is a mutual one.
McFadden, now 30, has appeared in only one game for Dallas this season, rushing one time for negative two yards. Even in the wake of Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension, he has not been able to get on the field, as Alfred Morris has jumped to the top of the depth chart and Rod Smith has served as Morris’ backup.
McFadden rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2015, his first year in Dallas, but he lost much of the 2016 season due to injury and was brought back for 2017 on a minimum salary benefit deal worth $980K. The Arkansas product, whom the Raiders drafted with the fourth-overall selection of the 2008 draft, has been plagued by injury for much of his career, and he therefore never really lived up to his enormous potential. He did post 1,157 rushing yards for Oakland in 2010 — to go along with 507 receiving yards — but outside of 2015, that was the only time he topped 1,000 rushing yards in his 10 years in the league.
As Rapoport notes, however, McFadden could be a useful piece for a contending club, as he should certainly be fresh down the stretch. If McFadden goes unclaimed on waivers, he will be free to sign with any team.
Greg Olsen To Return To Practice
Panthers TE Greg Olsen, who has been on injured reserve since suffering a broken foot in Week 2, will return to practice tomorrow, as Olsen himself said during the FOX pregame show today (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Olsen, who is serving as a FOX analyst for today’s Rams-Vikings contest, indicated he would be on the field tomorrow and hopes to play against the Jets next week.
His return would be a boon for a team that traded away No. 1 wideout Kelvin Benjamin at the trade deadline and recently lost rookie Curtis Samuel for the season. Carolina is very much in the thick of things in the NFC South, sitting at 7-3 and just a half game behind the division-leading Saints, and Olsen could help the club at least secure a playoff berth. Quarterback Cam Newton and Olsen have had a great rapport during their time together in Carolina, with both players now among the league’s best at their respective positions.
Ed Dickson has served as the Panthers’ top tight end in Olsen’s absence, but outside of one monster game against Detroit, he has not been able to replicate Olsen’s production. Last year, Olsen had 80 catches for 1,072 yards and three touchdowns, which was his third consecutive season with 1,000 yards or more (and his fifth straight season with over 100 targets).
Between Olsen, Devin Funchess, and Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers should be able to cobble together enough of a passing game to stay in the playoff hunt.
NFC Notes: Clayborn, 49ers, Lions
Falcons defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn was prepared to hang up the cleats last offseason, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Clayborn suffered a torn biceps in Atlanta’s playoff win over the Seahawks in January, which marked the third time that he had endured a season-ending injury, and he was ready to retire rather than risk more pain and frustration. However, his fiancee (now wife) convinced him to give it another shot, and Atlanta is reaping the benefits. In addition to his otherworldly (and perhaps cathartic) six-sack performance against Dallas last week, Clayborn has rated as the 10th-best edge defender in the league (out of 110 qualifiers) per Pro Football Focus. He will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and he could be on the verge of a very nice payday.
Now for more from the NFC:
- 2017 was always going to be a rebuilding year for the 49ers, and Cam Inman of the Mercury News offers his thoughts as to each current player’s future with the club. He suggests, for instance, that the team may prefer to let oft-injured Jimmie Ward test a soft free agent market but may want to re-sign fellow free agent-t0-be Daniel Kilgore.
- Kyle Meinke of MLive.com says he would not be surprised if the Lions simply cut Eric Ebron this offseason. While Ebron is due an $8MM salary under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, that salary is guaranteed for injury only, so Detroit could move on from him with no penalty (assuming, of course, he does not get hurt in the meantime). Theoretically, the two sides could attempt to work out some alternate arrangement — after all, Ebron would not get close to $8MM on the open market — but given that Ebron seemed anxious for a fresh start when his name was bandied about at the trade deadline, it sounds as if Ebron may be playing his last games as Lion.
- In the same piece, Meinke says it is hard to imagine Lions head coach Jim Caldwell getting the axe after the season, even if the team fails to qualify for the playoffs. However, Meinke predicts that Detroit will let impending free agent center Travis Swanson, who has performed poorly this season, hit the open market while sliding Graham Glasgow from guard to center.
- Ty Montgomery‘s re-aggravated rib injury is more painful than the original injury that he suffered earlier in the year, as ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets. Anderson said the Packers running back, who will miss today’s contest against the Ravens, will try to practice later this week with the hopes of suiting up for Green Bay’s Week 12 game against Pittsburgh, but it does not sound particularly promising right now.
- Mike Pettine, who is currently serving as a consultant with the Seahawks, would be one of Matt Nagy‘s top choices for defensive coordinator if Nagy lands a head coaching job this offseason, as Michael Lombardi of The Ringer tweets. Pettine served as the Browns’ head coach from 2014-15, and he was previously a defensive coordinator for the Jets and Bills. Nagy currently works as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator and is expected to be one of the hottest head coaching candidates in 2018.