Latest On Mario Williams, Bills
Add Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) to the chorus of voices who believe Mario Williams‘ time with the Bills could be up at the end of the season. Rapoport says there is a “clear, fundamental disconnect” between head coach Rex Ryan and his defensive line, and Williams could be at the heart of the trouble.
Williams has been relatively vocal about his dissatisfaction with Ryan’s scheme, which has been largely ineffective this season. Indeed, the Bills’ defense under Ryan has regressed in almost every way from one year ago, when the unit was led by Jim Schwartz, who is reportedly missed by a number of the team’s defensive players. But Williams’ displeasure may now be manifesting itself in other ways, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Williams missed a team meeting this week and blamed illness for his absence, which not everyone believed.
Williams’ frustration, of course, is understandable. He is playing under a new defensive coordinator for the sixth straight year, and under Ryan’s 3-4 defense, he has been asked to do a great deal more than simply rush the passer. Although Ryan’s scheme is similar to the one that Mike Pettine deployed when he served as the Bills’ defensive coordinator several seasons ago, it is clear that Williams has struggled to adapt. His run defense has been mediocre, he has not looked especially good when dropping into coverage, and his pass rush numbers are way down. After posting double-digit sack totals in each of the last three years, Williams has just four sacks this season.
Adding to Williams’ discontent is the fact that he was probably viewing the 2015 season as a contract year, even though he is technically under club control for two more seasons. As is typically the case with mega-deals like the six-year, $96MM pact Williams signed with the Bills prior to the 2012 season, no one really expected Williams to play out the life of his contract without at least some sort of restructure. As former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets, Williams would carry a cap hit of $19.9MM in 2016, a number that is especially onerous for Buffalo, which will have over $146MM in cap obligations. Williams was always going to be a cut or restructure candidate, and at this point, it looks far more likely that he will be cut. After all, it much easier for the Bills to move on from Williams than it is for them to move on from Ryan.
But even though Williams will be on the wrong side of 30 when the 2016 season begins, Rapoport expects him to generate a great deal of interest on the open market, just like Julius Peppers did several seasons ago (Twitter link). Given Williams’ track record–he has compiled 95 sacks over his ten-year career–it will be relatively easy for him to convince other clubs that his disappointing 2015 season was due primarily to scheme rather than a diminishing skill set.
Steve Smith Expected To Return In 2016
Although Steve Smith, Sr. announced in August that the 2015 season would be his last in the NFL, there were rumblings as early as October that he would be open to returning in 2016. Given that this year has been such a disappointment for the Ravens, who had legitimate playoff aspirations when the season began, and given that Smith’s excellent individual performance was cut short by a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 8, it makes sense that the diminutive wideout, renowned for his toughness and competitive spirit, would want to give it one more shot in 2016.
And according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, that’s exactly what Smith plans to do. Citing sources who stay in regular contact with Smith, Rapoport says that if Smith feels like his usual self when he fully recovers from his torn Achilles, he will return next season, which will be the final year of the three-year, $11.5MM deal he signed with Baltimore prior to the 2014 campaign. Rapoport adds that Smith is out of his walking boot, and he is focusing on hydrotherapy at the moment in an effort to avoid atrophy and to ensure that he can regain his usual explosiveness and cutting ability.
Over the course of his prolific career, Smith has compiled 13,392 receiving yards–good for 11th all-time–to go along with 76 receiving touchdowns. That is not to mention the success he enjoyed as a return man in the early part of his career with the Panthers, his five Pro Bowls, and his two First Team All-Pro selections, all of which make him a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate. And although the 36-year-old Utah product showed some signs of slowing down towards the latter stages of the 2014 season–a season in which he nonetheless posted 1,065 receiving yards and six scores–he bounced back with a vengeance in 2015, averaging nearly 100 yards per game before being sidelined.
The Ravens will surely look to supplement their receiving corps this offseason, but they would love to see Smith return, as he has proven that, despite his age, he can still be an invaluable weapon for quarterback Joe Flacco, whose season was also cut short by an Achilles injury.
Sunday Roundup: Murray, Tomsula, Spiller
Let’s take a look at some links from around the league, starting with more news on the Eagles‘ running back drama:
- During DeMarco Murray‘s recent and much-ballyhooed conversation with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the embattled running back told Lurie that head coach Chip Kelly was “unapproachable.” When speaking with the owner, Murray openly questioned the abilities of Kelly and running backs coach Duce Staley.
- According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter links), Murray did have a lengthy meeting with Kelly earlier this week, but Kelly made no assurances to Murray regarding his role for the remainder of the season. In fact, Murray is listed as the fourth back on the Eagles‘ depth chart today.
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the message that the Eagles have sent to the rest of the league is clear: Murray is available. On a related note, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explores the Eagles‘ options with regards to Murray’s contract, ultimately concluding that trading Murray in 2016 is the strategy that would work best for Philadelphia.
- The 49ers‘ improved play over the last few weeks has lightened the mood in the locker room and has likely bought head coach Jim Tomsula another year with the club, per Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. The team has appeared more engaged and has given the front office tangible signs of hope, which means Tomsula will probably be back in 2016.
- La Canfora writes that many league owners are concerned about the strength of the Raiders‘ ownership group and would prefer that the Chargers either move to Los Angeles by themselves or partnered with the Rams. Although that seems unlikely at this point, the overall “trepidation” surrounding the Raiders and the prevailing belief that Oakland remains a viable NFL market could mean that the Carson project–which would see the Raiders and Chargers move to LA together–may not get the requisite 24 votes at the league meetings in January to move forward.
- Tim Hightower has stepped in for the injured Mark Ingram in the Saints‘ backfield today, which represents yet another blow to free agent addition C.J. Spiller. Per Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune (citing The NFL Network), Spiller is a “long shot” to return to New Orleans next season.
- Although the Seahawks of course have been delighted with Thomas Rawls‘ performance thus far, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Marshawn Lynch is progressing and the team is very open to Beastmode’s return.
- Mark Potash of The Chicago Sun-Times writes that Bears GM Ryan Pace will have a tough decision to make with Matt Forte this offseason, and Potash examines Pace’s options in that regard.
More On Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick
We learned yesterday that Jets head coach Todd Bowles wants quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to return to the team in 2016, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Fitzpatrick is equally excited about a potential reunion with the club. The Harvard product is in the final year of a two-year, $7.25MM deal he signed with the Texans in 2014, and he will therefore be eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.
Fitzpatrick, a career journeyman who had previously been tagged with unfortunate designations like “just good enough to lose,” has seen something of a revival in New York. Thrust into the starting role after the bizarre Geno Smith/IK Enemkpali incident, Fitzpatrick has thrown 22 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions while posting a solid, if unspectacular, quarterback rating of 88.1. Most importantly, he has the Jets in the midst of the playoff hunt.
Because the Jets are currently 7-5, they will likely not finish low enough in the standings to nab one of the top quarterback options in the 2016 draft. And even though Fitzpatrick has performed well in two consecutive seasons–he threw for 17 TDs against eight interceptions for the Texans in 2014 while putting up a 95.3 quarterback rating–he will still be relatively inexpensive. Given that, and given that Fitzpatrick is clicking with top wideouts Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker while settling nicely into offensive coordinator Chan Gailey‘s offense, it makes sense that the Jets would explore a new contract prior to the February scouting combine.
Fitzpatrick, for his part, has developed a strong relationship with Gailey and has appeared to enjoy his time in New York, where he has expertly navigated the unique New York media situation and evolved into an undisputed locker room leader. Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday writes that Bowles had “a lot of input” in the team’s decision to trade a seventh-round draft choice for Fitzpatrick last March, and the move has clearly paid off for all parties involved (except, perhaps, for Houston). As such, all signs are pointing towards Fitzpatrick landing a multiyear contract from the club within the next few months.
North Notes: Browns, Austin, Wolf
Browns head coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer will not both be back with the team next season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Pettine had hinted at some discord between the Cleveland front office and coaching staff last week, but apparently the situation is more toxic than originally believed.
According to Rapoport, the coaching staff believes the scouting department does not provide the team enough information to effectively execute the game plan, and the scouting department believes the coaching staff does not effectively utilize its personnel. Neither the front office nor the coaches, of course, are without fault. Farmer has blown two consecutive drafts, which has hamstrung Pettine’s efforts quite a bit, but Pettine has not been an especially savvy in-game strategist and has failed to establish the hard-nosed, defensive-minded mentality he promised when he was hired. If owner Jimmy Haslam chooses to keep one of the Pettine/Farmer duo, the smart money may be on Pettine, but it seems clear that at least one of those men will be out of a job at the end of the season, and perhaps both will be looking for a new position.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s north divisions:
- Although Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes Lions head coach Jim Caldwell‘s fate is sealed–no one believes he will return to Detroit next season–the futures of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter are more uncertain. Austin, for the second season in a row, has done an excellent job leading the Lions’ defense, and although Cooter has less of a track record, he has successfully turned around an offense that crashed and burned under Joe Lombardi. If Austin does not get a head coaching position this offseason–he could even wind up as the Lions’ head coach–he is certainly a viable candidate to return as DC, and Meinke believes Cooter is deserving of an extended look as OC.
- Though Austin will be a candidate for the Lions‘ head coaching position, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that current Bears OC Adam Gase will be a “top target” for the club.
- Packers pro personnel director Eliot Wolf is a hot name among teams searching for a GM this offseason, but per La Canfora, it is highly unlikely Wolf will be leaving Green Bay. Wolf, who has steadily risen through the ranks of the Packers organization, is seen as the heir apparent to current GM Ted Thompson, and he would be exceedingly selective if he were to consider any position outside of Green Bay. La Canfora’s report does not come as much of a surprise, as Wolf has been a popular GM candidate for several years now.
- Although Steelers tackle Mike Adams is technically in the final year of his rookie contract, he will remain under club control in 2016, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Adams was placed on the PUP list before the start of training camp, he never returned to the active roster, and he was not removed from the PUP list, which means that his contract will be tolled and he will be back with Pittsburgh in 2016 at the same salary he earned in 2015 (roughly $873K). Adams could still hit the open market if the Steelers choose to cut him, of course, but given the team’s lack of depth at tackle, Kaboly does not see that as a real option.
Titans GM Webster “Far From Safe”
Titans GM Ruston Webster is “far from safe,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Just last week, Webster spoke with ESPN about the preliminary efforts he and other members of the Tennessee front office were making to find a new head coach, but per Rapoport, Webster may not be around to see the fruits of those labors. As one high-ranking source told Rapoport, “when you’ve won five games in the last two years, no one is safe” (Twitter link).
Webster has served as the Titans GM since 2012, and has been with the organization since 2010. Since that time, the team has gone 18-42, has seen two coaches be fired, and has failed to make the playoffs. Some of that, of course, is not entirely Webster’s fault. For instance, as ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky wrote early last month, the two coaches that have been fired–Mike Munchak and Ken Whisenhunt–have been forced on Webster by ownership, and Webster drafted players for a 4-3 defense only to see the team’s coaching staff switch to a 3-4 scheme.
On the other hand, Webster’s track record in free agency, with a couple of exceptions, has left much to be desired, and although he did draft Marcus Mariota last May, he also drafted underachieving players like Jake Locker, Justin Hunter, and Bishop Sankey. Plus, as Kuharsky points out, it is almost always preferable for a new coach and GM to come into an organization together rather than have two men on two different clocks that never sync up.
So while CEO/team president Steve Underwood gave Webster a vote of confidence last month, adding that Webster has a “solid” track record as a personnel executive and could “collaborate with virtually anyone,” that show of support may not mean much when the season ends. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, the Titans could be in position to land a high-profile head coach this offseason, and such a coach would likely want to install their own GM, or to have final say over personnel decisions. If that’s the case, then Webster could certainly follow Whisenhunt out of Nashville.
Kwon Alexander Suspended Four Games
DECEMBER 7, 1:13pm: Alexander will begin serving his four-game suspension this week, a source tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). That would rule out the linebacker for the rest of the regular season, making him eligible to return either for the first game of the postseason or the 2016 opener.
NOVEMBER 22, 4:35pm: Alexander claims the substance was in an energy drink he consumed, and he will appeal the suspension, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
8:32am: Buccaneers rookie linebacker Kwon Alexander has tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug and faces a four-game suspension, per Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times, who adds that the banned substance is believed to be contained in an over-the-counter supplement that Alexander consumed (Twitter links).
According to Stroud, Alexander has been aware of the positive test for several weeks, but the NFL has not yet notified the team. Once the Bucs are formally notified, Alexander will have five business days to file an appeal. In the meantime, Alexander will continue to play, and in fact is expected to start against the Eagles this afternoon (Twitter links). Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida has tweeted confirmation of the news.
Although Tampa Bay is a full two games out of a wild card spot, the team has won two of its last three contests and is seeing a noticeable improvement in play from rookie signal-caller Jameis Winston. However, any playoff push it may make would be significantly hindered by losing Alexander, who has been one of the Bucs’ best defensive players this season and who is third on the team in solo tackles. The former LSU product, selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft, has added two interceptions and two sacks in head coach Lovie Smith‘s linebacker-driven defense. Alexander has started all nine of the team’s games this year.
General manager Jason Licht has not commented on this development, as he is still awaiting notification from the league (Twitter link via Stroud). Should Alexander lose his appeal, or should he opt to not file one, Bruce Carter could see an increase in playing time.
49ers Open To Kaepernick Return
6:35pm: NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport echoes Schefter’s report, providing more details on the meeting.
“My understanding is Colin Kaepernick sat down with general manager Trent Baalke and discussed among other things potential free agent targets for next year and the plan for 2016, a sign that maybe — just maybe — the 49ers are not done with Kaepernick yet,” Rapoport said on NFL Network’s GameDay Morning (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “I’m told he is in their plans for 2016.”
9:22am: Most NFL writers and talking heads believe that the 49ers and quarterback Colin Kaepernick will part ways this offseason. San Francisco appears to be headed towards a rebuilding phase, Kaepernick’s performance has declined precipitously over the last several seasons, and there is plenty of reported interest in Kaepernick’s services among quarterback-needy teams who remain intrigued by the 28-year-old’s upside. Indeed, the majority of articles published over the last several weeks have focused on where Kaepernick will end up in 2016, and San Francisco has not appeared on many of those lists.
But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Kaepernick met with team officials last week, and both sides are open to a reunion in 2016. Of course, neither party would publicly foreclose the possibility of a return at this point, but it is interesting to note that there was a meeting between team and player that apparently went well. Both sides were rumored to be looking for a fresh start, and recent reports indicated that the 49ers would continue to dangle Kaepernick in trade talks in the offseason after they were contacted by at least three teams who were interested in acquiring the signal-caller in advance of this year’s trade deadline.
Of course, Kaepernick’s contract situation is a complicating factor in all of this. His $11.9MM salary in 2016 is currently guaranteed for injury only, but it becomes fully guaranteed on April 1, 2016. The shoulder surgery that he underwent on November 24 has a recovery time of four to six months, and if he cannot pass a physical by April 1, the team would be forced to guarantee his salary. If that’s the case, and if a trade is untenable–as at least one national writer believes–then maybe Kaepernick will, in fact, return to the team he starred for not long ago.
Sunday Roundup: Payton, Lacy, Osweiler
As Week 13 gets underway in full force, let’s take a look at some news and notes from around the league:
- The Saints will not release head coach Sean Payton, but the team is warming to the idea of trading him for draft picks, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. New Orleans though, would not deal Payton to a team he does not wish to coach, and Payton would not sign an extension with any team that does not appeal to him.
- 2015 has been nothing short of a disappointment for Packers RB Eddie Lacy, and his on-field struggles are just one cause for concern. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com), Green Bay is troubled by Lacy’s off-field behavior–Lacy was, of course, disciplined for a curfew violation Wednesday night–and the team in fact cut fellow RB Alonzo Harris and did not resign him to the practice squad because he is a close friend of Lacy’s and the Packers apparently believe Harris is a bad influence on their star back.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examines the type of deal that Broncos QB Brock Osweiler might command in the offseason. The Broncos may offer him a contract with an AAV of roughly $12MM–which is what Nick Foles is earning with the Rams–but assuming Osweiler finishes the regular season with a 6-1 or 5-2 record as a starter, he would have no reason to accept such an offer, as there would be plenty of teams willing to shell out much more than that in free agency. Instead, Denver may be forced to extend Von Miller and use the franchise tag–which it planned to use on Miller–on Osweiler.
- In a separate piece, Fitzgerald examines the 2016 class of free agent defensive ends.
- Although he lost the opportunity to finish the season as the Browns‘ starting QB several weeks ago, Johnny Manziel has been told by the club that he will start again this season, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. When that will be, however, is anyone’s guess.
- After failing in his attempts to purchase the Bills, Jon Bon Jovi is still attempting to buy an NFL club, and La Canfora writes that Bon Jovi, along with a number of other potential suitors, is paying close attention to the Titans, a team that other owners believe could formally come for sale in the spring or fall as the Adams family continues to sort through tax and estate issues.
- Texans right guard Brandon Brooks, who has dealt with a number of stomach ailments over the past year, experienced nausea this morning at Ralph Wilson Stadium and went to a Buffalo-area hospital for further evaluation, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Needless to say, Brooks was scratched from Houston’s game with the Bills this afternoon.
- Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets that the 49ers have not yet determined if they will move rookie WR DeAndre Smelter off the NFI list. The deadline to do so is tomorrow, and the team’s decision could be impacted by its injury situation after today’s clash with the Bears.
Tom Telesco To Remain With Chargers
Although it had been previously unannounced, Chargers GM Tom Telesco signed a multiyear extension with the club over the summer, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. His job is therefore secure and he will return to the team next season, but head coach Mike McCoy remains on the hot seat, as the Chargers will evaluate all of their coaches after the season. According to Michael Gehlken of The San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links), the extension runs through 2019 and was not originally reported because it was signed very close to the start of the season and the team did not want to create a distraction.
We heard just two weeks ago that both Telesco and McCoy were in danger of losing their jobs at the end of the 2015 campaign, but La Canfora’s report is consistent with a mid-November story that Telesco would get at least one more year to right the ship. Sources familiar with the inclinations of John Spanos, the Chargers president of football operations, say Spanos prefers continuity among his top decision-makers, and Spanos apparently believes that injuries, more than poor roster construction, are to blame for the Chargers’ 3-8 record. Of course, Telesco’s predilection for small and speedy players could be a cause of the team’s rash of injuries, and it also has had a direct impact on the team’s performance. After all, the defense is undersized and not especially physical, and even before the injuries started to mount, there were not many players on the defensive side of the ball that were worthy of a starting job.
On the other hand, Telesco did manage to piece together a contending club during his first two seasons in San Diego despite inheriting the an aging roster, and it’s not as though many of the players who are currently struggling with injury had any type of injury history in college that should have made Telesco wary of drafting them. While Telesco has been an abject failure in free agency, the team was willing to reaffirm its faith in its first-time GM by granting him a contract extension.
The Chargers are facing a very uncertain future, both in terms of officials and location, but they apparently believe Telesco is the right personnel man to lead them into their next era. When the offseason rolls around, Telesco’s first priority may be to find a new head coach to replace the one who joined the organization at the same time he did.