WR Cole Beasley Wants To Play In 2023, Open To Bills Return
Wide receiver Cole Beasley announced his retirement in October, only to unretire several months later. Per Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News, Beasley wants to suit up in 2023, and he is open to a return to the Bills.
Buffalo released Beasley in a cost-cutting move last March after he enjoyed a productive three-year run as the club’s primary slot receiver. He found a healthy market for his services and ultimately elected to join Tom Brady & Co. in Tampa Bay. However, he appeared in just two games for the Bucs, posting four catches for 17 yards, before abruptly retiring.
As Skurski observes, the retirement was a boon to Beasley from a health standpoint. He had played through a herniated disc in his neck in the prior couple of seasons, but his time away from the game allowed his injury to heal. This offseason, he is again able to enjoy his normal workout routine.
In an effort to replace Beasley’s production, the Bills signed fellow slot-man Jamison Crowder, but Crowder sustained a fractured ankle in October and played in just four games. Isaiah McKenzie and quarterback Josh Allen never developed the rapport that Beasley and Allen enjoyed, which led Buffalo to circle back to Beasley in December. While Beasley needed time to get back into game shape and learn the playbook of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, it did not take him too long to find a rhythm.
After playing in just 17 snaps over the final two games of the regular season, Beasley was on the field for 61 snaps over the Bills’ two playoff contests, catching five passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. With Crowder out of contract and Beasley — who will turn 34 in April — unlikely to command a particularly lucrative deal, Buffalo could certainly consider a re-up if it believes he can serve as Allen’s slot option over the course of a full season.
“At this point in my career, I’m still hungry and my body feels good,” Beasley said. “I still feel like I can do it and I can compete and play at a level that I’ve been playing at before this season. Obviously, I want to be somewhere that I can win, and I know that’s here, also. If that option is there, I would definitely do that. We’ll just have to see.”
49ers Want To Retain CB Emmanuel Moseley
The 49ers would like to re-sign cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, as GM John Lynch told reporters at his end-of-year presser last week. “He’s a guy we’d have interest in bringing back because of the way he plays, but also what he stands for,” Lynch said. “He’s one of us and we’d sure like to have him back” (via Kirk Larrabee of 49ers WebZone).
Moseley, a 2018 UDFA who broke through as a key player for the Niners during the 2019 season, landed a two-year, $10.1MM contract in March 2021. Unfortunately, a knee injury and an ankle malady forced him to miss six games during the 2021 regular season — though he did return to play every snap of the team’s three-game playoff run — and an ACL tear suffered in October cut his 2022 season short after just five games.
Even if the recent injury woes come up in contract negotiations, Lynch apparently is unconcerned about Moseley’s long-term prognosis. He indicated that Moseley’s recovery is going smoothly, and while he did not explicitly say so, it sounds as if Moseley could be cleared for the start of the 2023 season.
When he has been on the field, the Tennessee product has generally played well. He earned a solid 68.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021 and a 70.9 mark for his limited work in 2022, and PFF thought highly of his coverage abilities in both years. Underscoring those metrics are the miniscule 65.6 and 66.9 quarterback ratings that he has yielded over the past two seasons, and his ability to line up outside the numbers and in the slot further enhance his value.
Speaking of value, Spotrac suggests that Moseley could land a four-year deal paying him just shy of $17MM per season on the open market. As Larrabee notes, it is unclear if Lynch will need to go that far, with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area recently suggesting that Moseley may have to settle for a one-year, “prove-it” deal. On the other hand, the fact that the 49ers do not boast much by way of proven CB depth behind Charvarius Ward and 2021 fifth-rounder Deommodore Lenoir — who performed well in the playoffs after an uneven regular season — could help Moseley’s leverage.
Longtime safety Jimmie Ward did line up as a nickel corner down the stretch of the 2022 season and acquitted himself nicely, but he is out of contract, and Maiocco believes he will want to return to his natural safety position. Maiocco says the club could seek another affordable pact with Tashaun Gipson, who signed a modest one-year deal at the start of the season as an injury replacement for Jimmie Ward and who never relinquished his hold on the the starting free safety job. If that happens, the team would likely bid adieu to Jimmie Ward.
Giants Notes: Jones, Love, McKinney
Earlier this week, we heard that the Giants had not yet engaged in contract talks with quarterback Daniel Jones, who is set to hit free agency in March. The contract statuses of Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, another impending FA, have been intertwined for some time, and while the cost of a nonexclusive franchise tag for Barkley (~$10MM) is much lower than it is for Jones (~$32MM), tagging Barkley would considerably reduce the club’s leverage in its negotiations with Jones, because Jones would then have the power to reject any offer and hit the open market.
As such, it makes sense that GM Joe Schoen has resumed discussions with Barkley and may want to get that matter settled before turning his attention to his signal-caller, whose surprisingly strong 2022 has him in an enviable financial position. Previous reports indicated that New York would be eyeing a $35MM/year contract for the Dave Gettleman draftee, and in speaking with six current or former high-ranking NFL execs, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post says that number sounds about right.
All six experts suggested that a new contract for Jones would feature an AAV between $30MM and $40MM. Of course, guarantees and cash flow are better indicators of the value of an NFL contract than the yearly average, but Jones is in good shape in that regard as well. Dunleavy’s sources suggest that Jones could be in line for $70MM in full guarantees and up to $100MM in total guarantees.
The Brian Daboll/Schoen partnership led to a playoff berth much sooner than many anticipated, and whether or not New York builds on its 2022 success will depend in large part on how it resolves the Jones and Barkley situations. Indeed, the Giants have plenty of other needs, including wide receiver, and even assuming they retain their QB1 and RB1, they will still need to maximize their cap flexibility to prevent regression from a roster that generally overperformed last year.
In addition to outside acquisitions, Schoen has current players not named Jones or Barkley that he may want to take care of. One of those players is safety Julian Love, who saw a massive spike in playing time in the fourth and final year of his rookie deal and who paced Big Blue with 124 tackles. Player and team talked contract during the Giants’ bye week, and Schoen recently reiterated his desire to keep Love in the fold. Per Connor Hughes of SNY.tv, the bye week discussions were fruitful, and it sounds as if a new deal could be on the horizon (Twitter link).
Fellow safety Xavier McKinney missed a chunk of time in 2022 due to a hand injury suffered in an ATV accident, but he has now accrued three years of service time and is therefore eligible for an extension. As Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets, McKinney recently retained super-agent David Mulugheta, who represents some of the highest-profile safeties in the game. With so many other irons in the fire, it remains to be seen if Schoen will commence contract talks with McKinney in the coming weeks, but whenever it does happen, McKinney will be in good hands.
Jeffery Simmons Wants To Remain With Titans
Titans DL Jeffery Simmons just finished his second consecutive Pro Bowl campaign, and he has positioned himself well for a lucrative contract extension. Because Tennessee exercised the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, Simmons is under club control through 2023, but it sounds as if player and team are interested in a longer arrangement.
In speaking with reporters at this weekend’s Pro Bowl festivities, Simmons said that he recently sat down with new Titans GM Ran Carthon. While Carthon did not make any promises, he told Simmons that a new contract for the Mississippi State product is a priority, and the relationship between the two men is apparently in good shape (via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website).
“We had a great talk, and him saying I am one of his priorities, that meant a lot,” Simmons said. “I feel like he is the person for this job. There’s not much I can say especially with talk of the contract – my (agent) is handling that. But whenever we get to that point – I feel very confident that I’ll be here in Tennessee, and I want to be in Tennessee. So, we’ll see how that goes.”
While the Titans ended the 2022 season on a seven-game losing streak that knocked them out of the postseason hunt, Simmons held up his end of the bargain. In 15 games, he tallied 7.5 sacks and 54 total tackles and once again fared well in the eyes of advanced metrics. Pro Football Focus assigned him a stellar 81.1 overall grade for his work — a top-10 figure among interior defenders — with strong marks for his efforts against both the run and pass.
It therefore makes sense that Carthon would want to keep Simmons as the anchor of Tennessee’s defensive front for the foreseeable future, though that will be a costly proposition. Spotrac presently suggests that Simmons merits a four-year deal worth over $86MM, which would represent a $21MM+ per year payout. That type of contract would put Simmons near the top of the interior defender market, behind only future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald‘s $31.6MM AAV.
Interestingly, it appears that Simmons has now secured representation. Reports last summer concerning Simmons’ “hold-in” — which both Simmons and the Titans said was unrelated to his contract status — indicated that he was operating without an agent. Now, however, Spotrac lists Paul DeRousselle as his agent.
If a new contract does not come to fruition, Simmons will earn $10.6MM in 2023.
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer To Have Final Say Over 53-Man Roster
In his introductory press conference, new Panthers head coach Frank Reich shed some light on how the team will operate with respect to personnel decisions. Per Reich, GM Scott Fitterer will have final say over Carolina’s 53-man roster (Twitter link via Albert Breer of SI.com).
Reich was clear that this delineation of power is a “paper” one, meaning that he and Fitterer will collaborate on roster construction and staffing decisions. He said, “Scott will have control of the 53. I’ll have control of who’s active, who’s not active. But, ultimately, that’s on paper. In reality, this is 100 percent collaborative. I can already tell that with Scott. We’re gonna work side by side. We’re gonna tirelessly work where we’re gonna have the same vision” (via Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire).
Still, given that former head coach Matt Rhule had full control over the Panthers’ roster and was sometimes reluctant to change his stance on roster-related matters, a new approach could be a welcome change. That is especially true for Fitterer, who took the general manager title upon joining the Panthers in 2021 but who did not get the same chance to exercise his personnel muscles as most other GMs around the league.
Seeing the writing on the wall, Fitterer reportedly began distancing himself from Rhule during the 2021 season, and after Rhule was fired, owner David Tepper was quick to voice his support for his GM. Now, the former Seahawks exec will have more control over his own fate as he and Reich attempt to build on the progress that Carolina showed under interim HC Steve Wilks during the final 12 games of the 2022 campaign.
The Fitterer-Reich partnership is presently seeking a new offensive and defensive coordinator, and the duo will soon be tasked with identifying and acquiring a franchise quarterback. Fitterer and assistant GM Dan Morgan spent much of the fall scouting the top four quarterbacks in the 2023 class — Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson — in person, and while some of those passers will be gone by the time Carolina is on the clock with the No. 9 overall pick, the team could consider a trade up.
The Panthers could explore a reunion with Sam Darnold as a bridge option, and it is unclear how Reich feels about 2022 draftee Matt Corral, who is ticketed for a backup role on the 2023 depth chart. One way or another, the upcoming quarterback decision will likely play a major role in the long-term job security of both Fitterer and Reich.
In related news, Reich’s daughter, Hannah Reich Fairman, recently addressed the controversy that her hire as a member of the Panthers’ marketing department engendered. In a now-deleted tweet, Fairman announced on January 8 — the last day of the regular season — that she had accepted the job, which led some to believe that she was hired either to entice Reich to accept the HC post or as part of a pre-arranged deal with Reich. If that were the case, then that would obviously create concerns about the team’s interview process and Rooney Rule compliance.
However, Fairman recently said that she applied for the job while Reich was still employed by the Colts, so the Panthers can credibly argue that her hire was made entirely independently of her father’s (Twitter link via Sheena Quick of FOX 1340). There is no indication that the league is planning an investigation of the matter.
Kyler Murray Will Not Be Ready For Start Of 2023 Season?
The Cardinals are still searching for their next head coach, a search into which quarterback Kyler Murray reportedly has had input. Murray’s own health status could also be impacting the process.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Murray — who suffered an ACL tear in December — may not be cleared to play before the start of the 2023 regular season, and he may not see the field until the midway point of the campaign (video link). This differs a bit from Rapoport’s own report last month, when he indicated that Murray’s ACL tear was a clean one and that he had a realistic chance of suiting up for Week 1.
In addition to the ACL tear, however, Murray also suffered a torn meniscus. And, given his importance to the team and the fact that he just signed a massive contract extension last offseason, it stands to reason that the Cardinals would be especially cautious with his recovery. Although 2022 was a disappointing year across the board for the club — and although Murray’s regression in all major passing categories was a significant reason for that — his Pro Bowl performances over the 2020-21 seasons underscore his status as a franchise QB.
As such, while Rapoport said Murray’s prognosis has doubtlessly come up during the Cardinals’ head coaching interviews, it is unclear if it has deterred any candidates. Sean Payton, who interviewed with Arizona earlier this week, is reportedly a fan of Murray, and given the draft capital and financial commitment it would take to land Payton, the former Saints HC is surely not worried that the subpar win-loss record that the Cards might post in Murray’s absence would affect his job security.
But regardless of his thoughts on Murray, Payton’s momentum towards a return to the NFL in 2023 appears to be losing steam (which may be due, at least in part, to the Saints’ reported demand of two first-round picks in exchange for Payton’s rights). If the Cardinals elect to go in a different direction, Brian Flores, Aaron Glenn, and Ejiro Evero would reportedly comprise the team’s HC finalists.
Colt McCoy, who is under club control through 2023, would likely serve as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback for however many games Murray is forced to miss. McCoy has started six games for Arizona over the past two seasons, compiling a 3-3 record during that time.
Bengals Extend QBs Coach Dan Pitcher
Dan Pitcher will be sticking with the Bengals. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Cincinnati has signed its quarterbacks coach to a lucrative contract extension that will take him through at least the 2023 season.
Pitcher, 36, interviewed for the Buccaneers’ open offensive coordinator position on Friday, which was the first time in his career he had been connected to a coordinator post. Rapoport says that the Ravens also inquired on Pitcher, but rather than risk losing him to another club, the Bengals made a proactive move to reward one of their most important staffers.
Pitcher broke into the professional coaching ranks in 2016 as an offensive assistant on the staff of former Cincinnati HC Marvin Lewis. When Zac Taylor took over as the Bengals’ head coach in 2019, he retained Pitcher and promoted him to assistant quarterbacks coach. Pitcher became the club’s top quarterbacks coach the following year, and his work with 2020 No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow over the past three seasons is starting to pique the interest of other organizations.
Burrow, of course, has become one of the league’s best signal-callers and could be in line for a market-topping extension this offseason. He has the Bengals on the cusp of their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, and assuming the team continues to thrive in 2023, Pitcher will likely garner more OC looks.
Of course, the Bengals’ own offensive coordinator, Brian Callahan, has generated some HC buzz, and Pitcher could fill Callahan’s seat in Cincinnati if the latter should land a job as a bench boss elsewhere.
Colts Schedule Second HC Interviews With Shane Steichen, Rich Bisaccia
The Colts have added two more names to their list of HC finalists. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Indianapolis will conduct a second interview with Eagles OC Shane Steichen this week, while Tom Pelissero of NFL.com says that Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will get a second look as well.
Steichen, who also secured HC interviews with the Panthers and Texans in this year’s cycle, has quickly turned into a hot commodity on the head coaching market. The 37-year-old was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 2020 — which happened to be Justin Herbert‘s impressive rookie year — and he joined Philadelphia in the same capacity in 2021. Eagles HC Nick Sirianni handed Steichen the play-calling reins midway through the 2021 season, and the Eagles’ pivot to a run-heavy offense drove them to last year’s playoff bracket. Jalen Hurts’ progression as a passer this year helped the team secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a spot in today’s NFC Championship Game.
Bisaccia, 62, is one of the league’s most-respected third phase coaches. Of course, he took over as the Raiders’ interim HC in the wake of Jon Gruden‘s resignation in 2021, and he led Las Vegas to a 7-5 record down the stretch, which was enough to secure a playoff berth. That level of success earned him an interview to retain the position on a full-time basis, but the organization pivoted to Josh McDaniels instead. Bisaccia also took an HC interview with the Jaguars last offseason before accepting a job as Green Bay’s special teams coordinator.
Steichen and Bisaccia join a large group of candidates to advance from the Colts’ first round of virtual interviews — which did not include owner Jim Irsay — to a second round of meetings for which Irsay will be present. That group includes interim HC Jeff Saturday, Broncos DC Ejiro Evero, Rams DC Raheem Morris, and Giants DC Wink Martindale. Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy and Indy’s own ST coordinator, Bubba Ventrone, also remain in the mix.
The shadow of Saturday continues to loom over these proceedings. Despite both internal and external backlash, Irsay is said to be “pushing” to remove the interim tag from Saturday’s title and keep the Colts’ former center aboard as the team’s permanent head coach. Here’s the full list of Indianapolis’ HC candidates:
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/12; in finalist mix
- Rich Bisaccia, special teams coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/20; second interview scheduled
- Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/20
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Conducted second interview 1/26
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/14
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): Mentioned as candidate, to remain at Michigan or join Broncos?
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/13; plans to stay with Lions
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interviewed 1/22
- Don Martindale, defensive coordinator (Giants): Planning second interview
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Conducted second interview 1/27
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Second interview scheduled for 1/28; to stay with Cowboys
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview on hold; Colts still want to meet; prefers Texans’ job
- Jeff Saturday, interim head coach (Colts): Conducted second interview 1/25
- Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/14; second interview scheduled
- Bubba Ventrone, special teams coordinator (Colts): Interviewed 1/11; in finalist mix
Cardinals Narrowing List Of HC Candidates
The Cardinals appear to be narrowing their head coaching search. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com recently reported on The Pat McAfee Show, the team will either work to hire Sean Payton — whom they interviewed on Thursday — or will look to bring in another candidate for a second interview (video link). Per Rapoport, Brian Flores, Aaron Glenn, and Ejiro Evero would receive a second look if Arizona does not bring Payton aboard.
Rapoport added that the Cardinals are “resetting” in the wake of the Payton interview, though it’s unclear exactly what that means for Payton’s candidacy. The formers Saints HC, who is still under contract with New Orleans, has seen his momentum towards a return to the league stall a bit, and an earlier report from Rapoport indicated that Payton might not secure an HC job this year. Part of the reason for that could be the fact that the Saints are said to be demanding two first-round picks in exchange for Payton’s rights, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via NFL reporter Dov Kleiman on Twitter). That is consistent with a report from NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan earlier this month.
We recently heard that Flores was “firmly in the mix” for Arizona’s HC post, with several outlets suggesting that he is the frontrunner. Of course, the Cards hired former Patriots exec Monti Ossenfort as their general manager, and team owner Michael Bidwill is reportedly interested in pairing Ossenfort with Flores, the Patriots’ former defensive coordinator. Flores has also been connected to several current defensive coordinator vacancies, though one would imagine he would accept an offer to become the Cardinals’ head coach if Bidwill goes that route.
Glenn, meanwhile, boosted his HC stock thanks to the Lions’ strong finish to the 2022 campaign. Detroit’s defensive coordinator oversaw a unit that started the season 1-6 but ended on an 8-2 run that nearly led to a playoff berth. During that impressive stretch, the club’s defense yielded 20.2 points per game, the 11th-best mark in the league. Glenn has also earned praise for his development of defensive players like Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston, Jeff Okudah, and Kerby Joseph. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports observes, Glenn has known Murray and his family for some time, which could help his cause (Twitter link).
Along with Flores and Glenn, Evero would be another defensive-minded finalist. The Broncos’ defense was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal 2022, and in addition to the work he did with Denver, Evero has apparently acquitted himself nicely in his sit-downs with NFL clubs during this year’s cycle. The 42-year-old secured interviews with all five teams in need of a new head coach, and he advanced to the second round with the Colts and Texans,
Here’s how the Cards’ search is shaping up:
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed; potential finalist
- Brian Flores, linebackers coach (Steelers): Interviewed 1/23; favorite?; potential finalist
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/21; potential finalist
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/18
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Conducted second interview 1/25; to stay with Cowboys
- Sean Payton, former head coach (Saints): Interviewed 1/26
- Frank Reich, former head coach (Colts): Interviewed 1/17, hired by Panthers
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview cancelled, prefers Texans’ job
Panthers, C Bradley Bozeman Have Mutual Interest In New Deal
The Panthers signed Bradley Bozeman to a modest one-year, $2.8MM contract last offseason, which was something of a surprise given that the Alabama product was coming off a productive season as the Ravens’ full-time starter at center and seemed primed for a more robust market. After an uncertain start to his Carolina tenure, however, both player and team are interested in continuing their relationship, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets.
Bozeman and Pat Elflein battled for the Panthers’ starting center gig last summer, and the ankle injury that Bozeman suffered in August gave Elflein a leg up in that competition. Indeed, Elflein started the first six games of the 2022 season at the pivot while Bozeman saw only a handful of special teams snap in each of those contests. Elflein was then forced to undergo season-ending hip surgery, which opened the door for Bozeman to take over.
Bozeman played in every offensive snap for the Panthers over the final 11 games of the campaign, and his mauling style of play certainly helped a rushing attack that finished 10th in the league in yards per game despite losing Christian McCaffrey in advance of the trade deadline. Bozeman’s advanced metrics were unspectacular, though, as Pro Football Focus considered him the 20th-best center in the game out of 38 qualified players, and his 63.1 overall grade represented a step back after a strong 73.6 mark in his final season in Baltimore.
Still, the 28-year-old blocker has proven that he is at least a competent starter, with the potential to be more. He also has the ability to play guard at a passable level, which is not insignificant in light of Brady Christensen‘s so-so season at LG.
Elflein — who also has guard experience but who has never been a world-beater — could become a cap casualty (though that is simply speculation at this point). He is under club control through 2023, but the Panthers would realize $4.2MM of cap savings if they were to release him this offseason, money that could certainly go towards a second Bozeman contract.