Giants Place Shane Vereen, Ryan Nassib On IR
The Giants announced that they have officially placed Shane Vereen on IR. Quarterback Ryan Nassib is also being shut down with an elbow injury. To take their place on the roster, the Giants signed linebacker Ishaq Williams off their practice squad, as well as running back George Winn.
On Monday, head coach Ben McAdoo indicated that Vereen’s season was likely over. It’s an unfortunate break for the veteran as he only just came back from his initial triceps injury in Week 14. The 27-year-old’s season is finished after playing in just five games. He had 33 carries for 158 yards and one touchdown. He also added 11 catches for 94 yards. He’s under contract for one more year with the Giants for nearly $5MM against the cap.
Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, Nassib hasn’t made a single start for the Giants. He’s slated to hit free agency after the season and it will be interesting to see what kind of market develops for him, if the Giants allow him to test the waters in March. Nassib has received praise from Giants coaches for his work in practice, but we only have preseason games and the occasional regular season cameo to evaluate him on.
With Nassib sidelined, Josh Johnson becomes Eli Manning’s primary backup.
49ers Audition J’Marcus Webb
Things didn’t work out between J’Marcus Webb and the Seahawks. Could the offensive tackle try and redeem himself with an NFC West rival? The 49ers worked out Webb on Monday, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. 
[RELATED: 49ers Extend LB Ray-Ray Armstrong]
Webb joined the Seahawks this past offseason on a two-year, $6.25MM ($2.5MM guaranteed) deal. The former seventh-round pick was expected to compete for a starting gig, and the 28-year-old did end up starting three games for Seattle. However, the veteran’s role diminished over time and he was released in November.
In his 223 snaps for Seattle, Webb was given a dreadful 38.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Still, Webb offers plenty of starting experience, as the veteran has had three seasons with 16 starts. In six-plus seasons, Webb has played 80 games between the Seahawks, Raiders, Vikings, and Bears. He also has some experience playing on the interior line.
The 49ers could use some O-Line help considering that left tackle Joe Staley (hamstring) has missed the past couple of games, center Daniel Kilgore was placed on IR, and Kilgore’s replacement Marcus Martin suffered an ankle injury on Sunday.
FSU Coach Jimbo Fisher Signs Extension
In the past, Jimbo Fisher has received interest from NFL clubs. However, he won’t be making the jump from college to the pros this year. Today, Fisher agreed to a lengthy extension with Florida State, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Fisher’s new deal with FSU takes him through 2024, but there are always escape hatches in college deals, so Fisher could still entertain pro offers down the line. For this offseason, at least, he’s effectively out of the running for the Jaguars, Rams, or any other NFL team that will be looking for a head coach.
“I love college and I had opportunities to go to pro football as an assistant coach and as a coordinator and I’ve had inquiries as a head coach,” said Fisher back in May. “It’s got to be the right organization at the right time and the right situation if you’re ever interested. We have a great situation where I’m at. It’s not something that drives me.”
Fisher has amassed a 77-17 record as the coach of the Seminoles. He also groomed a solid pro quarterback in Jameis Winston, though he has his fair share of QB busts in E.J. Manuel, Christian Ponder, and JaMarcus Russell.
49ers Place Three Players On IR
As the 49ers seek their second win of the year, they’ll have to do it without the services of three of their players. Wide receiver Quinton Patton, linebacker Nick Bellore, and tight end Blake Bell will all be shut down for the year, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. 
Patton (foot) and Bellore (elbow) both went down early on in Sunday’s embarrassing 41-13 loss to the Falcons. Bell, meanwhile, suffered a shoulder injury after being tackled on a 45-yard pass play in the second quarter. In addition to those three, Maiocco notes that cornerback Jimmie Ward (shoulder), center Marcus Martin (ankle), and nose tackle Glenn Dorsey (undisclosed) also sustained injuries yesterday and their status for Weeks 16 and 17 are not yet known.
The 49ers could fill some of these roster spots from within, if they choose. Wide receiver DeAndre Smelter and linebacker Wynton McManis could be candidates for promotion from the practice squad, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets.
Bears Place Eddie Royal On IR
Eddie Royal‘s offseason has started about two weeks early. The wide receiver is being placed on injured reserve with a toe injury, coach John Fox told reporters (including Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, via Twitter). 
Royal, 30, appeared in nine games this season for the Bears and had 33 catches for 369 yards and two touchdowns. It is possible that he has played his last game in Chicago. The Bears can save $5MM in 2017 and incur no dead money by cutting the veteran. Royal first made a name for himself in Denver where he caught passes from Jay Cutler in the 2008 season. Now, the duo may exit Chicago together as the Bears look to rebuild.
Royal is the second wide receiver to go down for Chicago in recent days. Over the weekend, Marquess Wilson was placed on IR with a foot fracture.
Texans To Start Tom Savage At QB
Is the Brock Osweiler era already over in Houston? Moments ago, Texans coach Bill O’Brien announced that Tom Savage will be the team’s Week 16 starter. 
“[We] feel like Tom Savage gives us the best chance to win,” O’Brien said (via NFL.com) “… There’s a lot for him to improve on, but I thought he threw the ball well yesterday.”
Next up for the Texans is a Week 16 contest against the Bengals. O’Brien did not indicate whether Savage was guaranteed to start in the final game against the Titans, so the door could potentially open again for Osweiler.
Savage entered Sunday’s game against the Jaguars when the Texans were down 13-0. From there, he led Houston to a 21-20 victory in a game that may have decided Gus Bradley‘s fate in Jacksonville (for what it’s worth, the Jags claim that Bradley would have been fired regardless). Savage finished 23-of-36 passing for 260 yards. He didn’t thrown for a touchdown, but he didn’t have any interceptions either.
With two games to go, the 8-6 Texans hold the AFC South tiebreaker over the Titans. With so much at stake, the Texans are going with the quarterback that they believe gives them the best chance to win.
Osweiler signed a four-year, $72MM contract with the Texans prior to this season. If Savage proves to be the better QB the rest of the way, Houston will have an interesting situation on its hands in March.
Jaguars GM: Tom Coughlin Is HC Candidate
Will Tom Coughlin return to the sidelines as the Jaguars’ head coach? Today, GM Dave Caldwell told reporters that the former Giants head coach will be on the team’s candidate list as they look into candidates this offseason. 
[RELATED: Jaguars Name Doug Marrone Interim Head Coach]
Back in October, the 70-year-old strongly hinted that he wanted to coach again in the NFL. His 12-year run with the Giants didn’t end as he had hoped, but he did help guide the team to two Super Bowl victories as head coach. There aren’t many coaches left in the league with Coughlin’s hard-nosed disciplinary style, but the Jags may feel that their young team is in need of some tough love. Of course, before coming to New York, Coughlin had the distinction of being the Jaguars’ first ever head coach and held that position from 1995 all the way through the 2002 season.
The Jaguars, of course, canned coach Gus Bradley after Sunday’s loss, but Caldwell claims that Bradley would have been fired regardless of the game’s outcome. And, despite Blake Bortles‘ struggles, Caldwell says he still believes in him “very much,” though the next coach will have a lot of input as to who the quarterback will be. Doug Marrone, who has been appointed as the team’s interim head coach, will also be considered for the job.
Jaguars Name Doug Marrone Interim HC
The Jaguars announced that Doug Marrone will take over as head coach on an interim basis. Yesterday, the Jaguars canned Gus Bradley following a loss that knocked them down to 2-12. 
For the last two years, Marrone has been working under Bradley as the team’s offensive line coach and assistant head coach. He now has an opening back into the head coaching realm, a position he has not held since his bizarre departure from the Bills a few years ago.
After guiding the Bills to a 9-7 mark in 2014, Marrone opted out of his contract. Marrone’s agreement with the Bills allowed him to receive his full $4MM salary for 2015 even after leaving, so that likely played a role in his decision. Marrone expected to land another head coaching gig elsewhere that offseason, but the Falcons, Bears, Jets, and 49ers all passed after interviewing him. In January 2015, Marrone agreed to sign on with Jacksonville.
The Jaguars face the Titans on Saturday and finish the year against the Colts on Jan. 1. The Jags currently have the third-worst record in the NFL, putting them behind only the Browns and 49ers in this year’s draft order.
Colts Place Arthur Jones On IR
Arthur Jones‘ season is over. The Colts announced that the defensive tackle has been placed on injured reserve. To take his spot, defensive end Kristjan Sokoli has been elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. 
This has been a strange year for Jones, to say the least. In March, Jones was on the Colts’ chopping block given his disappointing 2014 season and lost 2015 campaign. To keep his place on the team, he agreed to a significant pay cut. Then, Jones was banned for the first four games of the season after being hit with a suspension for PEDs.
Upon returning this year, Jones didn’t really deliver. In eight games, Jones tallied 30 total tackles. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as the No. 120 interior defender out of 126 qualified players. In short, Jones has regressed to the point where he is well below replacement level. It’s a good bet that the Colts will explore releasing him this spring.
Lions CB Darius Slay To Miss Time?
As the Lions work to lock down the NFC North crown, they could be without their best cornerback. Darius Slay will have an MRI on his re-injured hamstring today, but he sounds like a longshot to play this week against the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. He could also miss more time beyond the Week 16 game. 
[RELATED: Lions Claim LB Corey Lemonier]
Slay has been dealing with hamstring issues all year and this latest instance forced him to exit Sunday’s game in the second quarter. If he is forced to miss this week, the Lions will have their hands full as they plan for the always dangerous Dez Bryant. Without Slay, Nevin Lawson will likely be elevated to the top cornerback role.
Through Week 15, Slay is ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 cornerback in the entire NFL. His 86.3 overall grade is roughly identical as his 2015 finish. So far, Slay’s four-year, $50.2MM contract extension looks like a wise move by Detroit.