Jets Shut Nick Mangold Down For Year
Frustrated with the slow healing of his ankle, Jets center Nick Mangold is being shut down for the year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. With four games to go this year and no chance of making the playoffs, the decision has been made to end Mangold’s season after today’s visit with specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in North Carolina. 
[RELATED: Jets Claim Arthur Brown]
Mangold, 33 in January, is a seven-time Pro Bowler and generally regarded as one of the best centers in the NFL. This year, he has been hampered by injury and has not been playing up to his usual standard. In his eight games, Mangold has a 78.0 grade from Pro Football Focus, slotting him as just the 24th best center in the NFL. Backup Wesley Johnson has a disappointing 45.0 score, but the Jets feel like he has been a capable fill-in. Johnson will likely get the nod with Mangold is sidelined.
Mangold is entering the final year of a seven-year extension worth a potential $54.075MM. He’s due to carry a cap number of $9.075MM but the Jets can avoid paying a chunk of that by cutting him this offseason.
Discord Between Rams’ Jeff Fisher, Les Snead?
This week, the Rams drew criticism from all over the football world when they gave extensions to coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead, despite poor on-field results in recent years. Then, in discussing the new deals, Fisher raised eyebrows when he took an apparent shot at Snead. 
“I’m so busy here, I was honestly unaware [Snead] was extended. I’m being honest with you, we’re just working here,” Fisher said. “I look at this as being my responsibility, the win-loss record. We need to do a better job from a personnel standpoint. We’ve had some unfortunate things take place with some high picks in Stedman Bailey and Tre Mason and those kinds of things you don’t anticipate. But we’re moving forward.”
Even though Fisher is believed to have more input in personnel decisions than most coaches, he seems to be blaming Snead for the team’s poor draft record. This was Fisher’s most direct and brutal public criticism of Snead to date, but the problems between the two “have been an open secret in league circles for some time,” Albert Breer of The MMQB writes.
“It pissed me off because I knew it was meant as a shot,” said one Rams source. “You see it under that umbrella—‘We need to do a better job in personnel.’ OK, but you want everyone to think that you have full control. You can’t have it both ways, and it can’t always be the talent. Look at the roster, 2012 to now. In ’12, Jeff did a masterful job with what he was given. But we’ve gotten more talent, and we’ve gotten worse.”
Breer hears from many that the relationship between Fisher and Snead has turned “toxic.” Disagreements between coaches and executives are not uncommon, but it sounds like things have gotten especially bad between these two.
RG3 To Start This Week For Browns
The Browns announced that quarterback Robert Griffin III will start this week. He’ll lead his 0-12 team against the Bengals as they look to avoid the embarrassment of a winless season. 
Griffin, who was named the team’s starter during training camp, suffered a shoulder injury in the season opener. Thanks to the new IR-DTR rules, the Browns were able to bring Griffin back for the final month of the regular season. Now, as the Browns try and figure out where to go from here, RG3 will have an opportunity to show that he should he the team’s starter heading into 2017. The Browns signed Griffin to a two-year, $15MM deal in the offseason. Both Hue Jackson and top exec Sashi Brown have said that Griffin was not signed as a short-term solution, but nothing will be guaranteed for the QB if he can’t perform over these next four games.
During Griffin’s absence, rookie Cody Kessler and veteran Josh McCown split starting duties. They’ll both serve as backups for Griffin on Sunday.
Falcons, Robert Alford Agree To Extension
The Falcons have signed cornerback Robert Alford to a four-year, $38MM extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $21MM guaranteed. The team has since confirmed the deal via press release. 
Alford, a second-round pick in 2013, was slated to hit the open market after the season. Atlanta, unwilling to lose a player who has started in every game he’s appeared in over the last three years, shelled out significant money to keep him locked up instead. This year, he has 47 total tackles with two interceptions, bringing his career total to nine picks. He also has 12 passes defensed on the season, which leads the team.
It should be noted that Alford tends to rack up penalties, and that might have something to do with his ranking as just the 71st best corner in the NFL this season out of 122 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus. In fact, three other Falcons cornerbacks are ranked higher for their work this year: Jalen Collins (No. 17), Desmond Trufant (No. 30), and Brian Poole (No. 42). So far this year, Alford has committed five pass interference penalties, one holding penalty, one illegal use of hands penalty, and an unnecessary roughness call. His five PI flags rank second to only D.J. Hayden of the Raiders who has six.
The size of this deal is a sign that the Falcons probably value Alford a little more than others outside of the organization do. But, it’s also an indication that this year’s free agent market will be inflated with lots of teams taking advantage of the increased cap.
Draft Notes: Fournette, McCaffrey, Mixon
It’s a two-team race for the top pick in the 2017 draft, writes Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. The 0-12 Browns essentially control their draft destiny, as the team has an 85.1-percent chance at the top pick (they’ve essentially clinched a top-5 pick). According to Seifert, the only thing standing in the Browns way is Robert Griffin III, although it’s unlikely the embattled quarterback will guide the team to any kind of winning streak.
The 1-11 49ers also loom as a contender for the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, with Seifert giving them a 14.1-percent chance at the top pick and a 99.7-percent chance at a top-5 pick. The organization will likely be making their highest pick since they drafted Alex Smith first overall in 2005.
Let’s take a look at some other draft notes from around the league…
- Is LSU running back Leonard Fournette as good as Todd Gurley, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 draft? “[He’s] better,” two high level evaluators told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- NFL teams are “softening” on Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon, who could end up being selected in the first round of the 2017 draft, reports Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Mixon, who was involved in a physical altercation in 2014, claims he was provoked by a female who used a racial slur and spit in his face. Video of the incident is set to be released later this month, according to Nolan Clay of the Oklahoman, which could shed light on the episode.
- We learned last night that Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to declare for next year’s draft. The talented offensive weapon rushed for 1,596 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report declared him a “lock” to be a top-50 draft pick.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
East Notes: Coughlin, Jets, Petty, Reed, Giants
Could Tom Coughlin return to the Meadowlands…as the Jets‘ coach? Brian Costello of the New York Post argues that Gang Green could use a disciplinarian like the 70-year-old Coughlin and lists him as one of 12 possible names in the event that the Jets move on from coach Todd Bowles. Others on the list include Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, former Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher, coach-turned-commentator Jon Gruden, and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. While speculation around Bowles’ job security has ramped up in recent weeks, I would be surprised if he was not given a third year to turn things around. However, if the Jets do seek a new head coach this spring, I think it would behoove them to seek an offensive-minded coach. Since the Rich Kotite disaster of more than 20 years ago, the Jets have only had head coaches with defensive backgrounds.
Here’s more from the East divisions:
- Now that Bryce Petty has been installed as the Jets‘ starting quarterback, is it possible that we’ll see rookie Christian Hackenberg take the field this season? “Not unless Bryce gets hurt,” Bowles said (link via Costello). “Right now, I do not see him getting any playing time.” It’s pretty telling that the Jets are not willing to put the Penn State product on the field, even in a lost season. Word is that Hackenberg is green, but he might be even more raw than scouts realized at the time of the draft.
- There’s still no clear timetable for Jordan Reed‘s return to the field, JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. “Jordan will be day-to-day,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “You know, we just have to wait and see.” For the season, Reed has 59 catches for 630 yards and five touchdowns in just nine games. Considered to be one of the best tight ends in the game, Reed is dealing with a painful shoulder injury.
- The Giants could finally be getting Justin Pugh back in the lineup. When asked about returning to action, the left guard said that he is preparing as though he will suit up this week, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. The interior lineman has been out with a sprained MCL since Nov. 6.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Mathews, Cowboys
The Eagles failed to invest properly at cornerback, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. At one point in time, cornerback was considered to be a premium position in Philadelphia. Lately, the team has turned to second- and third-tier free agents and it shows in the results. McLane suggests that the Eagles should have gone for young, affordable corners like Prince Amukamara and Morris Claiborne or short-term deal guys like William Gay, Brent Grimes, and Terence Newman.
While you contemplate what could have been for the Philly secondary, here’s more from the NFC East:
- Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick playing with plantar fasciitis, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. So far, Scandrick has been able to tough it out and play through the pain, but one has to imagine that he might need some rest. If the Cowboys can clinch the top seed in the conference, he could get that opportunity before the playoffs begin.
- Eagles running back Ryan Mathews (MCL sprain) will practice today, coach Doug Pederson told reporters this morning. He has missed the last two games but that’s a step in the right direction for him playing this week.
- Bad news for the Giants as defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will undergo groin surgery. JPP will miss a minimum of six weeks, which would rule him out for the first week of the playoffs and possibly the second week as well. There’s also no guarantee that he’ll be able to return if the Giants are able to go further than that in the postseason.
- Could Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson wind up back with the Eagles? The Eagles are expected to pursue him and we learned today that the interest appears to be mutual.
Jets Sign RB Khiry Robinson
The Jets announced that they have signed running back Khiry Robinson. The team also promoted running back Brandon Wilds off of the practice squad and added defensive lineman Claude Pelon to the p-squad. 
Robinson was with the Jets in camp and was expected to be a change of pace back behind Matt Forte and Bilal Powell. However, he was waived/injured towards the end of the summer. He’s now healthy and it sounds like the Jets are looking to evaluate him over the last month of the season to see what he can bring to the table for 2017.
The Jets shook things up at running back this week when they dropped veteran C.J. Spiller. Spiller, who gone through three teams in 2016, was largely ineffective. If Robinson can show some what he demonstrated while with New Orleans, the Jets may find a spot for him for next season.
Peterson Won’t Return If Vikings Out Of Playoff Hunt
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been working hard to try and return from injury this season. However, he says that he won’t come back this season if the Vikings are out of the playoff race, “for obvious reasons” (Twitter link via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com). He added that he’ll ultimately make the decision about whether to return, 
After a red-hot start, the Vikings have now slipped to 6-6. If Minnesota drops its next two games, they’ll effectively (or mathematically) be eliminated from the playoff chase. As of this writing, they are bunched together with the Redskins (6-5-1) and Packers (6-6) as they chase the Giants (8-4) and Bucs (7-5) for a Wild Card spot.
When Peterson went down early in the year, it was said that he was unlikely to return at all this year given the severity of his meniscus tear. Typically, a “bucket handle tear” is a season-ender, but Peterson has always been able to recover from injuries faster than most. Recently, fellow Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon said that Peterson is “way ahead” of schedule. That may be true, but there is little reason for the veteran to take the field this year if the Vikings’ games lack meaning.
Even if the Vikings get back on track, it’s fair to wonder what Peterson can provide. Before his injury, Peterson had 31 carries for just 50 yards.
Pollard Alliance Releases HC Candidates List
The Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation typically releases its list of recommended minority head coaching candidates in January. This year, we have an early preview of the list, courtesy of Tom Pelissero of USA Today. This year’s suggested candidates will include Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin, and Vikings DC George Edwards. 
Austin was a popular candidate for coaching vacancies last year but ultimately did not find a head coaching gig. After interviewing with the Browns, Dolphins, Giants, and Eagles, Austin indicated that he felt only two of the interviews were “legitimate” while the other two were only done to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which stipulates that a minority candidate must be interviewed for every job. Since the Browns hired a black coach in Hue Jackson, Austin presumably isn’t accusing Cleveland of interviewing him to fulfill the requirement.
The Bills installed Lynn as their OC in September after ousting Greg Roman. The Bills have been up-and-down this year, but they now stand at 6-6 despite injuries to key players. Lynn has had to run the Bills’ offense without star wide receiver Sammy Watkins for much of the year and teams will certainly take notice of his capable job despite the less-than-ideal circumstances.
Goodwin has made no secret of his desire to land a head coaching job. However, there are some factors working against him. First, the Cardinals offense has struggled this season. Secondly, despite rave reviews from those around him, Goodwin does not call the plays in Arizona, and that could deter interested teams.
Edwards was placed on the Pollard list for the first time last year and he returns this season. Like Goodwin, he does not call plays for his team despite the coordinator title. However, he comes with a strong recommendation from head coach Mike Zimmer and he did call the plays against the Cowboys when Zimmer was recovering from surgery. With Edwards at the wheel, the Vikings allowed just 17 points against one of the league’s most electric offenses.
The foundation also released a list of general manager candidates including Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross, Raiders director of player personnel Joey Clinkscales, former Lions GM and current Giants exec Martin Mayhew, and Eagles director of college scouting Trey Brown.