Lions Hire Paul Pasqualoni As Defensive Coordinator
The Lions have named Paul Pasqualoni as their new defensive coordinator. The team announced the hire in a press release on Wednesday morning. 
Recently, it was reported that Pasqualoni was in line for a prominent job on the Lions’ staff, but no one knew what his position would be. As it turns out, he’ll be the DC under new head coach Matt Patricia. Of course, given Patricia’s background as the Patriots’ DC, Pasqualoni is unlikely to be the one calling plays.
Pasqualoni, 68, has moved between the NFL and NCAA during his coaching career. In the NFL, he served as defensive coordinator of the Dolphins and Cowboys and he was the head coach at Syracuse for more than a decade. In fact, Patricia coached under Pasqualoni at Syracuse during the early 2000s. Most recently, Pasqualoni spent the last two seasons serving as the defensive line coach at Boston College.
The Lions’ DC job became available when Teryl Austin left to join up with the Bengals earlier this winter.
Pats’ Malcolm Butler Denies Missing Curfew
To the shock of everyone in the football world, Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler played just one special teams snap in Sunday’s Super Bowl defeat. Over the last two days, many have speculated that Butler was benched due to some sort of disciplinary issue, but the pending free agent says that’s not the case. 
“During my four-year career with [the] Patriots I have always given everything I have to play at a high level, and would never do anything to hurt my teams’ chances of winning a game, including this year’s Super Bowl where I visited with my family every night,” Butler said (Twitter link). “During Super Bowl week I never attended any concert, missed curfew, or participated [in] any of the ridiculous activities being reported. They are not only false, but hurtful, to me and my family.”
On Instagram, where Butler’s statement was cross-posted, Tom Brady offered words of support that seemed to support his version of events. “Love you, Malcolm. You are an incredible player and teammate and friend. Always!!!,” the future Hall of Famer wrote (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).
Butler is scheduled to reach the open market in March, so it behooves him to quiet any false speculation regarding his benching. However, even if the Super Bowl XLIX hero’s absence from the big game was not related to any disciplinary issues, teams will want to know more about what went into Bill Belichick‘s decision.
Butler did not have a banner platform year, as evidenced by his 79.2 overall rating from Pro Football Focus (51st amongst cornerbacks), down from 88.1 last season and 83.2 in 2015. However, he started in started 54 of the team’s 55 games leading up to the Super Bowl and turned in a decent performance against the Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game.
If not for the Patriots using the restricted free agent tender on Butler last offseason, he may have been in line for a multi-year deal with an annual average value of $15MM. This time around, the Pats aren’t expected to put up much of a fight to keep him. He’ll also make a lot less than $15MM/year on his next contract.
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Miami Dolphins
In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Miami Dolphins, who missed the playoffs with a disappointing 6-10 record.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Walt Aikens, CB
- Nate Allen, S
- Lamin Barrow, LB
- Jake Brendel, C (ERFA)
- Jermon Bushrod, G
- Jay Cutler, QB
- John Denney, LS
- David Fales, QB (RFA)
- Terrence Fede, DE
- Anthony Fasano, TE
- William Hayes, DE
- Neville Hewitt, LB (RFA)
- Mike Hull, LB (ERFA)
- Jarvis Landry, WR
- Jordan Lucas, CB (ERFA)
- Koa Misi, LB
- Matt Moore, QB
- Cody Parkey, K
- Rashawn Scott, WR (ERFA)
- De’Veon Smith, RB (ERFA)
- Anthony Steen, OL (ERFA)
- Michael Thomas, S
- Alterraun Verner, CB
- Damien Williams, RB
- Gabe Wright, DT (RFA)
- Sam Young, T
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:
- Ndamukong Suh, DT: $26,100,000
- Ryan Tannehill, QB: $19,800,000
- Reshad Jones, S: $11,575,000
- Andre Branch, DE: $10,000,000
- Kenny Stills, WR: $9,750,000
- Kiko Alonso, LB: $9,637,500
- Ja’Wuan James, T: $9,341,000
- Mike Pouncey, C: $9,000,000
- Cameron Wake, DE: $8,625,000
- Lawrence Timmons, LB: $8,225,000
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $14,227,046
- 11th pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for WR DeVante Parker
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for LB Stephone Anthony
Three Needs:
1. Offensive guard. This was a rough year for the Dolphins offensive line between injuries and the midseason scandal that resulted in OL coach Chris Foerster‘s resignation. The Dolphins finished the year 30th in run blocking according to Football Outsiders‘ adjusted line yards metric and that’s bad news since the team clearly needs to establish the run game going forward. 
Miami placed dead last in the league with 360 rushing attempts in 2017. For reference, the franchise record for fewest rushing attempts in a season is 326, back in 1967 when the regular season was only 14 games long. On a per game basis, Miami averaged just 22.5 carries per game this past season versus 23.9 in ’67. Much of that has to do with the Dolphins often playing from behind last year, but the Dolphins must keep defenses honest with a balanced offensive attack next year.
“There are some times where you just go, ‘Man, we’re getting it,’” former offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said of the team’s run blocking back in December (via Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel). “And then there are times where you go, ‘How does that happen? How did we set him free?’”
The Dolphins’ starting guards – Jermon Bushrod and Ted Larsen – are both due for free agency. Given that they both graded out as the No. 62 and No. 67 ranked guards in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and battled injuries, they are unlikely to return as first shift interior linemen. Jesse Davis (ranked 63rd by PFF) and 2017 fifth-round choice Issac Asiata remain under contract, but neither player is in line for a promotion. In theory, Laremy Tunsil could be moved from tackle to guard, but the team has said that he will remain on the outside.
Whether it’s through free agency, the draft, or trades, the Dolphins need to add at least two guards this offseason.
Bears To Meet With CB David Amerson
The Bears are set to meet with David Amerson on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The cornerback also has other free agent visits scheduled, Rapoport adds. 
The Raiders cut Amerson on Monday, just before his $5.5MM base salary would have become fully guaranteed. In 2016, the Raiders happily handed him a four-year, $35MM extension after he piled up 58 tackles and a career-best four interceptions in the previous season. He was solid in 2016, but he played in only six games in 2017 thanks to a concussion, shoulder injury, and a foot sprain.
If Amerson is healthy, he could be a major addition to the Bears or other cornerback-needy teams. In the aforementioned breakout campaign of 2015, he graded out as the 14th best cornerback in the league out of 111 qualified players. The 26-year-old’s next deal also figures to come in at a much lower rate than the $8.75MM average annual value of his previous pact.
Both of last year’s starting cornerbacks, Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara, are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. The Bears may look to retain both players, but that could prove to be too pricey, particularly in the case of Fuller. It’s also not a given that the Bears will be comfortable in making a major commitment to Fuller given his up-and-down career.
Ravens Did Not Violate Rooney Rule
Last week, the Ravens announced that general manager Ozzie Newsome will step down in 2019, allowing longtime assistant GM Eric DeCosta to take over. Although the position has been filled without first interviewing a minority candidate, the Fritz Pollard Alliance has confirmed that the team is not in violation of the Rooney Rule. 
“Under Rooney Rule protocol, when a club has established a firm succession plan that involves an internal coach or executive replacing a departing head coach or general manager, no external search is required,” the Fritz Pollard Alliance said in a statement (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). “Examples of such circumstances include Jim Caldwell‘s succession of Tony Dungy as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Jim Mora‘s succession of Mike Holmgren as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. DeCosta’s pending succession of Newsome does not violate the Rooney Rule. The FPA salutes Ozzie Newsome for his groundbreaking tenure with the Ravens and congratulates DeCosta on his pending promotion.”
The succession plan has been in the works “over the last five years,” according to Newsome. Michael David Smith of PFT first reported that the move was not in violation of the Rooney Rule.
Saints Cut DT Tony McDaniel
The Saints announced that they have released defensive tackle Tony McDaniel. McDaniel was already scheduled for free agency in March, so his return to New Orleans was never assured. 
McDaniels hooked on with the Saints in late December for his second stint with the team. The 33-year-old’s first go ’round came over the summer when he appeared in all four preseason games with the team before being released at the start of the season. In between those two New Orleans trips, McDaniel also appeared in four games for the 49ers.
All in all, McDaniels wound up appearing in just one regular season game for the Saints as well as their first round playoff win against the Panthers. An undisclosed injury in the Carolina game landed him on injured reserve, ruling him out for the divisional round game against the Vikings.
Now that McDaniel and fellow defensive lineman Nick Fairley have been released, the Saints have two vacant spots on their roster. It is expected that the Saints will use those openings to formally sign wide receiver Josh Huff and linebacker Jayrone Elliott. The Saints agreed to terms with both players in January, but the NFL nullified the deals because the team was already at the 90-man maximum.
NFL Invites 326 Players To Combine
The NFL announced that it has invited 326 players to attend this year’s NFL Draft scouting combine. This year’s scouting combine is scheduled for February 27 to March 5. 
There are typically 300+ players invited to the combine and that tends to be a pretty comprehensive group given that there are 256 picks in the draft. However, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com details, there are always a handful of quality prospects who miss the cut for one reason or another. He notes that N.C. State guard Tony Adams, Texas defensive tackle Poona Ford, Northern Iowa wide receiver Daurice Fountain, Missouri defensive end Marcell Frazier, Sam Houston State defensive lineman P.J. Hall, Central Michigan defensive end Joe Ostman, and Washington State guard Cody O’Connell are among this year’s notable snubs. Frazier may be the biggest surprise as he recorded a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his final season on campus.
The combine takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In addition to the evaluations of the players, the combine will also be the site of the coin toss between the 49ers and Raiders to determine who will get the No. 9 or No. 10 overall pick in the draft.
Colts Officially Hire Josh McDaniels
It’s a done deal. The Colts announced that they’ve hired Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. The introductory press conference for the former Patriots offensive coordinator will be held on Wednesday. 
In a sense, the Colts’ announcement was a mere formality as the two sides struck agreement on a deal in mid-January. However, there were rumblings leading up to the Super Bowl that McDaniels was getting cold feet and could instead stay with the Patriots as their OC. As of Sunday, McDaniels reportedly not yet told the Patriots that he’s leaving. Some around the league believed that McDaniels would stay in New England if Bill Belichick opted to retire and pass the torch to him. But, Belichick has indicated that he’ll return for another season, so that scenario was not on the table for McDaniels, unless he wanted to wait for an indeterminate period of time to potentially take over.
It’s not clear why McDaniels may have been having second thoughts about the job, but one has to wonder if he is at odds with team brass over the team’s offensive coordinator choice. Last month, it was reported that McDaniels had selected Raiders quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz as their new offensive coordinator and the two sides were hammering out a contract. However, team decision makers appear to have their sights set on former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. It’s also possible that McDaniels was considering his options before making everything official since his stint as a head coach with the Broncos did not go as planned.
McDaniels will be tasked with turning the Colts around after a disappointing 4-12 season. On the plus side, they own the No. 3 pick in the draft and they may have their choice between North Carolina State edge rusher Bradley Chubb or Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.
The Colts are hoping that McDaniels can help get Andrew Luck back on track. Tom Brady has done his best work under the guidance of the 41-year-old OC, so he certainly seems like the right man for the job. Prior to McDaniels taking over as Patriots OC in 2006, Brady had one 4,000-yard passing season and had never thrown more than 28 TD passes in a campaign. Brady has topped those benchmarks in each of his healthy seasons under McDaniels, save for the first one in 2006.
Vikings Willing To Wait For John DeFilippo
The Vikings’ offensive coordinator search could drag on for a while longer. The team would like to talk with Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo about their OC job, but they cannot do so until ten days until after Philadelphia’s season ends, which would be on Feb. 14, Right now, Vikings appear willing to wait, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
DeFilippo has years of coaching experience, but he really put himself on the map in 2017 by guiding second-year QB Carson Wentz to a phenomenal season. When Wentz went down late in the season, DeFilippo helped knock the dust off of Nick Foles, who won the Super Bowl LII MVP trophy.
It’s no surprise that the Vikings are high on DeFilippo, but it is a bit unusual for a team to wait until the middle of February to solidify the upper ranks of the coaching staff. With the NFL Draft scouting combine starting on Feb. 27 and free agency on Mar. 14, that doesn’t leave much time for team brass to incorporate the OC’s input into major personnel decisions.
In the case of the Vikings, they’d surely want their OC to have time to suss out the quarterbacks situation. The Vikings, of course, have three starter-quality QBs scheduled for free agency in Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, and Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings may only be able to retain one of those three and there’s even a potential scenario in which they could allow the entire trio to depart and sign a new signal caller in free agency.
Colts Brass High On Darrell Bevell
This week, the Colts are expected to formally announce the hire of Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. It’s unclear who the Colts’ next OC will be, but the organization may be nudging McDaniels in the direction of former Seahawks play caller Darrell Bevell. During the head coaching interview process, Colts brass was asking candidates if they’d consider hiring Bevell as OC, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter). 
McDaniels, of course, is expected to have a large degree of control over the hire, so the team could still go in a different direction even if GM Chris Ballard & Co. want Bevell to be the pick. It’s also anticipated that McDaniels will be the one calling plays in Indianapolis, so the OC there won’t have the usual degree of control. That’s may be music to the ears of some Colts fans who are turned off by the inconsistency of the Seahawks’ offense under Bevell and his sometimes questionable in-game decisions.
Back in January, it was reported that Raiders quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz would be Indianapolis’ new OC. In the coming days, we should have a definitive answer on whether the hire will be Bevell or Peetz.