Nick Foles’ Eagles Future Remains Murky
Nick Foles was the MVP of the Super Bowl, but his future with the Eagles is far from certain. On Monday morning, coach Doug Pederson all but confirmed that Carson Wentz will be the Eagles’ starter to open up the 2018 season. 
“I had a chance to talk to Carson actually on the field, on the podium last night after the game. I told him to take this in, enjoy this moment,” Pederson said on Monday morning (via NFL.com). “He’s a great quarterback and he’s a big reason — I told him you’re a big, big part of why this team won this championship, won this game. I told him that hopefully we’ll be back in this game with him leading the way.”
When asked if the Super Bowl MVP can realistically return as Wentz’ backup, Pederson didn’t have much in the way of concrete answers.
“I knew I couldn’t get off this stage without that question,” Pederson said. “You know what? I’m going to tell you right now, we’re going to enjoy it, we’re going to get on this plane, go back to Philadelphia, we’re going to celebrate with our fans back in Philly. We’ve got a long offseason — well, really a short offseason now. We’re just going to enjoy this moment. I’m happy for Nick, I’m happy for the team. It’s not about one guy, it’s about the team. Like I said, we’re going to enjoy these next few days.”
The Eagles would certainly like to keep Foles as Wentz’s No. 2 in the event of another injury next season and he has proven himself to be more than worthy of his $7.6MM cap charge for next season. At the same time, Foles will likely want to be a starting quarterback again and the Eagles could definitely use some additional draft capital as they pick last in the first round and do not own their second or third round picks thanks to trades. In the coming weeks, the Eagles can be expected to keep the phone lines open as teams inquire about this year’s Super Bowl hero.
Rob Gronkowski Mulling Retirement?
In the aftermath of the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, tight end Rob Gronkowski was asked about the possibility that he could retire this offseason. Gronkowski indicated that retirement is at least a possibility, though he has not made a determination one way or another. 
“I don’t know how you heard that, but I mean I’m definitely gonna look at my future for sure,” Gronkowski said (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter). “[I’ll] sit down the next couple weeks and see where I’m at.”
Gronkowski won’t turn 29 until May and remains one of the league’s very best tight ends. However, he may be thinking about moving on from the game after a big hit from Jaguars safety Barry Church left him with a concussion. Gronk, who has plenty of money in the bank thanks to endorsement deals, is due to make $8.25MM in 2018 and that might not be enough to make him return for another season if he is having doubts.
This past season, Gronkowski hauled in a team-high 69 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns. He also turned in another stellar performance on the game’s biggest stage with nine catches for 116 yards and two scores against the Eagles. If the Patriots want more of that, they may have to try and coax Gronkowski to come back out for another season – and that may mean offering him a sizable raise.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the Super Bowl in the books, we now know the draft order for the entire first round of the 2018 draft. Here’s the rundown:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. New England Patriots (13-3)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
AFC North Notes: Bengals, McCarron, Steelers
It’s imperative that the Bengals gauge the A.J. McCarron market correctly this offseason, Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski of the Enquirer write. Unless the quarterback wins his grievance case, he’ll be a restricted free agent, meaning that the team can attach a second-round tender to him and likely collect on a valuable draft pick.
In theory, the Bengals could use the first-round tender ($4MM+), but that would place him in the upper tier of backup quarterbacks not on rookie contracts. Last year, only three such QBs earned more – Mike Glennon, Nick Foles, and Matt Schaub. Rival clubs would be willing to take on McCarron for that salary, but it’s hard to see a team also sacrificing a first-round pick in that scenario.
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier was officially released from the rehabilitation clinic two months after having spinal stabilization surgery, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) details. Shazier will now begin outpatient rehabilitation and still has a long road ahead of him, but it’s a very positive step forward for the 25-year-old.
- It’s still not clear whether Dean Pees was forced out of his role as the Ravens‘ defensive coordinator, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. Pees, 68, retired at the end of the 2017 season only to accept a job as the Titans’ defensive coordinator four weeks later. It’s possible that Pees painted himself into a corner by making his pending retirement known to members of the organization ahead of time, setting the table for Don “Wink” Martindale to take over as the new DC this year. Regardless of how it went down, Zrebiec argues that change can be a good thing. Pees isn’t necessarily responsible for all of the Ravens’ defensive woes, but the team did have a handful of late-game, late-season meltdowns under his watch.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) expects Eric DeCosta to reach out to Ray Rice to join the team in some capacity when he takes over as Ravens GM in 2019. DeCosta will take over as the Ravens’ GM in 2019 with current GM Ozzie Newsome moving to a consultant role.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Mangold, Patriots
Former Jets center Nick Mangold was out of football in 2017, but he hasn’t ruled out a return to the field next season, as Bob Glauber of Newsday writes.
“I’m kind of not closing the door, but I’m not actively searching for anything right now,” said Mangold on Radio Row in advance of the Super Bowl.
Mangold, 34, stayed at home as he dealt with a foot injury suffered during the 2016 season. He told ESPN Radio (Twitter link) that he was never healthy last season, but during his Radio Row trip, he indicated that he could have played at some point in the late fall.
“Maybe midseason, but by that point, it’s the middle of the season, you’ve missed the whole offseason when you get to know people,” he said. “[The foot] still wasn’t right. It was one of those things where I probably could have gone out there and played, but I wouldn’t be playing up to my standards. I wouldn’t want to go out there stealing checks, so that’s why I didn’t go for it, because I wouldn’t have been playing at my level.”
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- The Jay Ajayi trade looks a loss for the Dolphins right now, but the team can learn some valuable lessons from the way things played out, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes. The Dolphins are a passing-centric team, which didn’t sit right with Ajayi and meant that a divorce was probably inevitable. However, the Dolphins would have been better served by waiting until the season was over to trade Ajayi, giving them a wider range of suitors to work with, Salguero opines. The Eagles are certainly happy with Miami’s decision to deal the running back for a late fourth-round pick – Ajayi averaged 5.8 yards per carry for Philadelphia in his seven regular season games with the team.
- Super Bowl LII doesn’t feel like the end of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era of the Patriots, but they are likely to lose well-respected offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia to retirement, Peter King of The MMQB (video link, on Twitter) says. It sounds like the Patriots will have to recast four of the main players on the coaching staff this season – offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, special teams coach Joe Judge, and Scarnecchia.
- On Thursday, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell indicated that he is not interested in joining the Jets in free agency. Of course, it’s unlikely that Bell reaches unrestricted free agency anyway.
Ravens’ Ozzie Newsome To Step Down In 2019, Eric DeCosta To Take Over
The Ravens’ front office will have a new chief in 2019. Next year, longtime GM Ozzie Newsome will step down, allowing assistant GM Eric DeCosta to take over, owner Steve Bisciotti announced (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun on Twitter). 
DeCosta has been chased by rival teams for years now, but he has rebuffed many of those advances. Recently, DeCosta rejected an opportunity to interview for the Packers’ GM vacancy, yet another indication that a promotion was in his future. In building this succession plan, the Ravens have found a way to retain one of the league’s most sought-after executives while doing right by Newsome.
“I get a chance to work with my friends,” DeCosta said in 2015 when asked why he has stayed with the Ravens despite overtures from other teams (via Zrebiec). “Every day, I come in and work with my friends. I think it’s a relationship business. In the end, personal ambitions aside, all you have is really your reputation and your friends and your enjoyment in life. And I love Baltimore, the community…My wife is from Baltimore. I’ve been here 20 years, my kids go to school here. It’s great. I sit with these guys every day and give everybody a hard time, get a chance to play jokes on everybody every day, and it’s just fun. I enjoy work. I enjoy coming in here. We have a great owner, awesome stadium and best fan base in the country. So, what more do you want?”
Finally, DeCosta will have the chance to run his own show. Meanwhile, Bisciotti says Newsome – who constructed two Super Bowl winning teams in Baltimore – will remain with the team as a consultant.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Manning, Eagles
If the Giants use the No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback, that’s just fine with Eli Manning.
“Obviously knowing I will be a New York Giant, that helped. Been told that, so that’s a starting point,” Manning said (via Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record). “Now just keep going about my job an learn this offense, obviously got to wait for spring and start back practicing with the team and get everybody up to speed.”
Manning also says that he is willing to help the Giants to mold a rookie quarterback, though he does not view that as his primary task:
“Yes, in a sense. I wouldn’t look at it as that role. I would look at it as my job to prepare and compete and be ready to play each and every game and in that process you’re always talking football,” Manning said. “You’re always helping out the guys in the room. With Davis Webb this year, with Geno [Smith], you’re always helping them out. Nothing changes. It’s about doing your job but also helping the other guys around you and having great communication in the quarterback room.”
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- It sounds like the Eagles will have the services of defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan in the Super Bowl, even though he’s missed the last two days with an illness. “Because of the position and he’s one of our veteran guys, I do feel comfortable that he’ll be ready,” Pederson told a pool reporter (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). This season, Jernigan ranked as the No. 33 ranked interior defender in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, making him a quality partner for Fletcher Cox (ranked No. 2) in the middle of the line.
- Howie Roseman was asked about the Eagles’ decision to block vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas from interviewing for the Texans’ GM job this offseason and offered up a vague explanation. “We were during the season,” Roseman said (via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com). “I think that the way the league rules are, that during the season, it’s not expected that you’d allow people to interview with other teams. That’s the way the rules are written. We’re going to abide by the rules that are written. Joe’s a valuable part of our organization. We love having him in Philadelphia. But, again, during the season we’re going to focus on playing.” Going forward, the Eagles will probably have to give Douglas an elevation in salary and title in order to keep him in the organization.
- The Cowboys should prioritize a long-term deal for Zack Martin over pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News opines. The Cowboys need a great edge defender more than another Pro Bowl offensive lineman, but Lawrence’s history of back injuries and struggles prior to 2017 give Sherrington pause about the idea of committing to him for years to come. His suggestion is for the Cowboys to tag him for 2018 and take it from there. Meanwhile, Martin has already shown that he’s among the best in the league at his position across multiple seasons.
Panthers To Interview Martin Mayhew
The Panthers have added Martin Mayhew to their list of candidates for their GM vacancy, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The former Lions GM may be the third outside candidate to sit for an interview after Texans exec Jimmy Raye III (interviewed on Thursday) and Bills exec Lake Dawson (Friday). 
Despite interviewing these three candidates, the Panthers are still widely expected to remove the “interim” tag from GM Marty Hurney. It’s possible that the decision has already been made at the ownership level, but the Panthers are still required to satisfy the Rooney Rule. By interviewing a minority candidate (or, in this case, three), the Panthers can give the job to Hurney without facing league sanctions,
Mayhew, 52, spent 15 years with the Lions as an executive, including eight years as the team’s GM. After he was canned in 2015, Mayhew hooked on moved on to the Giants for a year before accepting a job with the 49ers’ front office. He remains in SF, but he’ll have the greenlight to interview for the Panthers’ GM job since it is a higher title.
Eagles Tried To Trade For LeSean McCoy
Under Chip Kelly‘s watch, the Eagles shipped star LeSean McCoy to the Bills. After Kelly was canned, top exec Howie Roseman tried to bring him back to the nest. Roseman tried to reacquire McCoy in a trade with Buffalo after Kelly was fired “through back-channel intermediaries,” according to sources who spoke with Manish Mehta of the Daily News. 
The Eagles pitched one package including wide receiver Jordan Matthews, according to Mehta. Of course, Matthews later wound up in Buffalo in a different deal last summer that brought cornerback Ronald Darby to the Eagles.
A McCoy return would have delighted the Philadelphia faithful, but things worked out just fine for the Eagles in the long run. During the season, Roseman swung a surprising pre-deadline deal for Dolphins runner Jay Ajayi, who has provided the Eagles with some much-needed athleticism out of the backfield. On Sunday, the Eagles will have the opportunity to win their first ever Super Bowl, thanks in part to his presence.
McCoy didn’t have the best season in 2014, but he was still productive for Philadelphia at the time of the trade with 1,319 rushing yards and a 4.2 YPC average in that season. In 2013, McCoy was rated as the very best tailback in football according to Pro Football Focus. In his three seasons with Buffalo, McCoy has averaged 4.6 yards per carry and has averaged 1,200+ yards per 16 games. Kelly anticipated that McCoy would fall off by now, but he remains one of the league’s most lethal running backs.
Steelers Sign Jordan Berry To Extension
The Steelers and Jordan Berry have agreed to an extension. The new deal will keep the punter in place through the 2018 season. 
[RELATED: Le’Veon Bell Not Interested In Jets?]
“It’s pretty exciting to get it all finished, get it all sorted out, and get it done early,” said Berry in a press release. “I love being in Pittsburgh so I am excited to have it done. I don’t have to think about it. I can just focus on training and getting ready for next season, which is the most important part of everything.”
Last year, Berry averaged 43.2 yards per punt, with a net of 39.8 yards. He also had 26 punts inside of the 20-yard line. It was a solid showing for Berry, who credits special teams coordinator Danny Smith for his continued improvement.
“It’s a combination of him being on top of me, making sure I am putting the work in, as well as me having a few years of experience under my belt,” said Berry. “The combination has helped me improve in the time I have been here. Danny is there daily making sure we are doing the small things we need to do to get better. He has been coaching for a long time, so to have that experience helping us, myself, Kameron (Canaday) and (Chris Boswell), it’s beneficial.”
Re-signing Berry wasn’t necessarily priority No. 1 for Pittsburgh, but it does take an item off of the Steelers’ checklist this offseason.