Giants To Interview Eric Studesville On Friday
The Giants are set to interview Eric Studesville for their head coaching job on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Studesville was the Broncos’ assistant head coach/running backs coach for the Broncos until Monday when he was fired. 
The Giants moved quickly to hire a GM and their head coaching search may be conducted with the same sense of urgency in mind. Dave Gettleman & Co. already have a solid list of candidates after requesting permission to talk to Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia of the Patriots as well as Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
It was previously said that interim head coach/defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would receive consideration for the full-time post, but it’s not clear if Gettleman views him as a candidate. Recently, Gettleman informed the team’s coaching staff that he will not stand in the way of any of them interviewing for jobs elsewhere.
Giants Hire Dave Gettleman As GM
The Giants have themselves a new GM. The team announced the hiring of Dave Gettleman on Thursday afternoon. He’ll be formally introduced to local media at a Thursday morning news conference. 
“Given where we are as a team, we thought it was important to bring in someone with experience as a General Manager and a proven track record,” president John Mara and chairman Steve Tisch said in a joint statement. “Dave’s experience is unparalleled. He did an outstanding job as general manager in Carolina, and he was vital to our success during his tenure here. Dave is going to bring his own approach to our organization in how we draft and acquire players through free agency.”
Gettleman takes the wheel during a critical time for the Giants. After losing their three top receivers to injury in the opening weeks of the season, the Giants have had one of their worst seasons in franchise history. Heading into Week 17, the G-Men have one of the league’s worst records at 2-13.
Finding a new coach will be at the top of Gettleman’s to-do list. Ownership has indicated that interim coach Steve Spagnuolo will be among those interviewed for the job, but the rest will likely be up to Gettleman. This year’s top candidates include Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. It’s possible that Wilks could have a leg up on the rest given his history with Gettleman.
Beyond that, the Giants will have to figure out how to handle the Eli Manning situation. The team’s previous regime ignited a firestorm of controversy by benching Manning this year in favor of backup Geno Smith. Days later, Manning was re-installed as the starter while Reese and coach Ben McAdoo were shown the door. Manning says he wants to stay in New York, but the team owes him a $5MM roster bonus in March. The Giants can escape that obligation by releasing him, though they do not have an obvious replacement in-house. Smith, of course, is not a viable option and rookie Davis Webb has yet to see the field.
Gettleman boasts 30 years of experience in the NFL, including four seasons as the Panthers’ GM and 15 seasons in the Giants organization. His history with the team and close relationship with Ernie Accorsi, who served as a hiring consultant in the team’s search, helped him land the job.
The Giants also interviewed interim general manager Kevin Abrams, vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross, and former NFL executive and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick for the position. Accorsi has a history of guiding teams to a quick hire, but it was widely expected that a new GM would not be appointed until the New Year. However, it appears that the Giants were unwilling to risk losing Gettleman to another team in need of a GM.
Gettleman, 66, first came to the Giants in 1998 as as assistant to then-pro personnel director Tim Rooney. Soon after, he was promoted into Rooney’s role. He remained with the organization until 2013 when Accorsi, acting as a hiring consultant for the the Panthers, pushed Carolina to hire him as GM.
Gettleman is the Giants’ fourth GM since 1979, following the lengthy runs of George Young, Accorsi, and Jerry Reese.
Cowboys, Zack Martin To Discuss Extension
The Cowboys and right guard Zack Martin will take another stab at extension talks this offseason, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. This time around, the two sides will get down to business much sooner in the offseason, according to a source. 
Last year, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said that a new long-term deal for Martin was his top priority. That’s the case once again this year and, with any luck, something will come together before the start of free agency in March. If the Cowboys have Martin’s contract accounted for, they’ll have a better idea of how much money they can spend in the open market.
Martin has earned a Pro Bowl nod in each of his four NFL seasons, including two First-Team All-Pro selections. This season, he rates as the second-best guard in the entire NFL according to Pro Football Focus, second only to Steelers standout David DeCastro. Although he has been among the league’s very best interior linemen since 2014, his 90.5 overall score is a career-high.
If the Cowboys and Martin can agree to a new deal, it is expected to top the five-year, $60MM deal (with $31.5MM guaranteed) that Kevin Zeitler signed with the Browns as a free agent last year. If they cannot come to terms, then Martin will play out his fifth-year option for 2018 worth $9.3MM.
CFL To Allow Johnny Manziel To Join In 2018
The CFL has announced that it will approve a contract for Johnny Manziel to play in 2018. However, the approval is conditional and Manziel must meet certain requirements in order to take the field for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“[The eligibility process] has included an ongoing assessment by an independent expert on the issue of violence against women, a review by legal counsel, and an in-person interview of Mr. Manziel conducted by the commissioner,” Canadian Football League Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. “As well, Mr. Manziel has been required to meet a number of conditions set by the league. As a result of this process, the Commissioner has now informed Mr. Manziel and the Tiger-Cats he is prepared to approve a contract for Mr. Manziel should one be negotiated. “The process that led to this decision does, however, continue. Mr. Manziel has been informed he must continue to meet a number of conditions in order to remain eligible. These conditions, while extensive and exacting, remain confidential.”
Rumors of Manziel taking his talents north of the border have been circulating for more than a year. However, the CFL has declined to get into business with Manziel given his ugly off-the-field behavior, including accusations of domestic violence. Now that he has satisfied his legal requirements here in the United States, Manziel may try to resurrect his career north of the border.
Manziel, 26, has not played in the NFL since the 2015 season. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former first-round pick completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven scores, and seven picks. His overall passer rating was just 74.4. Still, he remains a celebrity in the sport for his incredible performances at Texas A&M as well as the hard partying that derailed his NFL career. If Manziel can demonstrate that he is back on the right track, the CFL may be a springboard for an NFL return.
Extra Points: Titans, Lions, Pats, Vikings
A very special Christmas edition of Extra Points:
- It has been an open subject of debate in league circles whether the Titans will shell out substantial money to land a big name head coach this offseason, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Mike Mularkey is still employed as the team’s head coach, but some anticipate that the Titans will shake things up in the offseason if they miss the playoffs. The 8-7 Titans can make the postseason with a win over the Jaguars in Week 17 or losses from the Chargers and Bills.
- Lions Vice President of Player Personnel Kyle O’Brien is emerging as potential GM candidate for other teams in the NFL, Alex Marvez of The Sporting News (Twitter link) has learned. Meanwhile, there’s some speculation about the job security of head coach Jim Caldwell.
- The talk of the league is that the Patriots, Vikings, and Eagles coaching staffs will be very popular the league’s head coaches jobs start to open up next week, Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM tweets. Recently, members of each staff were recommended for head coaching gigs by the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel.
Cowboys’ Jason Witten Discusses Future
The Cowboys won’t be going to the playoffs this year, but Jason Witten hopes to help Dallas find redemption in 2018. The tight end says he intends on returning for a 16th NFL season, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes. 
“I see too much positive,” Witten said. “I really do. I feel too good to think that would end, so my intentions are to keep playing.”
Witten had five catches for 39 yards in Sunday’s 21-12 loss to Seattle, giving him a total of 61 grabs for 543 yards and five touchdowns so far this year. This wasn’t Witten’s greatest season, but he was still extremely productive and durable.
In his decade-and-a-half with the Cowboys, Witten has yet to play in a conference championship game. Although he is hugely disappointed, Witten said that he has much to look forward to this weekend.
“It’s hard,” said Witten. “You put everything you got into it, for a long time, man. It’s a game. It is. But you go let them see Santa Claus tomorrow. I got a great family. I got a great support system. The next half hour just take a few deep breaths, try to process it and enjoy the moment, devour the strawberries, so to speak. I wish I could tell you that it would be easy. Having a good wife helps. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve lived the dream here for the last 15 years with this organization. Great ownership, great coaches, great opportunity. Disappointed that we couldn’t get it done this year.”
Packers’ Jason Spriggs Carted Off Field
Packers right tackle Jason Spriggs was carted off the field in Saturday night’s game against the Vikings after suffering an apparent left knee injury. It’s too early for a diagnosis, but Spriggs’ injury was serious enough to rule him out for the remainder of the game. 
Spriggs could be the third member of the Packers placed on injured reserve in a matter of days. Earlier this week, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and cornerback Demetri Goodson were both benched for the year.
It has been a frustrating season, who missed the bulk of the year with a hamstring issue. In his sixth game back from returning on IR, Spriggs may be headed right back. The Packers are out of playoff contention, so there’s little sense in Spriggs playing through the pain.
Heading into tonight’s game, Spriggs rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 66 tackle in the NFL out of 85 qualified players. The 2016 second-round pick is under contract with Green Bay through 2019.
50/50 Chance Of Raiders Firing Jack Del Rio
Could the Raiders move on from Jack Del Rio this offseason? There’s a 50/50 chance that he’ll return in 2018, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
[RELATED: Raiders Expected To Fire OC Todd Downing]
Del Rio and the Raiders inked a four-year extension back in January, but he might not get to serve out the deal. Typically, head coaching contracts are guaranteed for a fair amount, so the money committed to Del Rio could dissuade Oakland from making a change. But, at minimum, the 6-8 Raiders are giving it some serious thought.
Last year, Del Rio won 12 games for the second time in his career and brought the Raiders to playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Still, the Raiders are loaded with talent and Del Rio has yet to win a division title in his 10+ years as a head coach. There will be plenty of intriguing candidates available this winter and a few of those names could hold interest for the Raiders.
The Raiders face extremely long odds of making the playoffs, but they could still finish .500 with wins over the Eagles and Chargers in the next two weeks.
AFC Notes: Steelers, Harrison, Texans
James Harrison, who was released by the Steelers on Saturday, posted a message on Instagram that seems to hint that an instant return is not in the cards. “Can’t wait to find out what God has in store for me next,” Harrison wrote. “Many thanks to [Steelers Nation] for the years of love and support.” The veteran hasn’t played much this year, but he has been among the team’s most popular players over his 14 years with the club. His release came as a huge surprise and it will be interesting to see if another team will put in a waiver claim on him.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- It has been said that Texans coach Bill O’Brien is on the hot seat, but he recently picked up the endorsement of injured quarterback Deshaun Watson. O’Brien may or may not want to return himself, but he appreciates the support of the Clemson product. “Look, I don’t really know how to answer that question,” O’Brien told reporters (via PFT). “I appreciate all the support that anybody — I think that’s just the way I think any of us are. People support you, it’s a nice thing. But, at the end of the day, we’ve got to focus on Pittsburgh and that’s what we’re trying to do.” O’Brien has one year left on his deal but team owner Bob McNair says there will be no extension talks until the season is through.
- Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler is likely to start Sunday against Washington, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Recently, Osweiler indicated that he wants to stay with Denver even though the team probably does not see him as a starter for next year. At minimum, he’ll have a platform at the end of the year to prove that he can be an option for the team going forward. Paxton Lynch, for now, will be on the bench.
- The Texans have placed Tom Savage on IR.
Practice Squad Updates: 12/23/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Rickey Hatley
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Marquez Williams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jake Lampman