East Notes: Jets, Petty, Giants, Cowboys
This is Bryce Petty‘s last call to prove that he can be the Jets‘ quarterback in 2018 and beyond, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes.
“I have all the confidence in the world in Bryce,” center Wesley Johnson said this week. “He’s great in the huddle, he’s great in the locker room and I know he works hard. He prepares like a starter every week, so I’m not worried about him at all. I’m actually excited for the opportunity that he could get.”
While some of Petty’s teammates believe in him, the same can’t necessarily be said for team brass. Petty was a draft pick of the previous regime and he has only a small sample of real NFL work to show the new bosses. In his latest outing against the Broncos, Petty failed to impress, so he’ll have to turn it up in the final games of the season if he wants to stay in New York.
Here’s more from the East divisions:
- Ernie Accorsi is helping the Giants in their search for a new GM and if history is any indicator, it won’t take long to make a hire, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes. Raanan rightly notes that Accorsi drew from a small pool of candidates when he helped the Panthers (2013), Bears (2015), and Lions (2016) make their respective choices. In each case, a hire was made roughly one week after the conclusion of the regular season.
- Giants owner John Mara says the league will discuss changes to the “composition” of the Compensation Committee at the league meeting in March (Twitter link via Jim Trotter of ESPN.com). The Compensation Committee is currently comprised of six owners with Falcons owner Arthur Blank acting as the group’s leader. Up until recently, Cowboys boss Jerry Jones served as an unofficial seventh member.
- Jones says that the incentive-based structure of Roger Goodell‘s new contract will force him to deliver big results for the league. “If Roger comes in and knocked it out of the ballpark, he’ll really be rewarded,” the Cowboys owner told Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “You’ve got to hope that he has that kind of performance. There are no easy layups here on his bonuses. He’s got to come in there and lead the division in high scoring.” Goodell’s new contract is said to be 90% incentive-based and will take him through the 2024 season. After that, the NFL says Goodell will step aside.
- The Patriots are not expecting wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell to return from IR in time for the end of the regular season or the playoffs (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).
AFC North Notes: Browns, Kizer, Steelers
Browns rookie DeShone Kizer is out to prove that he can be the quarterback of the future in Cleveland.
“Every time I step out onto the field it’s about doing whatever I can to prove to my teammates and to this organization who I am as a quarterback and as a competitor,” said Kizer (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “I look forward to being in Cleveland for a long time and I look forward to winning for a long time. Every rep that I get, it’s about making sure everyone knows exactly who I am.”
Still, Cabot argues that the Browns have no real choice but to use their top draft pick in 2018 on a quarterback. Kizer has shown promise at times, but someone from the group of Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, and Josh Allen may provide greater upside. If the Browns finish out with the No. 1 pick – which seems very likely – and come to a consensus on someone from that trio, Kizer’s days in Cleveland could be numbered. Or, at the very least, he could find himself holding the clipboard next year.
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- Browns head coach Hue Jackson says that wide receiver Kenny Britt did not ask for his release. “I can clarify that for sure,” Jackson said (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). On Wednesday, the Patriots formally signed Britt to a two-year deal.
- Steelers cornerback Joe Haden will practice this week after missing a month with a broken leg, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Before the injury, Haden was on the field for almost every Pittsburgh defensive snap. Haden still ranks as the No. 32 cornerback in the league among 117 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
- This week, Robert Griffin III said that he nearly signed with the Ravens this year. Thanks to being benched in his final year with the Redskins, injuries in 2016, and his lack of employment in 2017, Griffin has appeared in just five games over the last three seasons.
Patriots Sign Kenny Britt
The Patriots have signed former Browns wide receiver Kenny Britt to a two-year deal, as first reported by Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The team confirmed the move in a press release on Wednesday.
Britt visited the Pats on Tuesday and it didn’t take long for the two sides to get down to brass tacks. Rapoport hears that New England was Britt’s preferred landing spot. 
The Patriots stood out as a strong contender to land Britt after he cleared waivers. After all, the Patriots have an affinity for ex-Rutgers players (likely fueled by their connection to former RU head coach Greg Schiano) and they have a clear need at receiver with multiple injuries in that unit.
Bill Belichick also has a track record for getting the most out of players with perceived attitude problems. Back in 2007, many in the football world figured that Randy Moss‘ best days were behind him after a rocky stint in Oakland. For the low price of a fourth-round pick, the Patriots wound up with one of the game’s most lethal offensive weapons. Britt does not have the talent of Moss in his prime, but he has demonstrated game-breaking ability in the past. Britt was an abject bust for the Browns, and an expensive one at that. Still, he’s just one year removed from a 1,000+ yard campaign with the Rams.
If he can quickly familiarize himself with the playbook, Britt could be in for a prominent role right off of the bat. Top targets Malcolm Mitchell and Julian Edelman have been parked on IR, leaving Britt an opportunity to crack the rotation. Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, Phillip Dorsett, and Matt Slater currently stand as the team’s top five receivers.
The Patriots, who fell to 10-3 after being upset by Miami, are seeking to lock down a first-round bye in the final three games of the season. Meanwhile, Britt’s former team continues to look for its first win of the 2017 season.
In related moves, the Pats signed defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois and cut wide receiver Bernard Reedy. Meanwhile, offensive lineman Marcus Cannon has been placed on IR.
Broncos To Place Justin Simmons On IR
Justin Simmons‘ season is over. The Broncos are placing the safety on the injured reserve list with an ankle injury (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News). 
Simmons injured himself while celebrating with teammate Brandon Marshall on Sunday. After Marshall sacked and stripped the ball from Josh McCown in the first quarter, Simmons gave him the linebacker a mid-air bump. Unfortunately, Simmons landed on Marshall’s foot and his ankle turned the wrong way.
It’s an early conclusion to what has been a breakout season for Simmons. Heading into this season, the second-year pro was slated to come off of the bench. However, the Broncos were so impressed by Simmons that they released former Pro Bowler T.J. Ward in order to give him more playing time.
Simmons started in all 13 of his games this year, compiling 63 tackles, two interceptions, a defensive touchdown, and 1.5 sacks. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 34 ranked safety, slotting him ahead of veterans like Bradley McDougald, Eric Weddle, and Tony Jefferson.
The Broncos, now 4-9 after drumming the Jets, will finish out the season against the Colts, Redskins, and Chiefs.
Roger Goodell To Retire In 2024
Roger Goodell has himself a new five-year extension. And this deal, NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart says, will be his last. In 2024, Goodell will step aside and the NFL will appoint a new commissioner. However, Goodell himself claims he hasn’t “made any determinations” on whether this will be his last contract as commissioner, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.
Goodell has earned hundreds of millions of dollars as commissioner – not counting his new $200MM deal – and dealt with countless headaches, so it’s no surprise to hear that he has a retirement date in mind. In what is likely a concession towards Jerry Jones, Goodell will not receive post-retirement benefits (via Dan Kaplan of Sports Business Journal, on Twitter) and 90% of his new contract will be incentive-based.
The commissioner must now focus on guiding the league through the next round of CBA negotiations and fixing his legacy. The NFL’s domestic abuse issues brought a great deal of scrutiny on the league office and Goodell’s attempts to counterbalance that with harsh punishments have not always been well received. He also drew fierce criticism for his handling/bungling of the Patriots’ Deflategate scandal.
It may be hard for Goodell to win fans back, but he has about six years to replace those bad memories with good ones. Then again, it’s not necessarily Goodell’s job to win fan approval. Some would say that a large part of Goodell’s job is to be the fall guy for the owners’ controversial decisions.
Colts’ Frank Gore Wants To Play In 2018
Frank Gore turns 35 in May, but he’s not thinking about retirement. The Colts running back says that he wants to continue playing in 2018, though not necessarily in Indianapolis. 
“I want to finish strong to give myself an opportunity for a team to want me,” he said (via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star). “If there’s a great situation, I’m gonna play.”
This season, Gore surpassed LaDainian Tomlinson for fifth place on the league’s all-time rushing yards list. If he can rack up 238 yards on the ground in the next three games (and if he can play through his hand injury), he’ll have his tenth career season with at least 1,000 yards. That won’t be easy, but 80 yards per game is doable and Gore is certainly motivated to hit that milestone for the second year in a row.
It’s clear that Gore still has some football left in the tank and there could be even more history for him to make if he continues playing next year. He could also give himself an opportunity to win his first ever Super Bowl ring and solidify his place in Canton.
Giants To Start GM Interviews Next Week
The Giants are expected to start GM interviews next week, according to Judy Battista of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, they are unlikely to name one before end of the season for fear of missing out on candidates currently with teams. 
After Jerry Reese was let go, the Giants did not rule out the possibility of signing his replacement before the end of the calendar year. However, that was always a longshot. By waiting until the offseason, the Giants will give themselves an opportunity to gauge a wider range of executives and give themselves additional time to make the right hire.
The Giants are expected to start with former Panthers GM/Giants exec Dave Gettleman and their own interim GM Kevin Abrams, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter). After that, he hears that the Giants will likely meet with two or three other candidates in early January.
Gettleman is said to be the frontrunner for the job, though Abrams will also be given a legitimate chance to be the team’s GM going forward. It sounds like former Chiefs GM John Dorsey also would have been in the mix for the job if the Browns did not pounce on him first.
Patriots Cut Jonathan Freeny
The Patriots are releasing linebacker/defensive end Jonathan Freeny, as first reported by Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). The move will create room for the team to formally sign Freeny’s former Rutgers teammate Kenny Britt. 
[RELATED: Patriots To Sign Kenny Britt]
Freeny, 28, did his most notable NFL work with the Patriots in 2015 and 2016. His latest stint in New England lasted only a week, however.
Because the trade deadline has come and gone, Freeny will hit the waiver wire. If he is not claimed by a team in the next 24 hours, he will be free to sign with any club of his choosing.
In ’15 and ’16, Freeney has recorded 60 tackles and one sack for the Patriots. He appeared in only 18 games during that span due to injury.
Saints To Sign DE George Johnson
The Saints are signing defensive end George Johnson, who recently worked out for them, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). To make room, offensive tackle Bryce Harris has been released. 
Johnson will help fill the void after rookie defensive end Trey Hendrickson went down with an ankle injury. He’s probably not in line for a ton of playing time, but he’ll be an option to relieve defensive linemen Sheldon Rankins, David Onyemata, and Hau’oli Kikaha.
The 30-year-old Johnson put himself on the NFL map with a six-sack season for the Lions in 2014. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, he wasn’t quite as sharp in 2015 when he came on board. He then lost the following season to a hip fracture. He reunited with Detroit this year, but he totaled just two tackles in four appearances.
Eagles Place Carson Wentz On IR
The Eagles have officially placed quarterback Carson Wentz on injured reserve. This was the expected outcome after the Eagles learned that Wentz suffered a torn ACL. 
[RELATED: Eagles’ Sidney Jones To Practice This Week]
For now, Nick Foles will take over at quarterback with Nate Sudfeld as his backup. Despite some calls for the Eagles to consider the likes of Colin Kaepernick and Tony Romo, it doesn’t appear that they’ll make a splashy signing. In fact, they might not add anyone to the QB depth chart. In the 48 hours that have passed since Wentz’s injury, the team has not scheduled a signal caller for a workout.
The Eagles are a mortal lock for a first-round bye and have a high probability of claiming the top seed in the NFC, but they no longer seem quite as fearsome without the former No. 2 overall pick under center. We’ll get a better idea of what Foles is capable of when the Eagles face the Giants on Sunday.