NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/26/16
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL, including the Cardinals signing their entire practice squad to new deals for 2016:
Arizona Cardinals
- Carrington Byndom, CB (press release via team)
- Rob Crisp, T
- Durell Eskridge, S
- Marion Grice, RB
- Robert Hughes, RB
- Antoine McClain, G
- Quayshawn Nealy, LB
- Olsen Pierre, DT
- Jaxon Shipley, WR
- John Wetzel, T
- Kevin White, CB
Carolina Panthers
- Donald Hawkins, T (press release via team)
New England Patriots
- James Vaughters, LB (press release via team)
Community Tailgate: Super Bowl 50 Winner
As Super Bowl 50 nears, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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Both home teams came out of Sunday’s championship games with victories, but that was hardly a given heading into the weekend. While the Panthers were favored over the Cardinals, the Broncos entered Sunday’s AFC championship against the Patriots as underdogs. However, an incredible effort by the defense, which hit Tom Brady more than any quarterback has been hit in a single game all season, helped Denver pull off the 20-18 upset.
While the Broncos squeaked through to Super Bowl 50 with a last-minute defensive stop, the Panthers throttled the Cardinals from start to finish in the NFC championship, and Carolina will head into the final game of the season as favorites over Denver.
Although some observers and reporters have likened the matchup to the Broncos/Seahawks Super Bowl two years ago, in which Seattle blew out Peyton Manning and the Broncos, this Denver defense looks much more dangerous than that team’s unit, and might be capable of slowing down Cam Newton and the Panthers. At the very least, Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and company should ensure that the league’s probable MVP won’t be quite as comfortable as he looked against the Seahawks and Cardinals.
How do you expect Super Bowl 50 to play out? Will the Panthers continue to cruise through the postseason en route to the franchise’s first championship, or will the Broncos pull off their second consecutive upset victory? Weigh in below with your predictions!
Thomas Davis Breaks Arm, Expects To Play In Super Bowl 50
Even though the Panthers didn’t have star linebacker Thomas Davis for most of the NFC championship gam
e on Sunday, that didn’t stop them from shellacking the Cardinals, 49-15, to advance to Super Bowl 50.
Davis – who left in the second quarter and didn’t return – revealed afterward that he broke his right arm, USA Today’s Tom Peliserro reports (Twitter link). The question now is whether Davis will be healthy enough to face the AFC champion Broncos on Feb. 7. He thinks so.
“There is no way I’m missing the Super Bowl,” the 32-year-old told ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link).
Davis, long one of Carolina’s heart-and-soul players, has been among its driving forces this season. The 11th-year man is amid his first All-Pro campaign, having registered 105 tackles and 5.5 sacks to go along with impressive ball-hawking prowess (four forced fumbles, four interceptions). In parts of the Panthers’ two playoff wins this year, Davis has combined for 11 tackles.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sunday Roundup: Manning, 49ers, Norman
In a few hours, we will know which teams will be heading to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50. In the meantime, let’s dive into some news and notes from around the league:
- Although the story has largely fallen out of mainstream coverage, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the NFL is still reviewing the HGH allegations surrounding Broncos QB Peyton Manning and that the matter is not yet resolved.
- Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly has been very noncommittal in his comments regarding Colin Kaepernick, suggesting that Kelly is less excited about the prospect of having Kaepernick run his offense than one might think. It is especially strange that Kelly claimed he could not discuss how Kaepernick might fit into his offense because it was against NFL offseason rules, when in fact it is not against league rules to discuss a player who is under contract. Of course, Kelly’s comments could just be a reflection of his guarded, introverted personality, but the lack of enthusiasm is still somewhat surprising.
- The 49ers are still looking for a new defensive coordinator, and per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the team is interested in former Browns DC Jim O’Neil. Former Browns head coach Mike Pettine has said he wants to take the 2016 season off.
- Panthers CB Josh Norman, an impending free agent, is set to cash in on his terrific 2015 campaign, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) observes, Norman will likely seek a contract in the Richard Sherman/Patrick Peterson neighborhood (both of whom recently signed deals with more than $40MM in guarantees). The Panthers could, of course, put the franchise tag on Norman–at a value of $13-14MM–but Carolina should have around $20MM in cap space and does not have many other high priority free agents to worry about.
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers must improve their secondary in the offseason, but the problem is that they have few internal options that they can reasonably rely upon. The team may be forced to open its checkbook, and Bouchette thinks it would be wise for the Steelers to re-sign Brandon Boykin. He also names Eric Weddle as an intriguing possibility.
- According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, one of the reasons the Jaguars handed a one-year extension to head coach Gus Bradley was to avoid a situation like the one Chuck Pagano recently faced in Indianapolis. Pagano’s expiring contract, of course, created a season-long distraction that Jacksonville hopes to avoid.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com compared the Giants‘ roster to those of the four conference finalists, and in so doing, he discovered the biggest problem that the team faced in 2015 and may continue to face moving forward. Although the Giants do not have enough homegrown talent, and although they need to get more production from their first-round draft picks, the most significant concern the team faced relative to the league’s more successful franchises is that it did not get enough production from its highest-paid players. Big Blue got nothing, or next to nothing, from three of its highest-paid players–Victor Cruz, Will Beatty, and Jason Pierre-Paul–which will make for some interesting decisions in the offseason.
NFC South Notes: Manuel, Falcons, Olsen
The NFC South champion Panthers are set to take on the Cardinals tomorrow in the NFC Championship, and while wait for that contest, let’s take a quick look at some notes out of Carolina’s division:
- Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel turned an offer to become the Jaguars defensive passing game coordinator and will remain with Atlanta, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Manuel, who interviewed for Jacksonville’s defensive coordinator vacancy before the club promoted internal candidate Todd Wash, will enter his second season with the Falcons.
- In a separate piece for the AJC, Ledbetter examines whether the Falcons should consider reuniting with linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who’s spent the 2015 season with the Cardinals after five years with Atlanta. The Falcons did offer Weatherspoon an incentive-laden deal last offseason, reports Ledbetter, but Arizona offered $1.25MM in guarantees. For his part, Weatherspoon seems happy with his current situation, but did allow that “part of [his] heart is in Atlanta.”
- Tight end Greg Olsen is the Panthers‘ No. 1 option in the receiving game, but at one point not long ago, he looked like a middling pass-catcher as a member of the Bears. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune looks back at the 2011 trade that brought Olsen from the Windy City to Carolina.
Panthers GM Talks Strategy, Offseason, Hardy
The Panthers are one victory away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 2003. A lot of this season’s success can be attributed to general manager Dave Gettleman. The team has made the playoffs in each of his first three seasons with the organization, and the executive’s shrewd offseason moves (including cutting bait with embattled star Greg Hardy) helped the team to a 15-1 regular season record.
Gettleman recently sat down with Alex Marvez of Fox Sports to discuss his team-building strategy, the logic behind his offseason moves, and the team’s reaction to the Hardy fiasco. The whole interview is worth reading, but we’ve pulled out some of the notable quotes below…
On what the front office looks for in draftees/potential free agent targets:
“I’ve never been on a team that’s had bad chemistry and gone to a Super Bowl.
“So we really look hard at character. We really do. It’s a big part of our draft, a big part of bringing in free agents. The other thing we do is tell them, “This is who we are. If you don’t want to be a part of this, it’s OK. It doesn’t make you a bad guy. It makes you a bad fit.” The cards are on the table, and everybody knows what’s expected. Everyone is held responsible.”
On the team’s main priorities last offseason:
“One of the things was more speed on special teams. Our cover units hurt us last year. There were a whole bunch of things going on. We had a ton of injuries so Colin Jones, who’s our ace on special teams, becomes our nickel (cornerback). Now he’s playing 40 snaps a game, so you’ve got to pull him off a couple of teams (units). We lost (fullback) Mike Tolbert, who’s a solid special teams guy, for eight games. There was a domino effect. So we went out and got (cornerback) Teddy Williams, who’s a really core teams guy, we drafted (linebacker) David Mayo and incorporated Joe Webb more. That’s one of the checked boxes.
“Another thing was the left tackle spot. It was an issue. Anybody who watched film could see that. We really investigated Michael (Oher). Believe me – he has not disappointed. That was big.
“I also wanted to get a young developmental tackle. We got him in Daryl (Williams). We wanted to get a young running back in here, and we got Cameron Artis-Payne. And on (special) teams, we got David Mayo and he’s done a great job for us. We didn’t reach for any of those guys.
I felt like we answered a lot of the questions we had. I answered the question before the season began that I thought this was the best roster we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
On how the front office and team dealt with last season’s Greg Hardy situation:
“It was an incredibly difficult time. We had reporters saying we didn’t handle it well and we should have to go to (domestic violence) training and whatever. I made the statement (to the media) after the season was over that there is no one in this room who is qualified to deal with that issue.
“It was tough on us; it was tough on the players. They didn’t understand what was going on. It wasn’t until his court case got pushed back from November to after the year that everybody said, “OK, he’s not coming back (from the commissioner exempt list).” Guys started to say, ‘If everybody does their job, we’ll be OK.”
Vikings To Interview Pat Shurmur
12:58pm: Goessling’s tweet identifying the Ravens and Panthers as potential suitors for Shurmur has been deleted, and his story on the topic simply says that two unidentified teams – in addition to the Rams and Vikings – may have interest in Shurmur. So it’s not clear whether or not Baltimore and Carolina are, in fact, those two teams.
12:48pm: With Frank Reich and John DeFilippo having been hired as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach respectively, it appears former OC Pat Shurmur won’t be retained by new head coach Doug Pederson. Shurmur is drawing interest from other teams though. In addition to receiving an interview request from the Rams for their passing-game coordinator job, Shurmur has generated interest from the Vikings, Ravens, and Panthers, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
[RELATED: Eagles hire Frank Reich to replace Pat Shurmur as offensive coordinator]
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Vikings are set to interview Shurmur this week, which is interesting, since the only current opening on Minnesota’s staff is at running backs coach. Since getting his first NFL coaching job in 1999, Shurmur has never coached running backs, so it’s not clear if that’s the role the Vikings have in mind for him, or if the team would plan to create a new position. The interview will take place on Friday, per Goessling (Twitter link).
Shurmur, who served as the Eagles’ interim head coach in Week 17 after Chip Kelly‘s dismissal, was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015. Previously, he spent time as the Browns’ head coach (2011-12), the Rams’ offensive coordinator (2009-10), and the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach (2002-08) after initially coaching tight ends and offensive linemen in Philadelphia.
Although the Eagles struggled as a team in 2015, Shurmur’s offense ranked a respectable 12th in yards per game (364.4), landing in the top half of the NFL in terms of both passing and rushing yardage. However, for the third straight year under Kelly and Shurmur, Philadelphia finished last in the league in time of possession due to the fast-paced nature of the offense.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Shula, Lynn, 49ers, Manusky
It was widely reported during the week leading up to the NFL’s Wild Card games this month that Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula wasn’t interested in interviewing for any head coaching jobs while Carolina remained alive in the playoffs. However, speaking to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, Shula says he’s not sure where that perception came from.
“All I said (to the media) was I’m focused on the playoffs,” Shula said. “The other quote was if it did happen, if I was approached, I’d have to consider that at the time. Those were my only quotes … Somebody said I had an agent out there talking, too. I don’t have an agent. I have a friend that helps me, but he definitely wasn’t that person … I don’t know where that (report) came from.”
It’s somewhat odd that Shula would clarify his stance now, after all the vacant head coaching positions have been filled, rather than earlier in the interview process. Those reports suggesting he was reluctant to interview for other jobs while preparing for Panthers playoff games didn’t materialize out of thin air, so even if Shula claims he would have been open to opportunities, I’d imagine he’s happy to remain in his current role.
Here are a few more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- Bills running backs coach and assistant head coach Anthony Lynn is interviewing for the 49ers‘ offensive coordinator job, a source tells Marvez (Twitter link). Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that the interview is scheduled to take place on Thursday. Lynn previously met with the Niners during the team’s head coaching search.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com provides another update on the 49ers, tweeting that Chip Kelly is interested in finding a spot on his staff for Jeff Nixon, who spent five years as the Dolphins’ running backs coach.
- According to Marvez (Twitter link), Washington is set to hire Greg Manusky – who was the Colts’ defensive coordinator up until the end of the 2015 season – as the club’s outside linebackers coach. However, Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link) and ESPN’s John Keim hear there’s no deal in place yet, though they both say Washington has interest in Manusky, with Keim confirming the team interviewed him.
- The Titans have one more defensive line coach interview taking place today before making a decision on the position, tweets Marvez. Former Giants assistant Robert Nunn is one candidate for the job.
Extra Points: Shula, Irvin, Falcons, Packers
Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula made it known during the head coaching hiring cycle that he wasn’t interested in taking interviews until Carolina’s playoff run was complete, preferring to focus on the task at hand. While it’s certainly an admirable approach, it may have cost him at least one job, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins never reached out to Shula because they wanted to hire a head coach quickly. Miami did become the first franchise to hire a new HC, agreeing to terms with Adam Gase on January 9.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Although Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin recently told the media that he’d be willing to accept less money to stay with the Seahawks, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com isn’t necessarily buying it. Irvin is an Atlanta native, and the Falcons would be offering him a chance to reunite with ex-Seattle coordinator Dan Quinn. Plus, notes McClure, Atlanta has shown a willingness to spend on defensive acquisitions in the past.
- In other Falcons news, receiver Devin Hester is set to face a three-to-six month recovery after undergoing toe surgery today, according to McClure. Hester, who missed 11 games in 2015 due to the injury, might miss some offseason work, but should be healthy by the start of the 2016 season.
- The Packers and GM Ted Thompson are interested in Mississippi State linebacker Beniquez Brown, a source tells Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. Brown is a potential third-round pick, in the estimation of Pauline.
- CFL receiver Eric Rogers recently worked out for the Colts, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). This is Rogers’ third PFR mention today, so it’s clear that he’s getting attention around the league.
Injury Updates: J. Allen, O. Bolden, JPP
Our newest round of injury updates has an impact on two teams still alive in the postseason, along with one notable player eligible for free agency this winter. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….
- Per David Newton of ESPN.com, Panthers defensive end Jared Allen met with Dr. Robert Anderson – one of the country’s top foot doctors – during Sunday’s game and was scheduled to meet with him again today. Initially diagnoses with a fractured foot, Allen aimed to get a more definitive diagnosis today, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests (via Twitter) that nothing has changed since Sunday — it’s still believed to be a small broken bone, and Allen hopes to play through it. The veteran pass rusher’s status will be worth keeping a close eye on this week.
- Broncos defensive back and return man Omar Bolden will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his PCL, per Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Bolden was used somewhat sparingly as a returner this season, but made the most of his opportunities, with one of his five regular-season punt returns going for an 83-yard touchdown, and his lone playoff return going for 42 yards. He’ll be placed on IR and the Broncos will decide within the next couple days how to place him, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- Giants defensive end and free-agent-to-be Jason Pierre-Paul posted a photo on his Instagram revealing that he’s undergoing more surgery on his injured hand today. New York is unlikely to use its franchise tag on JPP again, so he figures to hit the open market in March if he and the Giants can’t work out an extension. You can bet teams will be closely monitoring the state of his that right hand.