NFC North Notes: Vikings, Nelson, Trubisky
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was hired to his post mostly because of his mastery in calling an NFL defense. Zimmer was the Bengals defensive coordinator for six seasons before making the jump to the head coaching ranks in 2014. Although, he’s still been calling Minnesota’s defensive plays for the past four years. However, that is something that may change come 2018, reports Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune.
Krammer passes along that Zimmer almost gave up his playing calling duties this past year to defensive coordinator George Edwards. He ultimately decided against the move largely because of his success at calling defensive schemes for the past 18 years. Zimmer did express that Edwards is the main orchestrator of the team’s defensive game plan for the most part anyway.
“George does everything,” Zimmer said. “He helps with the game plan. He runs a lot of the meetings, the defensive meetings. Him and I really sit down and talk about all the different things that are going on. He studies the game just like he’s calling the game. So he’ll come in and talk to me about second down-and-whatever. ‘They’re doing this,’ or, ‘they’re doing that.’ Really, he does everything other than call the game on Sunday.”
Edwards used to call plays for the Bills back in 2011, but has taken a backseat in that regard in order to work as a member of Zimmer’s staff. This dynamic could be a subplot as we approach next year’s training camp because Zimmer appears to be letting go of the idea that he has to be the one making the final defensive decisions on Sundays.
“It’s a lot of work when you sit down and do it,” Zimmer said of calling plays. “I’ve done it for a long time. And because I have confidence in George, as well. I think maybe just the fact that, um, you know, I don’t know – I guess I’m just getting older.”
Here’s more stories from around the NFC North:
- In other Vikings news, wide receiver Jarius Wright is reported to have restructured his deal at the beginning of the season, which dropped his base salary from $2.5MM to $1.05MM, according to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Goessling notes that Wright has earned weekly roster bonuses of about $93k in order to get back his original salary figure. With that in mind, he’ll have earned back the rest of his money by the time Week 17 kicks off.
- Packers longtime receiver Jordy Nelson appears to be stuck in limbo with the organization the drafted him back in 2008, opines Rob Demosvky of ESPN.com. Nelson, who’ll turn 33 over the summer has seen a major drop off in production in his 10th year in the NFL. Demovsky suggests that the veteran wideout may hinder the team’s ability to re-sign the more productive and younger Davante Adams, who’ll be a free agent this offseason. Nelson will collect about $10MM in salary and bonuses in 2018, which will make him more difficult to cut or trade in the next few months. Randall Cobb is signed long-term as well, but is five years Nelson’s junior, which makes him a better piece to have moving forward. Not being able to sign Adams would be a major blow for a Packers team that saw what life is like without Aaron Rodgers this year. This puts the Packers in a very difficult position entering a crucial offseason with the team having missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
- Mitch Trubisky has had his moments during his rookie campaign, but has largely faced a lot of difficulty in his first season in the NFL. It’s expected that the Bears coaching staff and roster will have a lot of turnover this offseason, but the young signal caller expects to take a “big jump” in 2018, reports Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. “I’m always motivated to get better,” Trubisky said. “I expect to make a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2. The experience I got this year, I’m definitely going to carry that with me into the offseason and expect to have a lot of momentum and just a full head of steam going into next year.” While he experienced a number of challenges in 2017, Trubisky emphasized “growth and development” in his reflection of his first foray into professional football. Expect the Bears to put an emphasis on surrounding Trubisky with more talent this offseason. He’s had to work with patchwork receiving groups all year long, which certainly does not bode well for his outlook moving forward. The former first round pick comes into Week 17 completing under 60% of his passes, while throwing just as many touchdowns as interceptions at seven apiece.
Breer’s Latest: Black Monday Preview
With the final week of the NFL’s regular season approaching, that only means two things; 12 teams will soon be focusing on reaching the Super Bowl, while the rest will start to look ahead to next season. One major part of looking forward is addressing who on the coaching staff will be returning in 2018. Many of these coaching questions are answered on the day following Week’s 17 conclusion, conveniently called “Black Monday”.
Veteran reporter Albert of Breer of Sports Illustrated, gave a preview of the coaches he expects to stay and the ones that will likely be shown the door in his most recent column. Breer ranked the potential firings as “Likely/Done”, “We’ll See”, and “It’s Complicated”. In total, there were 15 head coaches mentioned who could see their situations change starting next week.
Here’s a quick look at Breer’s takes on some of the league’s hottest coaching questions:
- There were five head coaches included in the “likely/done” category including: Bears‘ John Fox, Bengals‘ Marvin Lewis, Lions‘ Jim Caldwell, Colts‘ Chuck Pagano and and the Giants‘ interim coach Steve Spagnuolo. The four full-time head coaches on this list have all had their fair share of success in the league. In fact, three of them led their current teams to multiple playoff appearances during their tenure. However, Caldwell and Lewis have been unable to win a postseason game with Pagano and Fox having failed at continuing the past success they have shown during their careers in football. Breer notes that while the “expectation is that Fox will be gone”, the decision on the fate of general manager Ryan Pace is true question facing the franchise this offseason. There’s been rapid speculation about Lewis, Caldwell and Pagano throughout the year, so their inclusion on this list is no surprise. Finally, the Giants are currently interviewing general manager candidates who will almost certainly be looking to lead their own head coaching search once hired.
- Breer puts six current head coaches in the ‘we’ll see” part of the list. This portion mentions the Cardinals‘ Bruce Arians, Broncos‘ Vance Joseph, Raiders‘ Jack Del Rio, Buccaneers‘ Dirk Koetter, Titans‘ Mike Mularkey and the Redskins‘ Jay Gruden. There’s a variety of situations going on here with Breer noting that Arizona could see Arians retire, which could lead them to other current NFL head coaches: Todd Bowles and Bill O’Brien. Del Rio and Gruden have had their fair share of success because of quality quarterback play, but both have managed to decrease confidence because of an inconsistent 2017 season. However, Breer points out that both are signed long-term so their owners would have to eat the remaining years of their current deals. Mularkey and Koetter were rewarded for the relationships they formed with their QB’s, but there’s been disappointment with how this season has unfolded for their teams. Breer notes that should Mularkey lose this Sunday, he could be on the chopping block come Monday morning with the team looking to hire an offensive-minded coach like Josh McDaniels. Finally, Joseph has forced himself to the hot seat even in his first year of coaching the Broncos, though Breer says himself that this situation is “unpredictable” given that team president John Elway is just “not pleased with how the season’s gone”.
- Browns head coach Hue Jackson, and the two previously mentioned O’Brien and Bowles of the Texans and Jets, find themselves on the “it’s complicated” section of Breer’s roundup largely because of just the many factors are at play in regards to their situations. Jackson got a vote of confidence from owner Jimmy Haslam himself, but new general manager John Dorsey could have his sights on implementing his own guy after a winless season. O’Brien has made the playoffs before, but has struggled committing to a QB even after the team selected Deshaun Watson in the first round. Bowles has done a lot with a little in New York this season, but ownership could go in a different direction with a new starting signal caller likely walking into the building next year. Also, there is the potential that all three coaches could move onto new head coaching gigs with the number of openings that could be available this offseason. The final and definitely most surprising inclusion on this list was Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who Breer mentions could retire at age 66 with a roster about to see major turnover in the next few years. Although, I would venture that nothing he’s said this season would indicate that being the case.
DC Vic Fangio Is A Free Agent in 2018
Hue Jackson has accumulated a stunningly poor 1-30 record in almost two seasons as the head coach of the Browns. However, despite his poor performance, he looks to be safe for next season. Other factors such as a lack of talent and a disfunctional front office certainly play a big role in the team’s failures, but basic logic must win out in determining his coaching future, opines Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
La Canfora notes that while Jackson appears to be “immune to review” at the moment, the team should be thinking about moving on from their second-year head coach. It’s not ideal for a franchise that has shuffled through many coaches in the past, but La Canfora argues that the job is more attractive then some may think when just observing this season.
New general manager John Dorsey has a track record of success and the team could be bringing in a young franchise QB with the number one pick, even though Josh Rosen has reportedly had some reservations about going to Cleveland.
La Canfora notes that finding a better replacement to Jackson shouldn’t be hard, even if the team is unlikely to do so given most of the reports coming from Browns ownership.
Here’s more notes from around the coaching carousel:
- The Lions have stood behind head coach Jim Caldwell for the past four seasons, despite not winning a playoff game. However, it may be time for the franchise to move on after the team lost to the Bengals on Sunday. Patriots defense coordinator Matt Patricia may be a prime candidate if the job opens up because of his relationship with current Lions general manager Bob Quinn, according to Alex Marvez of Sporting News (Twitter link). The two men worked together in New England when Quinn was a high level decision maker in the Patriots front office, so the hire would be a natural fit.
- The Redskins missed the playoffs for the second straight season, but could still lose their quarterback coach Kevin O’Connell to another opportunity. O’Connell is reported to be a “top target” for the UCLA offensive coordinator post, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). New Bruins head coach Chip Kelly is looking for another offensive mind to add to his staff and the offensive coordinator job would be a difficult position to turn down if O’Connell was offered, according to Rapoport. Under O’Connell’s guidance, Kirk Cousins has continued to produce solid numbers in 2017, which has certainly helped make him more sought after for promotions at the collegiate level.
- There’s a number of attractive coordinators who will be free agents this offseason. Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com run down a list that includes defensive coordinators: Gus Bradley, Paul Guenther, Vic Fangio and George Edwards. They mention that Bradley in particular is an odd situation because he signed just a one-year deal with the Chargers last offseason and has a great track record as a defensive coordinator with the Seahawks as well. At the moment, the Chargers have the third ranked scoring defense in the league, which should help make him in high demand for open defensive coordinator jobs after this season is over. Guenther on the other hand has been mentioned has a potential replacement for longtime Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, although he would be free to look at other opportunities should the team opt to go in a different direction. The article also makes note that popular Eagles quarterback coach John DeFilippo and Cowboys passing game coordinator Matt Eberflus would bring widespread interest as well if they move on from their current teams.
Bears Could Lose DV Vic Fangio
- While the Packers have certainly struggled without quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the club isn’t expected to make wholesale changes during the offseason, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. However, defensive coordinator Dom Capers could take the fall after leading a defense that ranks just 19th in DVOA. If Capers is fired, one candidate to take over Green Bay’s defense may be current Bears DC Vic Fangio, per Pelissero. Fangio, whose contract expires after the 2017 season, has Chicago’s defense at 14th in DVOA (with arguably less talent than the Packers possess).
- Although Vikings long snapper Kevin McDermott‘s dislocated shoulder is likely to sideline him for the final game of the regular season, he’s expected to be available for the playoffs, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter links). McDermott, who will not require surgery, had his shoulder popped back in place last night. Meanwhile, Minnesota will need a long snapper for their Week 17 contest against the Bears, and the club plans to audition free agent Justin Drescher on Tuesday, per Tomasson. Drescher has appeared in 110 career games, including eight with the Cardinals earlier this year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: S Chris Prosinski
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: TE Pharaoh Brown
- Placed on IR: TE Clive Walford
Washington Redskins
- Signed: RB Kenny Hilliard
- Placed on IR: RB LeShun Daniels
Bears Have Cap Flexibility
Jeff Fisher may have his eye on the Browns, Colts, and Bears vacancies, but does any NFL team want him? Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders aloud if Fisher could be back as an NFL head coach. Fans have scoffed at the idea that Fisher – he of many 7-9 and 8-8 seasons – could get another chance, but Florio rightly notes that it only takes one owner to side with Fisher’s experience over the potential of a younger candidate. Conversely, Florio wonders if the fan backlash that prevented Greg Schiano from joining the University of Tennessee could scare an owner away from an unpopular choice like Fisher.
- The Raiders, Bengals, Buccaneers, Titans, and Bears are the teams that will have the most cap flexibility this offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. If the Raiders want to make a splash, they can create up to $91MM in cap room by slashing the roster while only taking on $12.6MM in dead money. The Packers missed the top five cut, but they’re roughly in the same category as the others – they can free up $73MM with $29MM in leftover obligations.
Bears To Shut Down Quintin Demps
Although the Bears designated safety Quintin Demps to return from injured reserve three weeks ago, the club will instead shut down the veteran defensive back for the remainder of the season, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Demps suffered a broken arm during the Bears’ Week 3 victory over the Steelers, and was subsequently placed on IR. While the prevailing feeling at the time was that Demps would be a lock to be activated later in the year, he’s now dealing with nerve issues in his arm, per Biggs. Given that the 4-10 Bears aren’t fighting for a postseason berth, the club has evidently decided there’s no reason to further risk Demps’ health.
Demps, 32, inked a three-year, $13.5MM deal that included $4.5MM in the spring after spending the past two seasons with the Texans. Through an admittedly small sample of only two-plus games, Pro Football Focus had ranked Demps as just the 70th-best safety among 82 qualifiers. Given his age and his 2018 cap charge of $4.3MM, Demps could theoretically be a candidate for release this offseason, especially if Chicago attempts to get younger on defense.
Although Demps was designated to return from IR, he was never officially activated to the Bears’ 53-man roster. Therefore, Chicago will not be forced to make a corresponding transaction, as Demps will simply stay on injured reserve.
Bears Place Pernell McPhee On IR
The Bears placed Pernell McPhee on injured reserve on Wednesday. It’s possible that he has played his last game for Chicago. 
McPhee signed a five-year deal, $38.8MM deal with the Bears in 2015, meaning that he has two more years under contract. However, the Bears can cut him this offseason and save $7.075MM while eating just $1MM in dead money. That would be the logical move given McPhee’s injury troubles in recent years.
Earlier this year, when asked if McPhee will ever be the player he was when the Bears originally signed him in 2015, Chicago defensive Vic Fangio gave a simple answer: “Probably not.” Thanks to injuries to both knees and his recent shoulder injury, McPhee has missed 12 games over the last three years.
McPhee could still have a football future elsewhere, but not at the salary he was earning in Chicago. The advanced metrics show that despite the injury, he has still been quietly effective. He currently rates as the league’s No. 40 ranked edge defender, per Pro Football Focus, with an overall score of 79.9.
In related moves, the Bears signed linebacker Jonathan Anderson to the active roster and signed receiver Mekale McKay to the practice squad.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Chicago Bears
- WRs Corey Brown, Aaron Dobson, DeVier Posey (link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)
Cleveland Browns
- RB Devine Redding; WRs C.J. Board, Devin Lucien; TE Henry Krieger-Coble; CBs T.J. Lee, Jonathon Mincy; S Kenny Ladler (Twitter links)
Detroit Lions
- WRs James Wright, Brandon Zylstra (Twitter links)
Green Bay Packers
- QBs Garrett Fugate, Matt McGloin; WR Jake Kumerow; C Lucas Crowley; LB Jacob Lindsey; CB Manny Asprilla (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Zach Conque; CB Dwayne Thomas (link)
Los Angeles Rams
- CBs Dexter McDougle, Taurean Nixon; S Trey Caldwell (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- RB Ka’Deem Carey; DE Kasim Edebali; LB Ja’Gared Davis; DBs Lorenzo Jerome, Kenny Ladler, Stefan McClure (link)
Jeff Fisher Eyeing Browns, Colts, Bears?
Are you ready for the return of Jeff Fisher? The former Titans and Rams head coach is looking to get back in the NFL and it sounds like he has his eye on a trio of potential openings. Fisher sees himself as a fit for the Browns, Colts, and Bears, should those jobs become available, according to Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Jeff Fisher Has Begun Contacting Coaching Staff Candidates]
Despite 22 years of head coaching experience, Fisher would not be a particularly sexy hire for any NFL team. He’s had five 8-8 seasons and four 7-9 seasons (plus one 7-8-1 campaign) as head coach, a stat that seemingly overshadows his successful playoff teams in Tennessee.
Fisher’s second act with the Rams did not go as planned, but he remains extremely well connected in league circles and it would not be surprising to see him at least land an interview or two. Depending on how things go from there, Fisher could be running things on the sidelines once again.
In his nearly five year run with the Rams, Fisher went 31-45-1 with no playoff appearances. He had better success with the Titans, though they reached the Super Bowl just once in his 17 years at the helm. Overall, Fisher owns a career 173-165-1 regular season record.
No one would be surprised if the Colts and Bears part ways with Chuck Pagano and John Fox, respectively. The Browns have pledged to bring Hue Jackson back for another season, but new GM John Dorsey has sidestepped questions about Jackson’s job security.