Five Teams Interested In WR Pierre Garcon
At least five clubs are expected to express interest in Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who reports the Rams, Eagles, Bears, Cowboys, and 49ers are among the teams intrigued by the veteran pass-catcher. Garcon, for his part, would prefer to return to Washington, but as of earlier this week, the Redskins have not engaged in contract talks with the 30-year-old.
[RELATED: Top 3 Offseason Needs — Washington Redskins]
Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco are all engaged in various stages of rebuilding, and as Jones notes, each club would view Garcon as a “security blanket” as they continue to develop young quarterbacks. In the case of the Bears and 49ers, of course, that youthful signal-caller is likely not yet on the roster, but the Rams’ Jared Goff and Eagles’ Carson Wentz could each use new weapons as they head into their second NFL campaigns. Of the four clubs mentioned here, none finished higher than 16th in offensive DVOA in 2016, with Chicago leading the way and Los Angeles — dead last at No. 32 — rounding out the list.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, are in a different boat altogether, and are squarely in the 2018 Super Bowl conversation following a season that saw the breakout of quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, continuous excellence from the offensive line, and viable receiving threats that allowed the unit to rank third in DVOA. However, with both Terrance Williams and Brice Butler scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next month, Dallas could be on the lookout for a dependable No. 2 wide receiver, a description that Garcon ably fits.
In his ninth NFL season, Garcon led the Redskins in both receptions (79) and receiving yards (1,041) while managing three touchdowns, and finished 10th in DYAR and 15th DVOA among wideouts. Coming off a five-year deal signed in 2012, Garcon averaged an $8.5MM salary during his time with Washington.
ESPN: Tony Romo A Realistic Possibility
- In a snazzy ESPN.com piece, the Bears are seen as a top realistic destination for Romo. On a list housing several teams, the Bears potentially signing Romo as a free agent and grooming a high draft pick strikes various ESPN staffers as a viable option. Romo, though, may not want to consider the Bears due to their struggles in recent seasons. The Bills are known to have interest, but Romo isn’t believed to reciprocate that. Buffalo finished four games better than 3-13 Chicago in 2016.
QB Jay Cutler A “Possibility” For Jets
The Jets have hired Jeremy Bates as their new quarterbacks coach, the club announced today. While Bates’ addition seems fairly innocuous, the fact that he previously served as QBs coach in Denver with Jay Cutler, who is expected to become a free agent soon, has already provided a possible link between Cutler and Gang Green. Indeed, Cutler is considered a “possibility” for New York, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who notes that any union would be dependent on an appropriate price tag.
[RELATED: Jets Have Interest In Deshaun Watson]
Cutler is expected to be released by the Bears in the coming weeks, and he could make for an interesting bounceback candidate under Bates and new New York offensive coordinator John Morton. With Bates’ assistance, Cutler posted perhaps the best season of his career in 2008, passing for more than 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns while managing a Total Quarterback Rating of 67.09. Those numbers are a far cry from Cutler’s disastrous 2016 campaign, when mounting injuries limited him to five starts.
The 33-year-old Cutler is just the latest quarterback to be linked to the Jets this offseason, as the club has also been tied to draft prospects Deshaun Watson and Mitch Trubisky and pending free agent Mike Glennon. New York has two signal-callers already on its roster, but the team’s front office reportedly has doubts that either Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg will develop into more than a backup-caliber passer.
In addition to Bates, the Jets announced the hiring of three other coaches: offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi, offensive assistant Jason Vrable, and assistant strength coach Joe Giacobbe.
Bears Could Have Interest In WRs Coach Bob Bicknell
- The Bears could have interest in hiring Bob Bicknell as their new wide receivers coach, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Bicknell has coached wideouts at the NFL level since 2012, spending time with Buffalo, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, and isn’t expected to retained by the 49ers.
49ers Could Have Interest In Jay Cutler
If the 49ers aren’t able to land quarterbacks Kirk Cousins or Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, the club may express interest in veteran Jay Cutler, two sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
[RELATED: 49ers Hire Kyle Shanahan]
New San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan is expected to pursue Cousins, whom he previously coached in Washington, but the Redskins are unlikely to let their signal-caller get away without a fight. Garoppolo, too, may be on the table, but the Patriots have reportedly placed a high asking price on its backup quarterback, and the 49ers would have competition for his services. Matt Schaub has also been tossed out as a possible bridge option for the Niners, but Cutler would present an even more intriguing option in the same vein.
Shanahan doesn’t have a working relationship with Cutler, but his father does, as Mike Shanahan traded up in the 2006 draft to select Cutler while serving as head coach of the Broncos. Not only does Kyle Shanahan employ many of the same offensive schemes as did his father, but new 49ers general manager John Lynch played for Mike Shanahan, and is said to be willing to accept advice from the longtime NFL coach. As such, a somewhat tangential connection between Cutler and San Francisco could appear a bit more realistic.
The Bears are fully expected to release Cutler in the coming months, clearing $14MM in cap space by doing so. If and when he becomes a free agent, Cutler — despite his lackluster 2016 results — would be among the best quarterbacks available on the open market, joining Cousins, Mike Glennon, and Brian Hoyer.
Bears Waive Josh Shirley
- The Bears have waived linebacker Josh Shirley, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Shirley appeared in just one game last year with Chicago, which signed him to its practice squad in December after he spent the first few months of the season looking for work. As a rookie with the Buccaneers in 2015, the former undrafted free agent from UNLV totaled five appearances and two tackles.
2017 NFL Draft Order Set
With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror, the offseason is officially underway for all 32 teams. We now have the complete draft order for the entire first round, with one exception which is noted below.
The Patriots, of course, will have the honor of having the last pick. The Falcons, after losing in heartbreaking fashion, will have the penultimate selection in the first round.
Here is the complete order, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter links):
1. Browns
2. 49ers
3. Bears
4. Jaguars
5. Titans
6. Jets
7. Chargers
8. Panthers
9. Bengals
10. Bills
11. Saints
12. Browns
13. Cardinals
T-14. Eagles (via the Vikings)
T-14. Colts (Note: The Vikings and Colts have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broke by coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 14 and the other team getting the No. 15 pick.)
16. Ravens
17. Redskins
18. Titans
19. Buccaneers
20. Broncos
21. Lions
22. Dolphins
23. Giants
24. Raiders
25. Texans
26. Seahawks
27. Chiefs
28. Cowboys
29. Packers
30. Steelers
31. Falcons
32. Patriots
Bears To Make Push For Jimmy Garoppolo
The Bears will make a “strong, concerted” attempt to trade for Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who adds that Garoppolo is “far and away” the No. 1 priority for Chicago this offseason. Talks could occur later this month at the NFL’s scouting combine, per La Canfora, or possibly even earlier, although a deal can’t officially be finalized until early March.
[RELATED: Top 3 Offseason Needs — Chicago Bears]
General manager Ryan Pace and the rest of the Bears front office has put in “extensive” research on Garoppolo and are “very comfortable” with the Eastern Illinois alum, reports La Canfora. Chicago is fully expected to release incumbent quarterback Jay Cutler this offseason, a move that would $14MM, bringing the Bears’ total projected cap cap space to roughly $70MM. As such, Chicago should have more than enough fiscal power to negotiate a long-term extension with Garoppolo, who is only signed through the 2017 campaign.
Rival clubs don’t believe the Bears would be forced to sacrifice their first-round pick (No. 3 overall) in order to acquire Garoppolo, but a package that contains multiple second-round selections could be on the table, per La Canfora. The Patriots are reportedly open to trading Garoppolo in the coming months, and a deal could materialize early in the offseason, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Given that other signal-callers such as Kirk Cousins, Tony Romo, and Cutler could potentially hit the market, New England wants to strike before it loses any amount of leverage, per Cole.
Garoppolo, 25, shined in two starts in relief of a suspended Tom Brady last season, completing 43 of 63 pass attempts for 502 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. That brief run as New England’s starting quarterback represents the bulk of Garoppolo’s NFL career, however, as he’d only thrown 31 total passes in the two seasons prior.
The Bears aren’t the only club expected to target Garoppolo this offseason, as the Browns will also reportedly attempt to land the Patriots signal-caller.
Bears Notes: Butler, Hightower
- Bears director of player development Jerry Butler has retired, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The former wide receiver took the job in 2015, and he focused on helping the Bears’ young players adjust to the NFL during his two-year stint. Butler was a popular figure among the Bears’ youngsters – including standout rookie Leonard Floyd – per Biggs.
- In what will be yet another Bears departure, assistant special teams coach Richard Hightower is set to leave Chicago to become the 49ers’ ST coach under soon-to-be head coach Kyle Shanahan, tweets Sporting News’ Alex Marvez. Shanahan and Hightower were college teammates at the University of Texas, and they have since worked together on coaching staffs in Houston, Washington and Cleveland. Hightower’s tenure in San Francisco will be his second – he was its assistant ST coach in 2015.
WRs Coach Curtis Johnson Leaves Bears
- Wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson turned down a new contract to return the Bears for a second season and is mulling taking a position with a different team, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson could return to New Orleans, where he coached from 2006-11, Biggs suggests. The Saints are in the market for a WRs coach, having lost John Morton to the Jets over the weekend.