North Notes: Greenway, Lions, Browns
Veteran linebacker and two-time Pro Bowler Chad Greenway has spent his entire nine-year NFL career with the Vikings, and he wants to return to the team for the 2016 season, according to Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune.
“I want to enjoy this moment, and enjoy the playoffs,” Greenway said. “To me, it rejuvenates you as an athlete and a person to go through this and have this in front of you. I’m probably going to play next year. To go through a year like we’ve gone through and to be part of this has been really fun.”
While Greenway sounds committed to continuing his playing career, he doesn’t want to play for a team besides Minnesota, so the Vikings would have to be willing to have him in 2016. The linebacker, who will turn 33 next month, is in the final year of a contract and is earning a $3.4MM salary to go along with a $5.575MM cap hit in 2015, so I suspect the Vikes would be on board with his return if they could reduce both of those numbers a little for next year.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s North divisions:
- As the Lions search for a new general manager and possibly a new head coach as well, it’s crucial that those two figures share a philosophy and can co-exist without any friction, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
- It’s difficult to support the idea that the Browns should retain coach Mike Pettine for 2016, Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer writes.
- Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Browns are the latest team to work out standout CFL wide receiver Eric Rogers, who is reportedly in the midst of visiting 14 NFL clubs.
- Eddie Goldman‘s ankle injury figures to end his season, but it’s not expected to require surgery, and the arrow is pointing up for the Bears defensive tackle, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune outlines.
Details, Fallout On Eagles’ Firing Of Chip Kelly
The Eagles’ decision to part ways with head coach – and de facto GM – Chip Kelly was Tuesday’s biggest piece of news, so it’s no surprise that reports since then have been adding new details to the story, exploring the fallout, and looking ahead to the next steps for both Kelly and the Eagles. We’ve got plenty of Kelly-related material to get to, so let’s dive right in…
Details:
- Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie “apparently” spoke to some players before making the decision to fire Kelly, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). However, both McLane and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) talked to several Eagles players who said they had no idea the move was coming.
- When running back DeMarco Murray spoke to Lurie recently, he expressed a lack of confidence in Kelly, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link) notes that Lurie already knew that the locker room wasn’t thrilled with Kelly and his methods, so that was nothing new, but the situation reached a breaking point.
- According to McLane (Twitter link), Lurie and Kelly had a meeting today that didn’t go well, with the decision to fire the head coach coming shortly thereafter. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio has heard something similar, reporting that Kelly balked at the idea of ceding personnel control in a recent meeting with Lurie (link via Pro Football Talk).
- However, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter links) says he wasn’t able to confirm the rumor that the Eagles wanted to strip Kelly’s personnel power, and Garafolo (Twitter link) adds that word out of Philadelphia suggests the team didn’t make Kelly an offer to remain as head coach without that personnel power.
- James Harris, Kelly’s “chief of staff,” was also let go by the Eagles today, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link).
Fallout:
- Kelly insists he wants to remain in the NFL, rather than go back to college, and says that at his next stop he just wants to coach, rather than overseeing personnel decisions as well, reports Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Of course, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com observes (via Twitter), Kelly said he wasn’t interested in making personnel calls when he joined the Eagles as well.
- The Dolphins are a team that will be in the market for a head coach this winter, so James Walker of ESPN.com and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explore whether or not the team should pursue Kelly. Neither scribe views him as a great fit for Miami.
- Rapoport (Twitter link) heard from a high-ranking Titans source several weeks ago that Kelly wasn’t on the team’s list of head coaching candidates since he was under contract. Now that that’s no longer the case, perhaps Kelly will be added to Tennessee’s list of possible targets, though Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com is unconvinced he’d be the answer for the Titans.
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links) offer of a couple of potential Eagles head coaching targets, with Breer naming Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and Mosher identifying Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
NFC Notes: Forte, Lions, Lynch, Bonuses
With Matt Forte‘s contract set to expire, Bears tackle Kyle Long hopes to continue playing with his veteran teammate, but knows there’s a chance next week’s game could be their last together, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes.
“I’d love to play with Matt forever, but it’s a business,” Long said. “I understand that. If he is around, I’ll be as psyched as anybody. And it will be one of the hardest things ever to see him in another jersey if that’s the case. But we have one more game with him, sure. We’re going to run the workhorse until the wheels fall off.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has turned around his 2015 season since Jim Bob Cooter took over as the team’s offensive coordinator, so it’s no surprise that Stafford would like to see Cooter keep the job in 2016, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com details.
- Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch hasn’t progressed as quickly as expected in his recovery from a sports hernia ailment, but he was seen training on Christmas Day at a San Francisco facility. The 29-year-old is expected to be back in Seattle this week, with an eye on potentially returning to practice, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. A determination on Lynch’s ability to play in his fifth postseason with the Seahawks remains elusive, however.
- In advance of the Seahawks‘ rematch with the Rams on Sunday, GM John Schneider said offensive rookie of the year contender Todd Gurley rated as the No. 1 player on Seattle’s draft board, the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta reports (on Twitter).
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) identifies a couple players with major money on the line in Week 17, noting that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s 2016 roster bonus will be reduced by $1MM if he doesn’t rush for 132 yards against the Packers, while Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee will miss out on a $2MM salary increase if his playing time for the season dips below 80% (he’s currently at 82.1%).
- One player who has cashed in on bonus money recently is Cardinals edge defender Dwight Freeney, who earned an extra $300K on Sunday after racking up three more sacks. Per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links), Cardinals president Michael Bidwell says he hopes to write Freeney a year-end bonus check worth more than the $500K the veteran pass rusher has already earned.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Updated Projections For 2016 Draft Order
Last week, we examined what the NFL’s projected draft order for the top 10 picks of 2016 would look like, with the Titans in the lead for the number one overall pick. Tennessee’s blowout loss to the Texans on Sunday kept the Titans firmly in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 pick, and the club could clinch that top selection with a loss next weekend against the Colts.
While the outlook at the top of the projected 2016 draft order remains the same, with the Browns right behind the Titans for that first overall pick, there were a few other changes to the top 10 based on this weekend’s results. The Ravens’ win over Pittsburgh dropped Baltimore from No. 3 to No. 8, while victories by the Saints and Bears removed those teams from the top 10 for now, with the Buccaneers and Giants taking over their spots.
Here’s the current projected order for the top 10 picks of the 2016 NFL draft, with just one week left in the regular season. Teams are sorted by worst record, with strength of schedule serving as the tiebreaker — the weaker a team’s schedule, the higher its draft pick.
- Tennessee Titans: 3-12 (.493)
- Cleveland Browns: 3-12 (.532)
- San Diego Chargers: 4-11 (.511)
- Dallas Cowboys: 4-11 (.529)
- San Francisco 49ers: 4-11 (.558)
- Miami Dolphins: 5-10 (.453)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-10 (.467)
- Baltimore Ravens: 5-10 (.489)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-9 (.453)
- New York Giants: 6-9 (.498)
While a loss by the Titans would lock them into the first overall pick, the door remains open for the Browns, and given all the ties on this list, it’s possible the top 10 could shuffle around significantly by next Monday, so stay tuned.
NFC North Notes: Greenway, Johnson, Jeffery
Luke Adams took a look at some top stories from around the NFC North earlier today, but a few more notes come across the wire worth sharing.
- Before the season, Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway wasn’t sure whether or not 2015 would be his last season. Now he is sure of his decision, but he hasn’t told any teammates or reporters, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I’ve told a bunch of people but not (a reporter) or anybody else that’s in this locker room,” said the 10-year veteran. “I’ve decided, but you guys (the media) don’t know yet.”
- Tomasson also looked at the future of Charles Johnson in Minnesota. Johnson was a key receiver down the stretch last season, but has lost his starting spot to rookie Stefon Diggs and has only nine catches this season. Next year will be the last year of his rookie contract, and with a decreased workload he might find a better situation elsewhere if the Vikings release him this offseason.
- Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery will miss his sixth game of the season this week against the Buccaneers, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. He has only 54 catches for 807 yards this season, after going over 85 and 1,000 each of the past two seasons. He will be heading into free agency this offseason, seeking to be paid like a top-NFL wideout. However, a big money contract or even the franchise tag would be a lot to pay for a receiver who has struggled with injury and consistency.
NFC North Notes: Newman, Austin, Bears
With Charles Woodson set to retire, Vikings defensive back Terence Newman would be the NFL’s oldest defensive player if he decides to keep playing in 2016. However, Newman isn’t ready to say for sure whether he’ll continue his career next year, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes.
“We’ll talk about that once the season is over,” Newman said. “It’s kind of premature to talk about retirement right now. … I don’t really think anybody cares about being the youngest in the league or the oldest.”
While Newman doesn’t want to discuss his future yet, he agreed with the notion that he doesn’t look like a player ready to retire. The 37-year-old, who contemplated retiring a year ago, has played well in his first season with the Vikings, grabbing three interceptions and moving over from cornerback to safety to help out when needed.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC North….
- Having slipped from third in DVOA to 17th, the Lions‘ defense certainly hasn’t been as effective as it was a year ago. Nonetheless, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is still viewed as a strong potential head coaching candidate, at Fritz Pollard Alliance chairman John Wooten tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Bears won’t be caught off guard if offensive coordinator Adam Gase leaves Chicago for a head coaching opportunity this offseason, according to quarterback Jay Cutler (link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune). “We have backup plans in place,” Cutler said. “If [Gase] does get that opportunity, I’m going to be ecstatic for him. I think it’s well-deserved. I think he’s ready for the opportunity. Whatever happens either way I think we’re going to be good and he’ll be good too.”
- Before signing long snapper Rick Lovato to replace injured starter Brett Goode, the Packers also worked out free agent LS Andrew East, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Breer’s Latest: GM Candidates, Dolphins, Cutler
Albert Breer’s usual Friday column at NFL.com has arrived one day early this week, in advance of Christmas Day. Breer’s Week 16 notebook focuses on general manager candidates around the league, with one current GM suggesting that the most important thing for a team is for its GM and coach to be on the same page.
“That is the most important thing,” the veteran GM said. “And it is for multiple reasons. The coach and GM have to share a vision. And once you start that relationship, you have to have clearly defined roles. If it’s that [the coach] is coaching and I’m bringing [players] in, once I start to veer and step over that line, everything becomes blurred and dysfunction follows.”
After detailing the importance of the rapport between a coach and GM, Breer identifies a number of potential candidates for jobs that will open up this offseason, examining front office executives who are on the rise and on the cusp of getting their first big shot (such as Chris Ballard of the Chiefs, Nick Caserio of the Patriots, and Brian Gaine of the Texans), as well as those that deserve a second chance at a GM position (like Mark Dominik, Jeff Ireland, and Scott Pioli).
Here are a few more highlights from Breer’s piece:
- The Dolphins have begun to vet possible candidates for their head coaching job, and the team is taking a closer look at the 2006 and 2009 coaching cycles to help identify important characteristics for those candidates. Those were the two years that former Jets executive Mike Tannenbaum hired new coaches – Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan – so the current Dolphins exec is very familiar with what he and his former team looked for at the time, and what they may have missed in other candidates. The overarching idea for Miami is to break away from the group-think mentality that may keep the club from considering a strong option.
- While it may have seemed unlikely a year ago, it now looks like a lock that the Bears will keep Jay Cutler on their roster for 2016, whether or not offensive coordinator Adam Gase remains in Chicago. Cutler’s partially guaranteed salary for next season will become fully guaranteed on St. Patrick’s Day, so the club figures to finalize its decision by then.
- A source tells Breer that the NFL expects to decide before the Super Bowl whether or not a 2016 regular season game will take place in Mexico. The league’s charge to make it happen has “slowed a bit,” according to Breer, who notes that there are several issues still to overcome to make Azteca Stadium game-ready.
- In Breer’s view, the Packers did well to lock up Mike Daniels to a four-year extension rather than having to consider using the franchise tag on him. As a defensive end in a 3-4 system, Daniels isn’t quite as valuable as elite 4-3 DE pass rushers, but his franchise salary would be the same as those players. Teams like the Jets (this year) and Eagles (next year) will face similar dilemmas for Muhammad Wilkerson and Fletcher Cox, respectively.
Free Agency Notes: Forte, Mack, Norman
Last night, we heard Matt Forte was aiming at a Bears return. But the running back’s sense of pragmatism’s also kicking in, with the eight-year veteran admitting he’s unsure if the Bears will make him an offer, according to an Associated Press report.
“I mean, I want to return,” Forte told media. “But if you’re saying am I hopeful that I do return? There’s not much to hope for right now because like I’ve said, I talked to (general manager Ryan Pace) earlier and they haven’t said anything back. So there’s nothing really to hope for.”
Forte envisioned the Bears breaking their silence regarding his future in Chicago after his strong start. But after a midseason knee injury, the 30-year-old runner is on pace for his worst statistical season.
Here’s some more news from around the league on Christmas Eve.
- Alex Mack will opt out of his unique Browns deal and seek to become the first center to earn $9MM+ per season, CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry tweets. That price seems logical for Mack, with the salary cap rising next season. Mike Pouncey and Rodney Hudson hover at $8.9MM+ per season after signing their deals this spring.
- Yahoo’s Charles Robinson categorizes the upcoming free agent class and placed Brock Osweiler and Kirk Cousins in a high-risk sector, given the quarterbacks’ high-variance futures. Robinson anticipates the Broncos paying the fourth-year quarterback, however. Robinson also places Eric Berry and Olivier Vernon in his “bank-breakers” category, given their impressive contract-year showings. In terms of unlikely paydays, the Yahoo reporter lists Broncos defensive ends Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe, along with Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, as those who will surprise with their second contracts.
- The Panthers‘ locking up Josh Norman will create a logjam atop their roster, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap and the Sporting News writes. Should Norman re-sign, Carolina will have five players making more than $9MM next season as of now prior to any releases or restructuring. Fitzgerald expects Norman to push to become the NFL’s highest-paid corner and potentially aim for a $16MM-per-year accord. Darrelle Revis, Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman are the league’s only $14MM-per-year corners. No. 1 on Pro Football Focus’ metrics almost all season long, Norman’s dropped to 12th, however.
- In an expansive analysis of players’ actual 2015 earnings, Corry concludes Philip Rivers was this year’s highest-paid player when factoring in deferrals and state taxes. Eli Manning and Marcell Dareus, with New York’s sub-9% state income tax rate, rank second and third behind Rivers’ $15.39MM post-taxes total.
- Fitzgerald expects a substantial amount of high-profile performers being released or forced to restructure their contracts this offseason due to the failure to justify their salaries. In being a top-tier wage-earner at their position, the OTC analyst lists 43 players who are signed to upper-echelon contracts but didn’t make either the Pro Bowl or Pro Football Focus’ Pro Bowl team. DeMarco Murray, Demaryius Thomas, Mario Williams and Joe Haden are among the numerous recognizable names on Fitzgerald’s list of underwhelming performances-per-contract value.
Extra Points: Forte, Bears, 2016 Draft
Bears running back Matt Forte indicated to reporters, including Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter links) that he would like to stay in Chicago, if possible.
“I always look at staying home and being here where I’ve been the past 8 years. That’s a major factor,” the pending free agent said. While admitting that it might not be a given that he can return to the Bears in 2016, Forte did seem open to the possibility of taking less money to stay put. “At this point. I’m not worried about earning powers and all that stuff. I’ve made money,” he said.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- UCLA coach Jim Mora says that offensive lineman Alex Redmond has left the team and already signed with an agent for the upcoming NFL draft, Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets. It remains to be seen where Redmond will go in the draft, but he is not viewed as a first-round talent. Redmond, a junior, was the team’s starting right guard and started ten games in 2015. By leaving the team, Redmond will not participate in the Foster Farms Bowl against Nebraska.
- Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd is leaning toward entering the NFL Draft, as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. If Dodd opted to stay in school, he would be a 25-year-old senior, so it makes sense for him to go pro. Dodd stands at 6’5″, 275 pounds and runs a 4.8 second 40-yard-dash.
- Former Falcons coach Mike Smith won’t let his dismissal hold him down, as FOX Sports’ Alex Marvez writes. Smith admits that he lost his way while coaching the Falcons, but he also says that he will not allow that to happen again if given another head coaching opportunity in the NFL. Recently, Smith wrote about the lessons he learned in a new book titled “You Win in the Locker Room First.” In 2013 and 2014, Atlanta finished with a combined 10-22 record, leading to his firing. Smith seemed to have opportunities to serve as a defensive coordinator somewhere this season, but he opted to take the year off and spend time with his family instead. It remains to be seen how much head coaching interest he might draw this offseason.
- Dolphins wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan is leaving the team to become the new wide receivers coach/passing coordinator for East Carolina University, a source tells Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter).
Workout Notes: Bills, Boykin, Little
Here are Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL. All links go to the Twitter feed of The Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, unless noted otherwise:
- The Bills worked out wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Greg Little (link).
- The Jets worked out tackle Cameron Bradfield, tackle Jesse Davis, tackle Sean Donnelly, guard Matthew Masifilo, defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy, and guard Craig Watts, Wilson tweets.
- The Falcons worked out linebacker Cameron Gordon, defensive back Chris Greenwood, guard Michael Huey, and defensive back Brandon McGee (link).
- The Eagles worked out defensive lineman Freddie Bishop, wide receiver Issac Blakeney, wide receiver Jeff Fuller, linebacker Cameron Gordon, offensive lineman Colin Kelly, wide receiver Eric Rogers, and defensive back Jordan Sullen (link).
- The Titans worked out defensive tackle Davon Walls (link).
- The Falcons tried out linebacker Mike Mohamed, linebacker James-Michael Johnson, and guard Shelley Smith (link).
- The Vikings worked out wide receivers Terrell Sinkfield and Eric Rogers (link).
- The Broncos tried out cornerback Chimdi Chekwa, linebacker Thomas Keiser, and linebacker Jonathan Massaquoi, Wilson tweets.
- The Browns worked out guard Jared Smith (link).
- The Browns worked out kickers Carey Spear and Zach Hocker (link).
- The Bears worked out punter Brock Miller (link).
- The Cardinals worked out defensive backs Dexter McCoil and Joel Wilkinson (link).