NFC Links: Gore, Cutler, Griffin, Sanchez
49ers‘ running back Frank Gore has seen a decline in his play this season, and his future in San Francisco is in question. Aside from his rookie season and injury-shortened 2010, Gore is on pace to post career lows in yards, attempts, touchdowns, yards per carry, and longest run. He has also been phased out of the passing game, with career lows in targets, catches, and receiving yards.
Gore will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and spoke to Eric Branch of SFGate.com regarding his future with the team. “If they want to bring me back, they will,” Gore said. “They’ll come to me in a respectful way. We’ll sit down, see what they want me to do. See what my role is and if I like it, I’ll sign. If I don’t, I’ll try to see what other teams think of me.”
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- Joel Corry of the National Football Post takes a look at the financial implications that would take place if the Bears decided to trade Jay Cutler. Because of his contract, he writes the Bears would be unlikely to get much in return for the embattled quarterback, but writes that the Titans, Jets, Buccaneers, Rams and Texans could all have at least some interest in acquiring Cutler at the right price.
- Despite some rumors that Washington would fire head coach Jay Gruden after only one season, the former Bengals’ offensive coordinator is confident that he will get a second season with the team, according to Conor Orr of NFL.com. “I feel good about my chances of coming back next year,” Gruden said. “I feel good about some of the core group of guys we have here and building a football team, and I think we can get this thing turned around a lot sooner than later if given the opportunity.”
- Gruden returning is not a given, but after that the biggest question of Washington’s offseason is at the quarterback position. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com would not be surprised to see Robert Griffin III back in Washington next season, noting that his salary is fully guaranteed for 2015 (via Twitter). He writes that Gruden wants to win, and Griffin could be his best option at quarterback (via Twitter).
- With Nick Foles closer to being healthy each week and the Eagles still in the thick of the playoff race, Mark Sanchez needs to be better, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While he writes that Sanchez is not concerned about his own stock, the team’s playoff chances are directly related to how well Sanchez plays. Whether Sanchez’s top priority is making the playoffs or getting a starting job in 2015, he needs to be better over these next two games.
- The Panthers will not activate defensive end Frank Alexander for this weekend’s game against the Browns, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox sports 1 (via Twitter). Alexander came off of his suspension this week, after violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Garafolo writes that the team is expected to activate him on Monday.
NFC Links: Cutler, Fitzgerald, Giants
We heard about a month ago that Vikings fullback Jerome Felton was considering opting out of his restructured contract. The 28-year-old can accept a 2015 deal worth $2.45MM (plus a $50K workout bonus), but a reduced role may force him to pursue other opportunities.
The former fifth-round pick addressed the subject on Friday (via Mark Craig of the Star Tribune):
“I’d like to come back, but I know the reality. I know they have Zach [Line] on the roster, even though I’m not getting many snaps. My salary, the number of reps I’ve gotten this year, all of that plays into it. But I’ve taken advantage of every opportunity, and I know there is a lot of good film on me out there.”
After having played at least 400 snaps the previous two seasons, the veteran has only seen the field on 148 snaps in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Understandably, Felton isn’t happy about the lighter workload:
“I’m not happy about it, but I refuse to be a negative person. I’ve stayed positive and kept working hard. It’s frustrating because I do feel I’ve played at a high level. I thought there would be a good role for me on the team, but obviously it was impacted by Adrian’s situation.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggests that the Bears could make history if they decide to trade Jay Cutler. According to Schefter, a team has never had to give up extra compensation to get rid of a player, but plenty of league executives believe that will be Chicago’s only hope of ridding themselves of the embattled quarterback.
- Kent Somers of AZCentral.com says there’s a 50-50 chances that wideout Larry Fitzgerald will be with the Cardinals next season. Meanwhile, the writer believes quarterback Carson Palmer will return.
- If the Cardinals don’t keep Palmer, they may be seeking a veteran quarterback. However, Somers can’t imagine the team pursuing Jay Cutler.
- The Giants could undergo some drastic change this offseason, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano believes at least two members of the organization will be back: wideout Rueben Randle and head coach Tom Coughlin. The writer mentions that defensive coordinator Perry Fewell could potentially be on his way out.
Breer’s Latest: Coaches, Bears, Whaley
As usual, Albert Breer of the NFL Network touches upon several notable topics in his weekly notes piece for NFL.com, leading off with a look at the Falcons and head coach Mike Smith. Unapologetic about the fact that his team could sneak into the playoffs with a 7-9 record, Smith was also adamant that he doesn’t feel as if he’s coaching for his job as the season winds down. Still, one has to imagine, given how available the NFC South crown has been for the taking this season, that if the Falcons lose one of their final two games and miss out on a playoff berth, the team will have to think long and hard about making changes.
Here’s more from Breer:
- Suggesting that perhaps the adversarial relationship between Robert Griffin III and Jay Gruden in Washington has been overblown, Breer writes that the head coach simply wants the former second overall pick to earn his playing time, just like everyone else on the roster.
- One veteran NFL executive predicted to Breer earlier this year that Bears head coach Marc Trestman would have trouble navigating off-field frustrations in Chicago, since he “doesn’t have the ability to control the locker room.” Considering all that’s happened since then – from the blowout losses to the Aaron Kromer incident to Jay Cutler‘s benching – it’ll be hard for the Bears to bring back Trestman next season, and general manager Phil Emery‘s job isn’t safe either, writes Breer.
- A source told Breer earlier this week that the University of Michigan is “very much in the game” for Jim Harbaugh.
- GM Doug Whaley may be on the hot seat if the Bills fail to make the playoffs after giving up their 2015 first-round pick to win now, but Whaley can point to his construction of an elite defensive unit if and when he makes a case to keep his job, says Breer.
- Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly will likely consider making the leap to the NFL in January, or at least weigh the idea more seriously than he has in the last two years, according to Breer, who indicates that Kelly is frustrated with the school’s administration. The 49ers could be connected to Kelly since owner Jed York is a Notre Dame alum, but defensive line coach Jim Tomsula still appears to be the favorite to take over for Harbaugh.
NFC North Notes: Cutler, Austin, Barr
As the Packers and Lions continue to vie for the NFC North crown, while the Vikings and Bears battle to stay out of the cellar, let’s check in on the latest Friday notes from around the division….
- While Bears head coach Marc Trestman indicated on Thursday that he wanted his team to “hear from me first” when he benched Jay Cutler, only a few players actually did, with many learning of the change via social media. As Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes, that rubbed a few Bears players the wrong way.
- Taking Cutler’s enormous contract and cap numbers into account, trading him won’t be easy. In a piece for the National Football Post, former agent Joel Corry explores how the Bears could attempt to complete a deal involving the veteran quarterback.
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will be a top candidate for head coaching jobs this offseason, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com details. For now though, Austin is still focused on the Lions’ playoff hopes. “It’s flattering,” Austin said. “But that’s all it is right now.”
- Vikings first-round pick Anthony Barr will miss the final two games with a season ending knee injury, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Barr has undergone knee surgery to repair a slight meniscus tear, according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com. The rookie linebacker is expected to be ready for offseason activities.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Marks, Cutler, Ponder, Bucs
With his sack tonight, Jaguars defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks earned a fat $600K bonus, as Vito Stellino of The Florida Times-Union writes. Marks would already have earned the bonus if the league didn’t take away a sack he was credited with against Houston’s Ryan Fitzpatrick two weeks ago when the quarterback tripped and fell down and he was the first to touch him. However, he claims that he wasn’t upset about the ruling. More from around the National Football League..
- Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune looks at what might be next for Bears signal caller Jay Cutler. The Cardinals will probably bring back Carson Palmer in 2015, the Raiders have Derek Carr, and Rams tight ends coach Ron Turner would probably talk coach Jeff Fisher out of the idea. Ultimately, Biggs sees the Jets and Titans as the most likely destinations for the veteran.
- Matt Vensel of the Star-Tribune (video link) wonders if there will be a spot in the NFL for former Vikings starting quarterback Christian Ponder.
- Matt Bowen of the Chicago Tribune ran down the Bears‘ problems from top to bottom, from the front office to the locker room.
- Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford has agreed in principle to become the new head coach of the CFL’s BC Lions, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- It seems likely that Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert will be staying on injured reserve for the rest of the year, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The athletic tight end has not practiced since Week 1.
- Signing linebacker K.J. Wright to a contract extension shows the Seahawks‘ commitment to their core players, writes Terry Blount of ESPN.com.
Jay Cutler Notes: Thursday
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was the subject of frequent criticism and trade speculation even before he was benched, and now that the team has decided to tab backup Jimmy Clausen as the starter this Sunday against the Lions, the Cutler rumor mill is busier than ever. Here are the latest whispers about what Cutler’s future may hold:
- Both Cutler and Marc Trestman spoke to reporters today about the decision, with Cutler indicating that he could play for Trestman next season and would like to remain with the Bears (Twitter links). The veteran quarterback added that while the security his contract provides is nice, he’s disappointed with the season, and would trade that contract security for a better record and better play (Twitter link via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright).
- As for Trestman, he indicated that this decision applies to this weekend only, and that Cutler will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback against the Lions (Twitter links). In other words, Clausen could start Week 17 as well, but nothing’s guaranteed yet.
- Two “accomplished and respected” Bears players tell Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com that a number of players in the Chicago locker room feel “confused and uncomfortable” over how Trestman has handled Cutler’s benching — especially when compared to the light discipline received by offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer last week.
- According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Trestman is hoping that the change in quarterbacks will prove that his system can still be effective without Cutler at the helm.
- Mike Sando of ESPN.com tweets that he has talked to several people around the league who wonder why any team would give up anything more than maybe a seventh-round pick for Cutler.
- The Bears need to overhaul their franchise, and moving on from Cutler would be a start, writes Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com.
Earlier updates:
- Exploring potential trade suitors for Cutler, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes that many of the logical partners for Chicago are in the AFC, identifying the Bills, Jets, Browns, Texans, Titans, and Raiders as possibilities. Florio also writes that the Bears should be willing to essentially give Cutler away in a trade if necessary, rather than holding out for a higher draft pick, since the team could do a lot more with $15.5MM in cash and cap savings than it could with a mid- or late-round pick.
- Dan Hanzus of NFL.com lists seven potential landing spots for Cutler, overlapping with Florio on the Bills, Browns, Titans, and Jets. Hanzus also singles out the Buccaneers, Rams, and Washington as possible suitors.
- Appearing on CSN Chicago, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com took a shot at predicting what Cutler might be worth in a trade: “If they look to deal him, and my belief is that they will, then I think they can get something back for him. They’re not going to get what they gave up to get him. … Jay Cutler right now is on sale. He’s been devalued. My guess, just a guess today without speaking to personnel people around the NFL… I would guess that they could probably get back a fourth-round pick for Jay Cutler that could go to a third if he meets certain conditions such as taking a team to the playoffs. That’d be my guess. A mid-round conditional draft pick.”
- Benching a quarterback with a massive contract is an irreversible decision in many ways, according to Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Tribune, who weighs the pros and cons for the Bears cutting, trading, or keeping Cutler.
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network points out (via Twitter) that Marc Trestman‘s reputation as a quarterback guru, which has taken a hit this year, could be rejuvenated if Clausen lights it up this weekend. We’ve heard that the team is likely to part ways with Trestman at season’s end, but perhaps a strong finish would change those plans.
Extra Points: Wilson, Harbaugh, Cutler, Bears
The NFL sent a memo to teams today informing them that Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is changing agents, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Facebook). Wilson, who will be eligible for a new deal after this season, is leaving Bus Cook and one source tells Schefter that he’s likely to join up with his baseball agent, Mark Rodgers. Wilson is apparently leaving Cook on good terms and opted to go with Rodgers out of a desire to keep all of his business under one roof. More from around the NFL..
- Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune (on Twitter) doesn’t see Jim Harbaugh joining the Raiders without getting a hand-picked GM. Harbaugh doesn’t want to have another relationship like the one he has with 49ers GM Trent Baalke and he has no background with Oakland GM Reggie McKenzie. Earlier tonight, we learned that Harbaugh has received a six-year, $48MM offer from the University of Michigan.
- The Bears are benching Jay Cutler for his poor play, calling his future into question. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looks at Cutler’s contract and how the team can move on from him. Ultimately, cutting him is not an option for Chicago at this point.
- Michael Silver of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that Bears coach Marc Trestman could no longer play Cutler “simply to justify a contract” when his performance was so poor.
- The Bears‘ real motivation behind benching Cutler could be to protect him from injury, ensuring that they’ll be able to trade him this offseason, suggests Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Bears To Bench Jay Cutler, Start Clausen
Few saw this coming. The Bears will bench Jay Cutler in favor of Jimmy Clausen on Sunday against the Lions, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Cutler is owed a guaranteed $15.5MM next season but with today’s news, it’s certainly not guaranteed to be paid by Chicago. The Bears, who have been an absolute quagmire on the field and in the locker room this season, are ostensibly thinking about moving on from their franchise quarterback after this season.
Clausen, a Notre Dame product, hasn’t played much since his rookie year in 2010 with the Panthers. For his career, Clausen has three career touchdowns versus nine career interceptions. If the Bears are giving some thought to getting rid of Cutler, then they’ll be able to see what they have in Clausen, and maybe third quarterback David Fales. In theory, the Bears can start Clausen against Detroit this week and allow Fales to start against the Vikings in the season finale.
The Bears signed Clausen over the summer and ultimately cut Jerrod Johnson and Jordan Palmer to carve out a spot for him on the depth chart. From the outset, head coach Marc Trestman was highly complimentary of the longtime prodigy.
“Jimmy’s done a very good job, very maturely fit in and taken the place of trying to learn and work to learn the offense,” Trestman said. “He’s grinded at it. He spent long hours here. He’s had help from the guys in the room to get him to the place he is today. So we’ll see. We’re going through the process of working with our roster. I think he’ll be one of the guys that we do bring back, and we’ll take it one day at a time when we get to training camp.”
Bears Likely To Fire Marc Trestman
Bears ownership huddled last night and they had a chat about the fate of coach Marc Trestman. Trestman is likely to go, a source tells Dan Bernstein of WSCR (via Twitter), while GM Phil Emery‘s fate is still up in the air.
Earlier today, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote that after the latest disaster in Chicago, Trestman and offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer both appeared likely to be on their way out. Some in league circles “reserved serious doubt” over the last couple months that the Bears would dump Trestman, but that perception likely changed after Monday night’s contest. The Bears slid to 5-9 after an embarrassing home loss to the Saints, another team that hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire in 2014, though they have the good fortune of playing in the league’s softest division.
It has been an ugly season for the Bears and things only got worse in the last week. Kromer tearfully apologized to his team for being one of the anonymous sources in a recent filing by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The report indicated that the Bears were growing increasingly frustrated with quarterback Jay Cutler and that the club was having buyer’s remorse over the whopping extension they recently gave him. While Kromer denied being the source of the latter part, he did admit to staying some less-than complimentary things about the team’s high-priced QB.
Just days ago, it was reported that Cutler is extremely unhappy with the team’s coaching staff. Trestman is only two seasons into his tenure in Chicago, but Cutler’s contract is guaranteed at least through 2015, meaning that it is much easier for the club to replace its coach than it would be to change the QB situation.
Extra Points: JPP, Cameron, Gruden, Locker
Jason Pierre-Paul’s walk year spike may cost the Giants, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. After performing solidly but not spectacularly for the bulk of the season, Pierre-Paul is putting on a great show down the home stretch, just in time to increase his worth. “That’s one of those things that go unnoticed, but I think people are starting to realize he gets tremendous sack numbers but his sack numbers, just because they went down, they don’t realize how much of a hustle player he is,’’ said second-year defensive end Damontre Moore. More from around the NFL..
- Not everyone is looking strong heading into free agency. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looked at three players who hurt their stock with their play on Sunday, including Browns tight end Jordan Cameron and Ravens running back Justin Forsett.
- Jon Gruden openly wonders if the Bears should have kept Josh McCown and ditched Jay Cutler, as Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) writes. While Cutler has struggled, I would note that McCown hasn’t exactly shined in Tampa Bay.
- Given his issues with durability as well as the fundamentals of the position, Jake Locker will have to settle for a backup job as a potential reclamation project in 2015, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. The Titans quarterback was placed on IR earlier today.
- With many issues still to be settled, it sounds unlikely that the league will put a team in Los Angeles in time to play in 2015, writes Peter King of The MMQB.
- In an interview on WBBM-AM 780, Bears GM Phil Emery spoke about last week’s controversy involving offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer. Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune has the goods.
- In case you were worried, the Super Bowl will go on, despite the failure of Congress to renew the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.