Front Office Notes: Ballard, Elway, Raiders, Eagles, Lions
The Colts have three winning seasons and two playoff appearances during Chris Ballard‘s six seasons as the team’s general manager. Even in the midst of a 4-12-1 campaign that featured the firing of head coach Frank Reich, Colts owner Jim Irsay continued to endorse his top decision maker. However, fast forward a few months, and Irsay is now hinting that the Colts will have to perform better on the field if Ballard hopes to keep his job.
“Everyone has to be successful to keep their job, if you’re a general manager or head coach,” Irsay said (via Zak Keefer of The Athletic). “I really feel that he’s not on some quick, hot seat. But the expectations are there.”
As Keefer notes, Irsay has always been fond of his GM, admiring the executive’s drafting prowess and roster-building ability. The owner has also been willing to take part of the blame for the team’s recent inconsistencies, but Ballard was given full control of the recent head coaching search and will be fully responsible for making the Colts’ selection at No. 4 later this month.
In other words, if Ballard fails, it will be on him, and any struggles in 2023 could ultimately lead to the GM’s firing. As Keefer writes, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Colts have to be a playoff contender; rather, Irsay will be looking for “hope, optimism, [or] tangible proof that Ballard can fix the mess he’s made.”
Normally, a GM with Ballard’s resume probably would have been fired a few years ago, but Irsay also indicated that the organization is still reeling from Andrew Luck‘s sudden retirement decision in 2019.
“I’m not gonna make excuses for (Chris) or anyone else, (but) you know, the Andrew Luck card’s never been seen by a general manager before,” Irsay said. “I mean, that’s a tough one, guys. I’d like to see how other teams would respond when you have a 29-year-old who was supposed to be there for the next 10 years and win two Lombardis just walks away, two weeks before the season starts. I mean, that’s a hard one, you know?”
More front office notes from around the NFL…
- After spending more than a decade in the Broncos front office, John Elway is stepping away. After serving as an outside consultant to GM George Paton in 2022, Elway and the Broncos have decided to part ways. “I’ve enjoyed the relationship with the Broncos for a long, long time,’’ Elway told Mike Klis of 9News in Denver. “I told Greg I’d be happy to be a resource for him and help in any way that I can. I just wanted the flexibility. They’re in great hands. I still plan on being around to watch and be a resource for Greg or George (Paton) if I can.’’ The Hall of Fame quarterback was the Broncos general manager for 10 years before transitioning to President of Football Operations in 2021.
- Raiders senior vice president and chief of staff Marcel Reece resigned last month, according to Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic. The former Pro Bowl running back joined the team’s front office in 2020, earning a promotion to his last role in 2022. As the writers note, Reece follows a number of long-time executives who have recently left the organization, a group that includes former team presidents Marc Badain and Dan Ventrelle.
- The Eagles will be heading into the draft with a new front office structure. They’ll no longer be relying on a vice president of player personnel like former execs Andy Weidl or Joe Douglas. Instead, Eagles GM Howie Roseman is going to be completely responsible for running the show. “The responsibility is mine,” Roseman said (via Zach Berman of The Athletic). “I don’t say that in any way other than that I take that very seriously and I think we have a process that has spanned different front offices. Hasn’t always been perfect, but we do have a process and a way of doing things. At the same time, if someone comes in and has an idea that can make that process better, let’s do that. Best idea has to win. … At the end of the day, it’s my job to outline a vision of what we’re looking for, whether it’s at the All-Star games, the combine, free-agent process, the draft process. I think the lines of communication have been great. There are a lot of really great, talented guys we have in our front office, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
- Chris Spielman has spent three years in the Lions front office, officially serving as “special assistant to the owner and CEO.” Justin Rogers of The Detroit News has provided some insight into the former Pro Bowl linebacker’s role, with the executive having his hand in draft preparation, weekly opponent scouting, and helping to hire the team’s GM and head coach. “I’ve been given the freedom to define the role, but in order to do that, the one thing I had to get, because it’s a paranoid business by nature, I had to make sure I had everybody’s trust, that I have zero agenda other than winning,” Spielman told Rogers. “Zero. I tell everyone, ‘I’ve already done my thing, man. I have zero agenda. I don’t want another role. I’m not looking for another role.’ My goal is to help everybody succeed to their highest level. When that happens, I feel like I win.”
Texans, Lions, Bears Host Will Anderson Jr.; Houston Not Locked Into QB At No. 2?
Pre-draft visit season is in full swing, and the Texans are once again in possession of a top-three pick. The rebuilding team has long been expected to go with a quarterback at No. 2 overall, but GM Nick Caserio has not yet rushed into choosing a potential long-term Deshaun Watson replacement.
The Texans have met with Will Anderson Jr., Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Houston joins Chicago and Detroit in having met with the sought-after edge rusher. The Bears and Lions have made their plans known at quarterback, committing to Justin Fields and Jared Goff for 2023. The Texans’ meeting obviously proves more interesting.
Houston has been linked to Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. Young and Will Levis have met with the Texans on pre-draft visits, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds Stroud will do so Wednesday (Twitter link). Expected to be the second team to take a quarterback in this draft, the Texans are not a lock to do so. Were Caserio not to love a quarterback who will be available at 2, NBC Sports’ Peter King hears some chatter the Texans could draft Anderson, who is considered a safer bet. The team has not scheduled a meeting with Florida’s Anthony Richardson.
In this scenario, King notes the Texans could use their No. 12 overall pick to trade back into position for one of the top quarterbacks. But taking Anderson at 2 and sacrificing future draft capital for perhaps the draft’s third- or fourth-best QB may not be the best plan from a value standpoint, but if the Texans like Anderson that much, it is a potential blueprint to monitor. The Texans do not have much in the way of edge talent, having lost Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to the Browns in free agency. DeMeco Ryans built his head coaching candidacy on the strength of strong defensive lines. The Texans have signed Sheldon Rankins and still have Maliek Collins under contract, but they are light on edge-rushing presences.
This should still be considered the less likely route for Houston, and King expects Caserio to indeed commit to a quarterback at 2. This marks the GM’s second draft with Watson in the rearview mirror, and after making his first two HC hires (David Culley, Lovie Smith) one-and-dones, Caserio has likely moved closer to the hot seat. Passing on a quarterback — potentially a former Heisman winner in Young, as the Panthers have been more closely linked to Stroud as of late — in this spot will inject more risk into Caserio’s situation.
Anderson has recorded 27.5 sacks over the past two seasons; ESPN’s Scouts Inc. grades the two-time Bronko Nagurski trophy recipient as the second-best prospect in this year’s draft. Anderson sits between Young and Stroud on that list, further illustrating the risk the Texans would take by going with the acclaimed edge rusher. Both Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay’s most recent mock drafts have Houston taking Young at 2.
Holding the No. 6 pick, the Lions may be sitting a bit low for Anderson, who would obviously make for an intriguing pass rusher on an Aidan Hutchinson-anchored defensive line. Three quarterbacks are expected to be taken in the top five, though Richardson and Levis’ statuses are more difficult to peg compared to Stroud and Young’s. Anderson’s availability could depend on where the Cardinals end up — should they trade out of No. 3 overall — and how the Seahawks proceed at 5. Even if all four top QBs go in the top five, it would still leave one slot available for Anderson, whom both McShay and Kiper have as the first non-passer off the board. The Bears are eyeing pass-rushing help, but Anderson will probably be out of their reach at No. 9.
Contract Details: CJGJ, Hardman, Cowboys
Here are some of the details on a few deals reached around the league recently:
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S (Lions): One year, $6.5MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, is completely guaranteed with a signing bonus of $4MM and a fully guaranteed base salary of $2.5MM. The contract also includes a second, void year to spread out his cap hit. Gardner-Johnson can earn an additional $1.5MM based on incentives. There’s a potential for him to make $375,000 each for playing 70-percent of the team’s defensive snaps and/or intercepting three passes. He can make an additional $375,000 each for upping those numbers to 80% and five interceptions. Unfortunately, these potential bonuses are conditional. Even if he checks all those boxes, Gardner-Johnson will reportedly only receive his money if the Lions are in the top 16 in the league for yards allowed.
- Mecole Hardman, WR (Jets): One year, $4.5MM. We’ve already reported some details of Hardman’s new contract. Thanks to Wilson, we have a bit more information on the incentives of the deal. Depending on receptions, Hardman can earn $125,000 if he catches 50 passes or more, $250,000 for 60, and $500,000 for 70. For yards, Hardman can receive $125,000 for 650 receiving yards or more, $250,000 for 750, and $500,000 for 850. For touchdowns, Hardman can earn $125,000 for catching six touchdowns, $250,000 for eight, and $500,000 for 10. Lastly, Hardman can receive $250,000 for a wild card win or bye, $250,000 for a divisional round win, $250,000 for a conference championship, and $250,000 for a Super Bowl win. In total, that makes $2.5MM available through incentives. The Jets are expecting big things out of Hardman, as he would’ve only earned the bottom level of each incentive once over his four-year career with the Chiefs.
- Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB (Titans): One year, $3.5MM. The deal, according to Wilson, is fully guaranteed with a signing bonus of $2.42MM and a base salary of $1.08MM. The contract includes two void years to spread out his cap impact. Wilson reports $1.5MM-worth of incentives for Murphy-Bunting based on playing time and interceptions.
- Dante Fowler, DE (Cowboys): One year, $3MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $1MM consisting of his signing bonus. All of Fowler’s incentives are contingent on Dallas making the playoffs. If they do and Fowler tallies eight sacks, he can earn an additional $500,000. Ten sacks gives Fowler $1MM. If Fowler plays over 55-percent of the team’s defensive snaps (and they make the playoffs), he can make an additional $250,000.
Bears, Vikings Pursued David Montgomery; Lions Pivoted After Jamaal Williams Rejected Offer
While this year’s running back market did not produce a top-10 contract at the position, some interesting dominoes fell. Perhaps none more so than David Montgomery, who left the Bears to be the Lions’ Jamaal Williams replacement.
The Lions gave Montgomery a three-year, $18MM deal that includes $8.75MM fully guaranteed. The Bears wanted to retain their veteran starter, however, with the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley indicating the team believed it made a competitive offer. It just was not enough to keep Montgomery in the Windy City, something GM Ryan Poles said he was interested in doing earlier this offseason.
Chicago’s offer did not include any guaranteed money beyond Year 1 of the deal, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. Montgomery can collect $2.25MM in additional funds if he is on the Lions’ roster on Day 3 of the 2024 league year. Seeing as it would cost the Lions more than $6MM in dead money to cut Montgomery before that bonus date, it represents a good bet this will be at least a two-year partnership. Only Miles Sanders received more fully guaranteed money among running backs in free agency this year.
“I would just kind of sum it up by saying players do have a choice,’’ Poles said of Montgomery’s decision, via Finley. ‘‘I thought we communicated well. I thought we negotiated well. At the same time, you don’t always know what’s going on in the background. But I thought we did a good job. We were transparent, we were organized and it just — it didn’t happen.”
Montgomery’s $6MM AAV matches the deal Williams played on from 2021-22. Williams said (via NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett) the Lions’ offer was disrespectful, leading him to the Saints on a three-year accord worth $12MM ($8.15MM fully guaranteed). The Lions did not pivot to Montgomery, 25, until Williams, 27, rejected their offer. Lions GM Brad Holmes said conversations with Williams’ agent at the Combine led him to believe the parties were closing in on another agreement.
“From a budgeting and planning standpoint pre-free agency, we had an allotment of resources set aside, really for Jamaal,” Holmes said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “Didn’t really even really consider another running back higher than that amount of resources that we set aside for Jamaal. And business happens and that’s part of this business and it just didn’t work.
“We tried, but when the market crystallized and it got to a point where David was in play, kind of within the range of resources that we had set aside, then that’s when we went ahead and went forward with David, which we’re extremely excited about.”
The Lions likely offered Williams a deal with similar terms as Montgomery’s, Biggs adds, pointing to the league’s 2022 rushing touchdown leader slightly miscalculating his market. The ex-Packers draftee still landed on his feet with the Saints, though his AAV is down compared to his Lions contract. Williams will move into position as Alvin Kamara insurance. Kamara could face a six-game suspension due to his February 2022 battery arrest.
As both NFC North teams believed they were on track to retain their starting backs, Biggs adds the Vikings also pursued Montgomery. It is unclear if Minnesota made Montgomery an offer, but this interest adds another layer to what has become an intriguing divisional backfield outlook. Dalvin Cook‘s seat remains uncertain, and multiple teams viewed the perennial Pro Bowler as available ahead of free agency. A day Montgomery committed to the Lions, the Vikings gave longtime Cook backup Alexander Mattison a two-year, $7MM deal that comes nearly fully guaranteed.
A day after Mattison’s agreement, the Bears gave D’Onta Foreman a one-year deal worth just $2MM ($1MM guaranteed). Foreman will team with Khalil Herbert in Chicago, though Biggs suggests the Bears adding to their backfield in the draft should not be ruled out. This intra-divisional shakeup involved the upper echelon of free agent backs, as the second wave at the position — from the Dolphins’ duo to Samaje Perine to Devin Singletary to Damien Harris — did not eclipse $3MM guaranteed. It will be interesting to see how the Bears and Lions fare with reshaped backfields.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/30/23
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed (ERFA tender): LS Scott Daly
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DT Breiden Fehoko
Daly, 29, has been with the Lions for the past two years after failing to win the snapping job with the Cowboys in 2018. He appeared in every game in each of his seasons in Detroit, and was tendered earlier this month. The Notre Dame alum will now extend his time in the Motor City by at least one campaign.
NFC North Coaching Updates: Lions, Packers, Vikings
The Lions announced earlier this month that they have finalized their coaching staff for the 2023 season. Much of the staff remains identical to last year’s coaches who helped the Lions to some surprising success. Many of the minor changes that did occur, such as promotions and the additions of assistants, have already been covered on this site. There were a couple that still need to be announced.
On the offensive side, the Lions hired Jim Hostler as a senior offensive assistant. Hostler has served in Washington for the last three years and has an extensive history as a position coach in the NFL for several franchises, including a stint as offensive coordinator for the 49ers back in 2007. Hostler’s most recent experience was assisting with wide receivers for the Commanders, but there didn’t appear to be a place for him on Eric Bieniemy‘s new staff in Washington.
On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit has hired John Scott Jr. to take over as defensive line coach. With Todd Wash departing to rejoin Frank Reich in Carolina, the Lions went to the college ranks for their next defensive line coach. Scott will return to the NFL for the first time since serving as the assistant defensive line coach for the Jets in 2016. Since then, Scott has coached the defensive lines at Arkansas, South Carolina, and Penn State, adding the title of run game coordinator for the Nittany Lions in 2022.
Here are a few more coaching updates from around the NFC North:
- The Packers made a couple additions to their coaching staff near the start of the month. Similar to Detroit, Green Bay also pulled from the college ranks, hiring recently dismissed Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester to a senior analyst position, according to Matthew Ehler of MLive.com. Lester has worked plenty with college quarterbacks but will be making his NFL debut in 2023. The team also hired two new quality control coaches, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Rob Grosso joins as offensive quality control and Kyle Wilber will be special teams quality control. Grosso, a former defensive assistant who followed Vance Joseph from Denver to Arizona, was expected to once again follow Joesph back to Denver but will part ways with Joseph while switching from defense to offense. Wilber, a former NFL linebacker, recently finished a 10-year career in which he played for Packers assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia at both Dallas and Las Vegas.
- The Vikings joined the Lions and Packers in dipping into the college ranks of coaching, hiring Michael Hutchings as assistant linebackers coach, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Hutchings most recently served as outside linebackers coach at Western Kentucky and previously worked at USC and Oregon.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/29/23
Today’s only minor move:
Detroit Lions
- Waived from reserve/retired list: DL John Penisini
Penisini was a surprising contributor for the Lions two years ago when he started 12 games as a rookie sixth-round pick. The Utah-product didn’t give a reason for his retirement at the time, but many thought it was related to a fairly serious injury he experienced before the 2021 season that resulted in calcium deposits building up in his shoulders the size of softballs.
Lions, WR Marvin Jones Agree To Deal
A reunion is in store for the Lions and a familiar face on offense. Veteran wideout Marvin Jones Jr. is signing in Detroit on a one-year deal, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
The contract has a base value of $3MM, while incentives could push it to $5MM. This deal will allow the 33-year-old to return to the Motor City, where he played between 2016 and 2020. It was during that span that he enjoyed the most productive campaigns of his career.
After starting his career with the Bengals, Jones established himself as one of the NFL’s top deep deep threats with the Lions. In 2017, he posted 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns on a league-leading average of 18 yards per reception. While his production dipped in the following seasons with injuries, the former fifth-rounder rebounded with 978 yards and another nine touchdowns in his final Lions term.
That helped earn Jones a two-year, $14.5MM contract with the Jaguars on the open market. The Cal product was brought in to serve as a veteran presence on an otherwise young team, and he was relied on heavily in 2021. Drawing a career-high 120 targets that year, Jones put up a 73-832-4 statline. His workload took a signficant step back this past season, after Jacksonville had made a number of investments in their pass-catching corps. As a result, Jones’ yardage total dropped to its lowest figure since 2018.
Still, he should be able to operate as a consistent secondary option amidst the Lions’ WR options. Detroit had a surprisingly efficient passing attack in 2022, but Amon-Ra St. Brown easily distanced himself from the rest of the team’s wideouts in terms of production. Especially since one-year signing DJ Chark has departed for the Panthers, Jones will be able to fill a veteran void at the position upon his return.
In addition to St. Brown, and now Jones, the Lions will of course also have 2022 first-rounder Jameson Williams in place for 2023. The latter was, as expected, limited in his game action and workload during his rookie campaign due to his recovery from a torn ACL. Now healthy, the Alabama product should give Detroit significant upside in their downfield passing game. Jones will give the team an additional boost in that regard, as he looks to regain his previous form with the team in the coming season.
Latest On Georgia DL Jalen Carter
Jalen Carter entered the offseason as a probable top-three pick and potential number-one pick. He has since been hit with two misdemeanor chargers stemming from a fatal car accident that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy. Carter was charged with misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing but avoided jail time via a plea agreement.
Since then, we’ve learned that Carter’s pro day left scouts less than impressed. The defensive lineman reportedly put on weight leading up to Georgia’s pro day and put on a “less than stellar” performance. Carolina’s trade for the first-overall pick ended Carter’s hopes of going No. 1, but it remains to be seen how these recent developments will ultimately impact his draft stock.
The Lions could end up being a fit for the defensive tackle, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that Detroit will host Carter on a top-30 visit. The Lions are currently armed with the No. 6 pick in the draft, but they could see some competition for Carter from non-QB-needy squads like the Cardinals (No. 3) and Seahawks (No. 5). As Birkett notes, the Lions could certainly use a player of Carter’s caliber on their defensive line, and GM Brad Holmes said the organization would leave “no stone unturned” as they evaluated their first-round options.
“Honestly, you’ve heard me preach intangibles since Day 1, and I’m a firm believer still that intangibles are the separators of success,” Holmes said (via Birkett). “You look at an Amon-Ra St. Brown, he’s a talented player, but his intangibles are as good as it gets and that’s why he has the success that he has. And there’s countless other players I could name to rattle off, but talent is one thing while the intangible piece, the character piece, are components. But it doesn’t make up the whole picture and the totality of the evaluation.”
If Carter sees a significant slide down the draft board, the Bears could be a landing spot at No. 9. The defensive tackle was a potential target for the organization before they traded the first-overall pick. Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic wrote earlier this month that the Bears were hesitant about the prospect even before the charges, with some scouts questioning the player’s intangibles. It would be difficult for an organization to put their faith in that kind of player with the No. 1 pick, but the Bears may be more willing to take a risk with the ninth-overall selection.
Lions, Texans Not Expected To Pursue Lamar Jackson
Looks like we can cross two more teams off the list of potential Lamar Jackson suitors. Lions coach Dan Campbell told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that his team won’t be pursuing Jackson. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets that the Texans won’t be involved in the Jackson sweepstakes.
[RELATED: Lamar Jackson Requests Trade]
Jackson requested a trade from the Ravens earlier this month, and the QB took his request public yesterday. Since then, Colts owner Jim Irsay seemed to imply that his team won’t be pursuing Jackson, citing the quarterback’s desire for a fully guaranteed contract. Jets GM Joe Douglas also said his team won’t go after Jackson out of respect for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers organization.
Now, it sounds like two more squads are out. While most teams will be wary of committing record-breaking guaranteed money to the QB, Campbell seemed to indicate that the Lions were also perfectly content with their current quarterback situation.
“Yeah, look, Lamar’s a heck of a talent,” Campbell said. “Trying to defend that guy has been something else. We played them two years ago but, man, we got a quarterback. So I’m like, we got a quarterback and thank God we got one, and so we’re good. But man, he’s a heck of a talent.”
Jared Goff made a Pro Bowl during his second season in Detroit after tossing 29 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions while helping lead the Lions to a 9-8 record. Goff will only be entering his age-29 season in 2023, and he still has two more years remaining on his contract (worth affordable base salaries of ~$20MM). Goff doesn’t provide as much upside as Jackson, but it’s hard to be too critical of the Lions when you also consider the monetary commitment they’d have to make to Jackson (plus the draft compensation they’d have to give up to Baltimore).
The Texans don’t have their future quarterback on the roster, but the organization also isn’t feeling much urgency to compete right away. Jackson would surely accelerate their timeline, but with the Texans armed with the second-overall pick, it’s much more likely they opt for a rookie QB who can grow alongside their young core.
While Jackson’s desire for guaranteed money has certainly cooled his market, Chris Mortensen tweets that teams are also wary of the QB’s injury history. One anonymous team was juggling the monetary investment vs. all of the games and practices that Jackson has missed in recent years, with one source wondering if the player’s “sleep habits and nutrition” have contributed to the absences.
One potential outcome is that Jackson remains with the Ravens, and despite the trade request. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the organization was discussing a new contract with the quarterback as recently as last week.