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NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/1/18

January 1st, 2018 at 7:17pm CST by Micah Powell

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Baltimore Ravens

  • QB Josh Woodrum
  • RB John Crockett
  • FB Ricky Ortiz
  • OT Steven Moore

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • LB Carl Bradford
  • K Jon Brown
  • LB Connor Harris
  • OT Javarius Leamon
  • OG Oni Omoile
  • TE Scott Orndoff
  • CB Sojourn Shelton
  • SS Robenson Therezie
  • WR Kermit Whitfield

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

  • TE Mo Alie-Cox
  • WR Dres Anderson
  • DT Johnathan Calvin
  • WR Kolby Listenbee
  • LB Arthur Miley
  • LB Josh Perry
  • QB Phillip Walker
  • G Isaiah Williams

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

 

Lions Fire Assistant Head Coach Ron Prince

January 1st, 2018 at 6:29pm CST by Micah Powell
  • After firing head coach Jim Caldwell, the Lions continued to overhaul its coaching staff by letting go of assistant head coach and offensive line coach Ron Prince, the team announced. Prince had been with the team since 2014.

Colts, Giants, Lions Request Interviews With Panthers DC Steve Wilks

January 1st, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

A Panthers defensive assistant for the past six seasons, Steve Wilks could have a chance to interview with three teams for HC vacancies soon. The Colts, Giants and Lions have requested permission to meet with the first-year Carolina DC, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets.

Wilks cannot interview this week due to the Panthers’ wild-card assignment, but the 48-year-old coach could factor into the interview process soon after. The longtime assistant confirmed he’s received requests from each of these teams, Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer notes.

The Rams interviewed Wilks last year, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link) that powwow went well. This, and the leadership skills that have circulated about the first-time DC, have generated interest in Wilks, Rapoport notes.

Taking over for Sean McDermott this season, Wilks has the Panthers entering the playoffs as the league’s No. 7 defense and one that is No. 3 in rushing deterrence.

Lions To Interview Teryl Austin For HC Job

January 1st, 2018 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Teryl Austin has been the Lions’ defensive coordinator for the past four seasons and has shown up on other teams’ radars as an HC candidate.

Now that the Lions have a vacancy, they will interview their DC for the job, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Austin will meet with Lions brass on Tuesday, Anderson reports.

The Lions fired Jim Caldwell on Monday morning, and the two have been on the same staff for most of this decade. Caldwell brought Austin over from the Ravens once the Lions hired him in 2014. Austin’s Detroit future will surely be in doubt after Caldwell’s dismissal, but the Lions will evaluate the 52-year-old Austin soon.

Austin’s defense finished this season ranked 27th, however, a drop from 2016’s performance. He figures to have competition from candidates coming off stronger seasons leading their respective units.

Cardinals, Lions Request Interviews With Vikings’ Pat Shurmur

January 1st, 2018 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Both the Cardinals and Lions came out of Monday morning with coaching vacancies, and the architect of the Vikings’ offense is on the teams’ list.

The Vikings have a first-round bye, and that’s opened the door for the Cardinals and Lions to submit requests to interview Pat Shurmur for their HC positions, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (Twitter links).

Shurmur’s work in helping the Vikings be an upper-echelon offense despite the keys being in journeyman Case Keenum‘s hands this season undoubtedly made the second-year Minnesota OC an attractive HC candidate.

The 52-year-old Shurmur has two years of head-coaching experience as well, leading the Browns from 2011-12. He’s been an OC with the Rams and Eagles as well and is only in his first season as the Vikings’ full-time offensive leader. Norv Turner‘s departure midway through last season resulted in Shurmur becoming the Vikes’ interim OC. Minnesota took the interim tag off that label after 2016, and the Keenum-piloted Vikings are one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LII.

Giants, Lions Request To Interview Matt Patricia

January 1st, 2018 at 10:00am CST by Micah Powell

Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was expected to be one of the most highly sought after names in coaching entering 2018. It didn’t take long for that to come to fruition, as the Giants (Twitter link) and Lions (Twitter link) have both submitted requests to interview the Patriots defensive coordinator for their head-coaching vacancies, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Matt Patricia (vertical)

Patricia was also highly coveted entering the 2017 season, with the Rams and Chargers both requesting to interview the 43-year-old coach before going their separate ways.

After spending time as a graduate assistant at Syracuse, Patricia joined the Patriots in 2004 as an offensive assistant. The following year he served as an assistant offensive line coach before making the switch to the defensive side of the ball. He was elevated to defensive coordinator in 2012 and has won two Super Bowls with New England in the six years since.

Though the Giants’ opening is noted as Patricia’s potential landing spot by Schefter, the coach also has ties to Detroit. The Lions general manager Bob Quinn spent more than a decade in New England as scout and in the front office more moving to Detroit in 2016. He is said to be interested in several other Patriots names like Josh McDaniels and former linebacker Mike Vrabel.

Lions Fire Head Coach Jim Caldwell

January 1st, 2018 at 8:06am CST by Micah Powell

A day after defeating the Packers, 35-11, to cap their third winning campaign in four seasons, the Lions fired head coach Jim Caldwell, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). Jim Caldwell (Vertical)

Caldwell twice led the team to the postseason, the most playoff trips by a Detroit coach since Bobby Ross in the late-1990s. Despite the regular-season success, Caldwell could not deliver a postseason victory, something that has eluded the Lions for 25 years.

Rapoport also reports (Twitter link) the team is expected to interview highly sought after Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for the vacant head-coaching position. He also notes Lions general manager Bob Quinn’s New England ties will help in the team’s pursuit of Patricia. Before ascending to GM in Detroit, Quinn spent 15 years in New England as a scout and director of player personnel.

The 62-year-old Caldwell has delivered winning campaigns in five of his eight seasons as a head coach and advanced to the Super Bowl with the Colts. His winning percentage of .562 as Lions head coach is the highest of any full-time coach of the franchise for more than one season since Buddy Parker recorded a 47-23-2 mark and a .671 winning percentage in the 1950s.

The dismissal ends longtime speculation over the future of Caldwell in Detroit. After losing his last three regular-season games and the team’s wildcard matchup with Seattle in 2017, Caldwell was retained and given a contract extension. The terms of the deal, however, were not made available immediately and it was later discovered the extension only covered him through the 2018 campaign.

Instead of firing Caldwell, the team hired Quinn to replace former GM Martin Mayhew. With Caldwell now gone, Quinn is set to hire his first head coach on the job.

 

Lions Notes: Caldwell, Lang, Ansah

December 31st, 2017 at 6:13pm CST by Micah Powell

Following Detroit’s 35-11 win over division rival Green Bay, head coach Jim Caldwell addressed reporters and said he does not know what the future holds, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News reports (Twitter link).

Despite posting a 9-7 record, the Lions were eliminated from the playoffs following a loss to Cincinnati in Week 16. By missing the postseason, sources told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that the team was expected to let go of Caldwell at season’s end.

Hot-seat rumors have swirled around Caldwell for months and an answer to those rumors is likely to come in the next few days. In September, Detroit gave Caldwell a contract extension but the terms of the deal were not revealed until December, when NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported the deal ran through 2018.

“I don’t make any excuses,” Caldwell said. “It’s just not the way I live my life. So we go out, we do what we do and we’ll make an assessment from there. The real assessment is wins and losses. That’s the key. I think there are things that I’ve done, but I’m not done yet. So you know, we’ll see.”

Here’s more from the Lions:

  • Guard T.J. Lang is not expected to require surgery for a foot injury that has lingered throughout the season, ESPN’s Michael Rothstein reports (Twitter link). Lang missed the team’s Week 16 loss to Cincinnati, which eliminated the Lions from the playoffs. The right guard is signed through the 2019 season.
  • Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah is “pretty confident” he can return to his 2015 form, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Over the last two season, Birkett notes the pass-rushing lineman has spent 25 of a possible 32 weeks on the injury report. Ansah told Birkett, “I’ve been dealing with a lot all year long … There is good days and bad days regardless of how healthy you are.” After recording 14.5 sacks during his breakout 2015 campaign, Ansah has managed just 11 in the two seasons since.

Matt Patricia Could Be A Top HC Candidate For Lions

December 31st, 2017 at 9:54am CST by Rory Parks
  • There are expected to be two head coaching openings in the NFC North, with the Bears and Lions preparing to look for their next sideline general this offseason. Rapoport names Patriots DC Matt Patricia as a top choice for Detroit, while the Bears could look hard at a QB guru for young signal-caller Mitch Trubisky. Rapoport tweets that the Saints‘ Pete Carmichael, the longest-tenured OC in the league, could get a look for the Chicago job.
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