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.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/22/15
Tuesdays are typically busy days for roster changes during the NFL regular season, and even with the holidays around the corner, this week is no different. Here are the latest minor transactions from around the league:
- The Packers announced that they’ve placed long snapper Brett Goode on injured reserve, signing fellow snapper Rick Lovato to take his place. Per Wes Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com (Twitter link), Goode tore his ACL during Sunday’s game against the Raiders.
- The Bears announced (via Twitter) that they’ve promoted defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith from the practice squad, waiving running back Antone Smith to create a roster spot. D’Anthony has spent time with the Jaguars, Lions, and Seahawks, while Antone had seen just one carry for Chicago this year.
- With Marcus Mariota ailing, the Titans have signed quarterback Alex Tanney off the Colts’ practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link). Tanney, known for his “trick-shot” Youtube videos, will back up Zach Mettenberger on Sunday. Tennessee placed defensive tackle Mike Martin on injured reserve to create a roster spot.
Earlier updates:
- The 49ers have signed running back DuJuan Harris from off the Ravens‘ practice squad, cutting running back Travaris Cadet to make room, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com noted this afternoon (via Twitter) that the knee injury sustained by Shaun Draughn didn’t appear to be serious, but the club wanted to add some insurance just in case. San Francisco may get some added insurance in the form of Mike Davis, who is currently on the IR-DTR list, and will begin practicing this week, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).
- After somehow playing through a fractured fibula for three quarters on Sunday, safety David Bruton will head to injured reserve, officially ending his season, the Broncos confirmed today in a press release. Safety Shaun Prater will take the open spot on the roster, with Bruton expected to require four to six weeks to recover from his injury.
- As expected, the Browns formally placed starting right guard John Greco on injured reserve today, per a team release. Cleveland has re-signed wide receiver Darius Jennings to the roster, after waiving him last week.
- The Buccaneers have filled the opening on their 53-man roster by promoting wide receiver Evan Spencer from their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. Spencer was selected in the sixth round of this year’s draft by Washington.
- The Bills are elevating wide receiver Walter Powell to their active roster from the practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Powell figures to replace Robert Woods, who is expected to land on IR.
- Giants fullback Nikita Whitlock is headed to the injured reserve list, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Whitlock suffered a knee injury that isn’t expected to be a long-term issue, but it will keep him sidelined for the club’s last couple games of the season.
NFC Notes: Saints, Packers, Eagles, Panthers
With the Saints‘ season winding down, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com revisits the September trade that sent defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to New England in exchange for tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. As Woodbery writes, neither player has made a huge impact for his new team, though New Orleans has had to play Kevin Williams a little more than expected to compensate for the loss of Hicks, and the Saints’ lack of depth.
- Having landed on injured reserve on Monday, Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery will undergo surgery on his ankle next week, agent Damarius Bilbo tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Although the rookie’s high ankle sprain – sustained in October – had healed, there’s still cartilage damage that needs to be repaired.
- The Eagles could be without their starting nose tackle as they make a run for the postseason, Derrick Gunn of CSNPhiladelphia.com reports (via Twitter) that Bennie Logan could be out for the remainder of the season. A source tells Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News that Logan will miss this weekend’s contest against Washington.
- The Panthers will have a roster exemption for defensive end Wes Horton until next Monday, tweets Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange. Horton has been reinstated from his four-game suspension, but won’t be able to return to action until Carolina places him on its 53-man roster.
Packers Activate Andrew Quarless From IR-DTR
Occupying the Packers’ IR-DTR slot since Sept. 30, Andrew Quarless could help the team down the stretch after being activated today.
Quarless will take Ty Montgomery‘s roster spot, with the Packers placed the wideout on season-ending injured reserve, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
A sixth-year tight end, Quarless started 21 games for Green Bay during the 2013-14 campaigns but saw his stock plummet after an offseason arrest. The 27-year-old caught two passes for 14 yards in the three games he played in September.
Quarless will serve as a complementary option to improving tight end Richard Rodgers, whose 50-catch, 449-yard, seven-touchdown receiving line bests Quarless’ career high.
Montgomery hasn’t played since Week 6 after suffering a high-ankle sprain that’s lingered since. The 22-year-old receiver caught 15 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns for the receiver-depleted Packers this season.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Breaux, Seahawks, Packers
Rookie 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula is at the helm of a 4-9 team and certainly not a lock to return for a second season, but two of the club’s respected veterans spoke out Friday in support of the 47-year-old, according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.
“Yeah, I love Tomsula,” linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. “I’ve been with him for a long time. He knows me. I know him. It’s always been a good relationship.”
Tomsula has been with the 49ers since taking over as their defensive line coach in 2007, so he and Bowman – drafted in 2010 – are well-acquainted.
Receiver Torrey Smith, on the other hand, signed with the 49ers last offseason and obviously hasn’t spent nearly the amount of time with Tomsula that Bowman has. That didn’t stop Smith from endorsing Tomsula.
“He’s been one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had,” Smith said. “I think he’s a great man. It sucks that we haven’t had the results that we need, but I think he’s a great guy. So I want the best for him.”
More on the Niners and a few of their NFC counterparts:
- The Lions missed a golden opportunity last offseason to sign standout cornerback Delvin Breaux, who was unable to pass a team physical, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Breaux, formerly of the CFL, went on to sign with the Saints and has been a bright spot on a porous defense. The 26-year-old has 38 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games, and currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 13th-best corner (subscription required).
- Running back Christine Michael‘s recently signed deal with the Seahawks expires at the end of the season, but he’ll be still be under team control as a restricted free agent, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). With fellow RBs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson potentially out of Seahawks uniforms in 2016, Michael could stick around as Thomas Rawls‘ backup. He’ll have a chance to impress the organization in the coming weeks with both Lynch and Rawls injured.
- 49ers rookie Jarryd Hayne is encouraged by his progress and plans to return to the NFL next season, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. “To come this far in seven months, give me 12, 14 (and) it’s going to be completely different. And I think anyone who’s seen my growth will tell you how much I’ve changed and developed,” the 27-year-old said. The native of Australia and former professional rugby player signed with the Niners as a running back/return specialist last offseason. He appeared in six games for the team this year before it cut him and brought him back as a member of its practice squad last month.
- The Packers spent Friday looking at free agent special teamers, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports. The Pack worked out two punters – Will Johnson and Kasey Redfern – a pair of long snappers in Rick Lovato and Sam Rodgers, and kicker Andy Wilder.
North Notes: Ravens, Barnidge, Daniels, Packers
The five-year, $37.5MM contract the Ravens gave to left tackle Eugene Monroe in 2014 looks like an obvious mistake now, but it was applauded at the time, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. After missing just three games due to injury in his first four seasons, Monroe hasn’t been able to stay on the field during the last two years, and now the team will face a tough offseason decision.
While cutting Monroe in the offseason is one option, the Ravens wouldn’t clear much cap room by doing so, since the lineman’s deal still includes $6.6MM in dead money. It seems to me that a more logical solution would be to rework Monroe’s deal to convert a chunk of his $6.5MM salary for 2016 into per-game roster bonuses. That would allow Monroe to keep his spot on the roster and give him an opportunity to earn his full salary, while also alleviating the risk for the Ravens — if the veteran tackle gets hurt again, Baltimore won’t be on the hook for his entire salary.
As we wait to see what the Ravens decide on Monroe, let’s round up some other items from around the AFC North, including a couple more out of Baltimore….
- Within the above-linked piece, Zrebiec also notes that if Kelechi Osemele holds up well at left tackle over the final three games of the season, it could change the lineman’s outlook for free agency. The Ravens likely can’t afford to sign another guard to a lucrative contract after extending Marshal Yanda, but if Osemele can play left tackle, that’s a position the team would be willing to spend on — of course, so would many other rival clubs.
- Before the Ravens decided to sign Ryan Mallett, the quarterback assured the team that he has received professional help for personal issues that led to his ouster in Houston, a league source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Having been signed for the 2016 season, Mallett could serve as Joe Flacco‘s backup next year if the Ravens like what they see from him.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links) passes along a few more details on Gary Barnidge‘s new contract with the Browns, reporting that the three-year, $12.3MM pact features $5.73MM in guaranteed money, though not all of that money is fully guaranteed yet. Barnidge’s $1.5MM salary for 2016 becomes fully guaranteed in March.
- Speaking of contract details, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) has a few for Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels, providing the year-by-year cap breakdown for Daniels’ extension. Daniels will count against the cap for $7.4MM in 2016, with his hits jumping to the $10-11MM range for the final three years of the deal.
- Now that the Packers have extended Daniels, who’s next in line for a new contract in Green Bay? Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com takes a closer look at some possibilities.
Packers, Mike Daniels Agree To $42MM Extension
The Packers and Mike Daniels have reached agreement on a four-year, $42MM extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will give Daniels $22MM in the first 15 months of the deal and a $12MM signing bonus, a source tells Schefter. Daniels is now the third-highest paid 3-4 defensive end in the NFL. 
Daniels, who will earn an average annual value of $10.5MM under his new deal, was considered to be a potential franchise tag candidate for Green Bay this offseason. Green Bay management was said to have identified Daniels as the most important of its 14 upcoming free agents, but they reportedly weren’t willing to go to $10MM per year. Apparently, things have changed over the last couple of months as Daniels has continued to excel on the Packers’ defensive line.
“Why wouldn’t (Daniels) get $10 (million)?” an NFL personnel director told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel last month. “Most of those guys are bigger, but who’s more disruptive? I think Mike Daniels is a good player. I think he and Liuget are on a par. The way that market goes, you’re going to overpay. It he goes to free agency, do you (the Packers) want to run that risk?”
Daniels, 26, has started all 13 of the Packers’ games this season, racking up 41 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Of course, he still has time to try and eclipse his stats from 2014. Last year, Daniels amassed 47 tackles and 5.5 sacks in a full 16 game season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Nkemdiche, Henry, McCarthy, Kelly
Consensus top-10 pick Robert Nkemdiche remains in stable condition after a fall from a hotel room window in Atlanta, David Ching of ESPN.com reports.
Reports varied over the nature of the Ole Miss junior defensive lineman’s fall, with this tweet indicating the Atlanta police said Nkemdiche fell from a fourth-floor window. But according to Ching’s report, police indicated this was a one-story fall of approximately 15 feet.
Per Ching, Nkemdiche appeared to have broken the window, climbed over another wall before falling to the ground. A small amount of “suspected marijuana” was present inside the room.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report projects Nkemdiche to go fourth in the 2016 draft, and Mel Kiper Jr. lists the former No. 1 overall recruit as his No. 5 prospect.
Here are some additional news items on draft prospects and other news from around the league.
- Character issues are affecting Nkemdiche’s perception among NFL decision-makers, Miller reports (video link). Miller, however, cautions that demoting character risks can be costly, considering Justin Houston and Tyrann Mathieu‘s rapid rises.
- Alabama running back Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player, but that doesn’t automatically mean he will be a high draft pick, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. He spoke with former scout Dan Hatman, who has Henry rated between his 100th and 150th best prospect, citing his reliance on blocking, poor change of direction, and a heavy college workload as reasons to be wary of overrating the top college running back.
- Mike McCarthy notified associate head coach Tom Clements on Monday he’d be reassuming control of calling the Packers‘ plays, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. The 10th-year Packers coach was following the advice of others in the organization urging him to do so, but McCarthy demurred initially because of fear it would make Clements and offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett look bad, Demovsky notes. Entering Sunday’s game, the Packers ranked 22nd in offense and 26th in third-down conversions. They rushed for 230 yards against the Cowboys. Clements last called plays for the Drew Bledsoe-era Bills in the mid-2000s. “The personal part of it was brutal,” McCarthy told media regarding Clements’ demotion. “Professionally, I felt like I had to do it. I was worried about making sure I was going to do my job good.”
- Chip Kelly denied calling LeSean McCoy this week, an alleged phone call that resulted in the former Eagles running back hanging up on his ex-coach. “When people want to make up false stories about me calling people up during the week and them hanging up on me – people (are) trying to get Twitter hits or things like that and make themselves significant,” Kelly told media. The Philadelphia Inquirer stands by the story, the Inquirer’s Jeff McLane writes. Kelly attempted to call McCoy after news of the trade with the Bills in March, however.
- Gus Bradley‘s job should be safe after the Jaguars‘ 51-16 thrashing of the Colts, O’Halloran writes. O’Halloran believes Bradley was on thin ice prior to this performance, but notching his fifth victory and first over the Colts puts the former Seahawks DC on firm ground in O’Halloran’s mind.
- A 2011 loss in Jacksonville prompted Jim Irsay to fire Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell, and Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star wonders if the Colts‘ owner’s reached his decision to fire Chuck Pagano after allowing the 5-8 Jaguars to put up 51 points. In his contract’s final year, Pagano seems a pretty safe bet for a Black Monday headline.
- Next week’s must-win for the Colts could feature career backup Charlie Whitehurst at quarterback, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com writes. With Andrew Luck throwing but not yet practicing and Matt Hasselbeck exiting Sunday’s rout early, next week’s Colts-Texans game could double as Whitehurst’s second-biggest career start, after the infamous Week 17 2010 game that clinched the 7-9 Seahawks’ playoff berth. The 33-year-old Whitehurst has made nine career starts, including five last season with the Titans.
Rob Dire contributed to this report.
Mike McCarthy To Call Packers’ Plays
The Packers have decided to make a change at play-caller, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who reports that head coach Mike McCarthy will take over the offensive reins from associate head coach Tom Clements. Green Bay’s game against the Cowboys later today will be the first contest to feature McCarthy as play-caller this season.
McCarthy had been the club’s de facto offensive coordinator since being hired as Packers head coach in 2006, but the club reshuffled its offensive duties during the offseason. Clements, previously the nominal offensive coordinator, was promoted to associate head coach and took over play-calling responsibility. Receivers coach Edgar Bennett, in turn, was shifted to OC (in name only).
But the changes haven’t helped, as Green Bay’s offense has struggled for much of the season (Jordy Nelson‘s season-ending ACL tear didn’t help matters). The Packers are averaging only 341.4 offensive yards per game, which ranks just 22nd in the NFL. And though the club does rank 12th in points per game and 10th in offensive DVOA, the lack of explosive plays have hurt them, as they place just 20th in yards per play.
As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes, the move is probably for the best, as McCarthy remains the best pure play-caller on Green Bay’s staff. Additionally, Clements hadn’t called plays in more than a decade, last acting as OC for the Bills in the mid-2000s.
North Notes: Browns, Austin, Wolf
Browns head coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer will not both be back with the team next season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Pettine had hinted at some discord between the Cleveland front office and coaching staff last week, but apparently the situation is more toxic than originally believed.
According to Rapoport, the coaching staff believes the scouting department does not provide the team enough information to effectively execute the game plan, and the scouting department believes the coaching staff does not effectively utilize its personnel. Neither the front office nor the coaches, of course, are without fault. Farmer has blown two consecutive drafts, which has hamstrung Pettine’s efforts quite a bit, but Pettine has not been an especially savvy in-game strategist and has failed to establish the hard-nosed, defensive-minded mentality he promised when he was hired. If owner Jimmy Haslam chooses to keep one of the Pettine/Farmer duo, the smart money may be on Pettine, but it seems clear that at least one of those men will be out of a job at the end of the season, and perhaps both will be looking for a new position.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s north divisions:
- Although Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes Lions head coach Jim Caldwell‘s fate is sealed–no one believes he will return to Detroit next season–the futures of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter are more uncertain. Austin, for the second season in a row, has done an excellent job leading the Lions’ defense, and although Cooter has less of a track record, he has successfully turned around an offense that crashed and burned under Joe Lombardi. If Austin does not get a head coaching position this offseason–he could even wind up as the Lions’ head coach–he is certainly a viable candidate to return as DC, and Meinke believes Cooter is deserving of an extended look as OC.
- Though Austin will be a candidate for the Lions‘ head coaching position, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that current Bears OC Adam Gase will be a “top target” for the club.
- Packers pro personnel director Eliot Wolf is a hot name among teams searching for a GM this offseason, but per La Canfora, it is highly unlikely Wolf will be leaving Green Bay. Wolf, who has steadily risen through the ranks of the Packers organization, is seen as the heir apparent to current GM Ted Thompson, and he would be exceedingly selective if he were to consider any position outside of Green Bay. La Canfora’s report does not come as much of a surprise, as Wolf has been a popular GM candidate for several years now.
- Although Steelers tackle Mike Adams is technically in the final year of his rookie contract, he will remain under club control in 2016, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Adams was placed on the PUP list before the start of training camp, he never returned to the active roster, and he was not removed from the PUP list, which means that his contract will be tolled and he will be back with Pittsburgh in 2016 at the same salary he earned in 2015 (roughly $873K). Adams could still hit the open market if the Steelers choose to cut him, of course, but given the team’s lack of depth at tackle, Kaboly does not see that as a real option.