Colts Add HOFer Kevin Mawae To Staff
The Texans were the last team to hire their head coach, so David Culley got a bit of a late start in building his staff. Now he’s wasting no time, making a couple of hires this week. Most importantly he’s settled on a special teams coordinator, hiring Colts assistant Frank Ross to fill that position, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Ross is a former Patriots scout who went to small school John Carroll University, which has become a feeder school for NFL coaches. Houston also hired Dino Vasso to be their new secondary coach, Wilson tweets. Vasso spent the past eight seasons as an assistant with the Eagles.
- Orr isn’t the only notable former player getting back with an NFL team. Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae will be joining the NFL coaching ranks as well. Mawae has been hired to be an assistant offensive line coach on Frank Reich’s Colts staff, Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets. Mawae had been an analyst under Herm Edwards at Arizona State, and he told Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he had been hoping to land an NFL opportunity. The legendary former center spent 16 years in the league with the Seahawks, Jets, and Titans. He made eight Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro seven times during his playing days.
Colts Work Out DL David Irving
David Irving‘s comeback from his latest suspension produced only two Raiders games and a subsequent release from Las Vegas’ practice squad. He secured another tryout opportunity Tuesday.
The Colts are hosting the free agent defensive lineman, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Raiders released Irving from their practice squad last month. Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was in Dallas during Irving’s time with the team, giving the free agent D-lineman an interesting potential path to Indianapolis.
Prior to the Raiders signing Irving midway through last season, the former promising Cowboys pass rusher spent nearly two years in free agency. Drug suspensions have dogged the ex-UDFA, but once the NFL reinstated him in October, he landed a Raiders visit and contract offer within a few days.
Irving, 27, played only 40 defensive snaps with the Raiders. He spent time on the franchise’s reserve/COVID-19 list later in the season and did not return to action.
With the Cowboys, Irving ran into PED and substance-abuse suspensions but showed promise between the 2017-18 seasons. He racked up 11 sacks in that time, including a seven-sack 2017 season — during he which the interior rusher only played eight games.
Colts Hire New CBs Coach James Rowe
- To replace Gannon, who had been the Colts’ cornerbacks coach, Indy has hired James Rowe to fill the same role, according to Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. Rowe was most recently the cornerbacks coach at Appalachian State, and had previously been an assistant with Washington.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/1/21
Today’s reserve/futures deals will be posted here:
Indianapolis Colts
- QB Jalen Morton, WR J.J. Nelson
Tennessee Titans
Nelson has a bit more NFL experience than your typical reserve/futures signee. A fifth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2015, Nelson made some real noise with Arizona for a while. A speedy deep-threat who has averaged a whopping 17.4 yards per reception on his 85 career catches, he had 568 yards and six touchdowns in 2016. He topped 500 yards again in 2017, but quickly fell out of favor and wasn’t re-signed after his rookie deal ran out.
He signed with the Raiders in 2019 but was released after catching only four passes, and then was in camp with the 49ers this past August before getting hurt and then cut. He signed to the Bills practice squad a month ago, but lasted only a few days in Buffalo. Still only 28, it wouldn’t be shocking if he manages to crack a roster again as a field-stretcher.
Panthers Offered 8th Pick For Matthew Stafford, Details On Other Offers
As the fallout continues to pour in from the blockbuster Matthew Stafford/Jared Goff trade, we’ve got some new details on the talks the Lions had leading up to it. Most notably, the Panthers had offered the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft as well as a later pick, Albert Breer of SI.com reports. Many would argue that’s a better offer than what Detroit took from the Rams, two future first-round picks (which could be late ones), a third-rounder, and Goff’s bloated contract. 
Taking that deal would’ve given the Lions the seventh and eighth picks this April, giving them a ton of ammo if they wanted to move up for one of the top couple of quarterbacks. Clearly, they didn’t view Goff and his contract as a huge negative like many others do, and this offer from Matt Rhule will likely be the one looked back on most when we reflect on this trade in the years to come. If nothing else this just goes to show how serious Carolina is about upgrading from Teddy Bridgewater, and we’ve heard they’re gearing up for an aggressive run at Deshaun Watson.
Washington offered the 19th pick this April as well as a third-round selection, Breer writes. The Colts discussed packages of picks but never made an offer that included their first-rounder this year, the 21st pick. Although the 49ers did show some interest, they never made a formal offer, which tracks with them being content to run it back with Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Broncos also showed interest but Breer says it became clear early on the price was rising well beyond what new GM George Paton was willing to pay. The Patriots were willing to package a second-rounder with a defensive player although obviously that wasn’t going to cut it and Stafford apparently had no interest in going to New England and reuniting with Matt Patricia anyway.
Interestingly, Breer notes that the Jets checked in over the weekend. All those other teams had been heavily linked to Stafford, but New York would’ve been something of a wild card. Obviously the talks went nowhere, but it’s notable to learn the Jets are at least considering rolling with a veteran passer instead of Sam Darnold or a rookie with their second overall pick.
So, what do you think? Are the Lions foolish for not taking the eighth pick and running with it, or will Goff prove some people wrong?
Goff-Stafford Fallout: Rams, Lions, Suitors
Sean McVay‘s call to Jared Goff informing him of the Rams‘ decision to trade him ended quickly, but the five-year starter will exit a rapidly deteriorating (for him) situation. Both McVay and Les Snead gave suboptimal endorsements of Goff’s 2021 status recently. While the Lions could well draft a quarterback with their first-round pick, Goff is now set up to be the starter in Detroit.
“I’m just excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me,” Goff said, via NFL.com’s Michael Silver. “I’m moving forward and couldn’t be more excited to build a winner there. I’m excited about Dan (Campbell) and the whole staff.”
Goff had entered the past four Rams seasons as the team’s unquestioned starter and will now attempt to stabilize his career in Detroit. The Rams will host the Lions at some point next season. Here is the latest from Saturday night’s blockbuster trade:
- Several teams made offers for Matthew Stafford. We can add Washington to that list. The NFC East champions presented the Lions an offer featuring more 2021 assets than the Rams offered, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post tweets. It can be assumed Washington was willing to part with its first-round pick — No. 19 overall — but the team’s proposal could not match the unique opportunity the Lions had in leveraging Goff’s lavish contract into a monster Rams package. Washington has Alex Smith and Kyle Allen under contract for 2021, but Smith’s status is far from certain and Allen is coming off a severe injury. Taylor Heinicke is set to be an RFA.
- Joining the Panthers, Broncos, Patriots and Washington in pursuing Stafford: the 49ers, Colts and Bears, according to NBC Sports’ Peter King (Twitter link) and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. All of these teams have quarterback questions, though the 49ers have indicated Jimmy Garoppolo will be their starter next season. A Bears deal would have certainly qualified as farfetched, but Chicago made an effort at a rare intra-divisional trade. Mitchell Trubisky is a free agent and obviously has not delivered anything close to what the Bears envisioned when they drafted him. Nick Foles is under contract for 2021, but the Bears, at the very least, will bring in competition for a quarterback they benched this season. The Colts lost Philip Rivers to retirement and have Jacoby Brissett as a UFA-to-be. While Jim Irsay said he would welcome Andrew Luck back, nothing has transpired on this front in a while.
- Goff has already spoken with Campbell and other Lions staffers, and Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the five-year veteran has a physical coming soon. While the Lions could technically fail Goff on his physical and void the trade, Darlington adds that based on Goff’s early conversations with Detroit coaches it can clearly be assumed the former No. 1 overall pick will be the team’s starter to open the 2021 season.
Colts Expected To Hire Press Taylor
One of Doug Pederson‘s top lieutenants will receive another chance in a similar offensive system. Former Eagles OC Frank Reich will add Press Taylor to his Colts staff, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.
This move continues a Philadelphia-Indianapolis pipeline, only it will see a staffer going west this time. The Eagles just hired Colts OC Nick Sirianni as head coach, Jonathan Gannon as defensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo as passing-game coordinator and Jason Michael as tight ends coach. Each was with the Colts last season. Now, Reich will bring over a former coworker to help his offensive staff.
Sirianni did not opt to retain Taylor for 2021. The Eagles’ passing attack encountered major struggles this past season, which came after Pederson promoted Taylor to the team’s passing-game coordinator. The Eagles ranked either 31st or 32nd in the NFL in passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt and interceptions thrown this season.
Taylor, 33, had been with the Eagles since 2013. That tenure overlapped with Reich’s Philly stay. Along with new OC Marcus Brady and QBs coach Scott Milanovich, this duo will preside over a Colts offense again entering the offseason with a quarterback issue.
Coaching Notes: Pack, Rathman, McCardell
The Packers are making a change on special teams. They are firing ST coordinator Shawn Mennenga, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). A longtime college coach, Mennenga had previously served as Browns assistant ST coach before joining Matt LaFleur‘s staff in 2019. The Packers are expected to promote assistant ST coach Maurice Drayton to replace Mennenga, Pelissero tweets. At least one other team was interested in Drayton for such a role, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Drayton was in contention for this job two years ago.
Here is the latest out of Green Bay and from around the league:
- Mike Pettine may not be locked in as Packers defensive coordinator next season. The veteran DC opted not to sign an extension last year, and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes his contract is up. The Packers invested heavily in their pass rush and used three first-round picks on defenders from 2018-19 but dropped from 15th in defensive DVOA in 2019 to 17th this past season. Pettine is a holdover from Mike McCarthy‘s staff, having arrived in 2018.
- Colts running backs coach Tom Rathman announced his retirement Thursday. The Colts hired Rathman in 2017, after his eight-year tenure as 49ers running backs coach ended. Rathman attempted to retire in 2019 and ’20, but the Colts successfully lobbied him to stay on, per The Athletic’s Stephen Holder (on Twitter). A decorated fullback who won two Super Bowls with the 49ers, Rathman coached running backs from 1997-2020. Sixteen of those years came in San Francisco.
- Staying with the Colts, they are hiring former Jaguars QBs coach Scott Milanovich to replace Marcus Brady in that position, Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Milanovich was Jacksonville’s QBs coach from 2017-19. Otherwise, he has spent his career in the CFL, having coached the Toronto Argonauts and, in 2020, the Edmonton Eskimos. The Colts promoted Brady to OC last week.
- Longtime NFL wideout Keenan McCardell will resurface in Minnesota. The Vikings are hiring McCardell as receivers coach, per Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union (on Twitter). A longtime Jaguars pass catcher who broke into the coaching ranks in 2010, McCardell served as Jacksonville’s receivers coach from 2017-20 under Doug Marrone.
- Ex-Colts DC Ted Monachino will be the Falcons‘ outside linebackers coach under Arthur Smith next season. Monachino, Indy’s DC from 2016-17, spent the past two years with the Bears. The Falcons also hired Jon Hoke to coach defensive backs. The older brother of Maryland HC Brady Hoke, Jon was the Terrapins’ defensive coordinator from 2019-20 but has coached NFL DBs for several seasons.
Jim Irsay On Hilton, Luck, QBs
Jim Irsay is one of the most forthcoming owners in sports, and he was once again an open book when giving an end of year press conference earlier this week. Irsay spoke on a number of topics very relevant to Colts fans, as well as the league as a whole. Let’s start with the question everyone wants answered every few months, Andrew Luck.
Irsay once again reiterated that he’d love to have Luck back, and that the door is wide open on their end. “He knows we would love to have him back,’’ Irsay said, via Mike Chappell of Fox 59. “But only he can answer that question deep in his heart and his soul: ‘Hey, do I really want to come back and be a quarterback for the Colts again in the NFL?’ It’s easy for us. He knows how much we’d love to have him be our quarterback.” It doesn’t sound like he’s banking on it, but he’s clearly at least still holding out hope. “He knows that he can come back anytime he wants, but at the same time we respect he’s made that decision.’’
Luck is still only 31, so he’s got plenty of time if the early retiree ever does change his mind. Irsay also talked about the immediate. quarterback situation with Philip Rivers electing to retire this offseason. Irsay said the team believes they’re another quarterback away from being Super Bowl contenders, and they do have a very talented nucleus and great coaching staff.
He did caution that the team wouldn’t make a move just for the sake of making one, saying “we just have to make sure we go in the right direction without setting ourselves back as we pursue the new quarterback frontier.” When you couple that with GM Chris Ballard recently hinting that he doesn’t want to draft a quarterback in the first-round, it really sounds like the Colts would prefer an established veteran.
Indy has been linked to Matthew Stafford, although Stafford is far from the only experienced quarterback who will be available in what should be an unprecedented offseason for signal-caller movement. Finally, Irsay also talked about impending free agent T.Y. Hilton, saying the team wants him back but acknowledging that money issues could prevent that.
“We’d love to see T.Y. back. There’s no question about it,’’ Irsay said, before immediately adding “look, there’s a business side to it.” He went on to say “you want a guy back, but it has to fit into what you view, what the marketplace dictates. It really comes down to that. The biggest thing I’ve found is you want guys who really want to be here, and so sometimes if they don’t hit their price mark, you don’t want them to be resentful.”
Hilton is 31 now and got off to a slow start in 2020 before developing a rhythm with Rivers and breaking out down the stretch. He’s past his prime physically but showed in the second half he’s still got a good amount left in the tank. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of contract the Colts legend lands this offseason.
Eagles Hire Jonathan Gannon As DC; Latest On OC Search
The Eagles have hired Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon as their new defensive coordinator, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Albert Breer of SI.com reported yesterday that Gannon had emerged as the favorite for the job and that all signs were pointing towards a union between him and Philadelphia (Twitter link).
Both Rapoport and Breer classify Gannon as a coveted addition, with Breer noting that the former Colts staffer had multiple coordinator offers. We knew that both the Chargers and the Bears were considering Gannon, and it’s possible that those two clubs extended him offers, along with the Eagles.
Of course, Gannon may have chosen the Eagles because of his familiarity with new Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni, who served as the Colts’ OC over the past three seasons. Sirianni was clearly a fan of Gannon’s work, as he was a key part of a staff that helped turn Indianapolis’ defense into one of the league’s top units over the past several seasons. Under Gannon’s watch, cornerback Xavier Rhodes revived his career in 2020, while fellow CB Kenny Moore and safety Khari Willis also turned in strong seasons.
Meanwhile, Sirianni is acting quickly to fill out the rest of his staff. Mike Klis of 9News.com reports that the Eagles are meeting with Broncos RB coach Curtis Modkins about their OC opening, while Rapoport notes that the club is also interviewing Chargers OC Shane Steichen (Twitter links).
Modkins is the more experienced of the two, having served as running backs coach or offensive coordinator with seven different NFL teams since 2008. But Steichen is at least partially credited for Justin Herbert‘s terrific rookie season in Los Angeles in 2020, and he and Sirianni did work together on the Chargers’ offensive staff from 2014-17.
In related news, the Eagles considered interviewing Josh McCown for their head coaching position before hiring Sirianni, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. McCown, who is now under consideration for the Texans’ HC job, impressed Eagles brass with his leadership skills and football acumen during his recent stint as a Philadelphia quarterback, and the club believes he has what it takes to be an NFL coach.
But the fact that he had no coaching experience of any kind led the Eagles to move in a different direction.