Cole’s Latest: Chip Kelly, Los Angeles, Colts
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has provided updates on a handful of notable stories, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights from his latest video reports….
- Chip Kelly has interest in the Titans‘ head coaching job and believes he should have opportunities around the league, possibly in Tennessee, Cleveland, or Miami, sources tells Cole (video link).
- About half of the NFL’s team owners – members of the Los Angeles committee, the finance committee, and the stadium committee – are scheduled to meet next week at the league’s New York offices to discuss possible relocation to L.A., according to Cole (video link). The Bleacher Report scribe hears that there’s a consensus building among owners that the Chargers are the favorite to get approval to relocate, but those owners remain unsure about what to do with the Rams and Raiders.
- With the Colts potentially preparing to move on from head coach Chuck Pagano, there are those in the organization who wonder whether Andrew Luck will have a strong opinion on who the team’s next head coach will be, says Cole (video link). Luck is entering the final year of his contract with the club, so as he considers signing a long-term extension with Indianapolis, it makes sense that he’d want to have some input on who will be coaching him.
AFC South Notes: Pagano, Colts, Titans
Head coach Chuck Pagano turned down a one-year extension from Colts owner Jim Irsay in the offseason that included a modest raise but he says that he has no regrets about that, as Amanda Rakes of CBS4 writes.
Pagano has had a rough year with Andrew Luck sidelined for a good portion of the season, but his ground-and-pound method hasn’t worked either, as Indianapolis is tied for 30th in both rushing yards (1,211) and per-carry average (3.6). The Colts have also been dismal through the air, coming in at 31st in yards per attempt (6.4) and 29th in rating (77.6).
Here’s more from out of the AFC South:
- It’s hard to pin down what Irsay’s offseason plans are for the Colts, but fans shouldn’t necessarily bet on general manager Ryan Grigson being let go, says Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
- A general manager change could be in the works in Tennessee, so Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com identifies some potential GM candidates the Titans could consider if they move on from Ruston Webster.
- Veteran safety Michael Griffin has spent nine years and 140 games with the Titans, but with his cap hit set to increase to $8.3MM in 2016, the second-highest charge on the team, he knows that his future in Tennessee is uncertain. Griffin spoke to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com about his situation, acknowledging that “there’s never a guarantee for next year.”
- If the Titans don’t re-sign Byron Bell, they could decide to select a tackle with their first overall pick, speculates Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Tennessee can secure the No. 1 pick with a Week 17 loss.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Colts Sign Josh Freeman, Ryan Lindley
4:07pm: The Colts have gotten back up to the 53-man roster limit by signing another quarterback, Ryan Lindley, the team announced in a press release. The move gives Indianapolis five signal-callers in total on its roster, including three healthy QBs, and gives the team another option for this Sunday.
2:39pm: The Colts have filled two openings on their 53-man roster, announcing today that they’ve signed quarterback Josh Freeman and promoted inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera from their practice squad. The team created two open spots on Monday by placing quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and guard Hugh Thornton on the injured reserve list, and created one more today by also sending linebacker Josh McNary to IR.
Since starting his career with the Buccaneers and then spending a little time in 2013 in Minnesota, Freeman has not appeared in a regular season game or even spent any real time on a club’s in-season roster. Most recently, he played for the Dolphins this summer and then joined the FXFL’s Brooklyn Bolts in the fall.
After working out for the Colts on Monday, Freeman becomes the second healthy quarterback on the roster, joining Stephen Morris. Assuming Andrew Luck and Matt Hasselbeck are unable to play this weekend, as is expected, either Freeman or Morris – who was signed off the Eagles’ practice squad last Thursday – will have to start for Indianapolis in its regular season finale.
We’ll have to wait and see whether Freeman gets a shot to play in Week 17, and if he’s a part of the Colts’ plans for 2016 at all.
Colts Place Whitehurst, Thornton On IR
The Colts have removed two key players from their 53-man roster, announcing today in a press release that quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and guard Hugh Thornton have been placed on the injured reserve list. The moves end their seasons, and create two openings on the Colts’ roster.
The Colts’ decision to move Whitehurst to IR after he sustained a groin injury is an interesting one. Matt Hasselbeck isn’t expected to be healthy enough to play in Week 17, which means the club currently has two options for its final game of the season — the starter will likely be either Andrew Luck, who hasn’t played since Week 9 and may not yet be cleared to return, or Stephen Morris, the only healthy QB on the roster, who was signed off the Eagles’ practice squad just four days ago.
The Colts are said to be working out free agent signal-caller Josh Freeman, but it’s highly unlikely that anyone from outside the organization would be signed to start right away. If Luck is unable to play in the club’s regular-season finale though, I’d expect Indianapolis to sign at least one more QB to the roster, whether it’s Freeman or someone else.
Thornton, 24, matched a career high with 12 starts this season for the Colts, but his season will come to an end a little early due to an ankle injury. Khaled Holmes took over for him on Sunday and is the favorite to start in his place in Week 17.
Josh Freeman Working Out For Colts
The Colts are bringing in former Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman for a workout, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Indianapolis may be in the market for a free agent QB, with most of the team’s in-house options battling some sort of injury.
The Colts’ still have an outside chance at earning a playoff berth, but several things would have to go right for the team, and that includes winning its Week 17 game against the Titans. With Andrew Luck having been on the shelf for a good chunk of the season, the club’s backup options are dwindling — Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Matt Hasselbeck has sustained a sprained AC joint, while Charlie Whitehurst suffered a hamstring injury. Despite having four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, the Colts may only have one (Stephen Morris) who is healthy enough to play, and he has been with the team for just four days.
Freeman, who turns 28 next month, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the Buccaneers. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012.
Since a brief 2013 stint in Minnesota, however, Freeman has bounced around from team to team, unable to find a permanent NFL home. Most recently, he spent some time with the Dolphins this summer and then played for the FXFL’s Brooklyn Bolts in the fall.
Considering how long it has been since Freeman played in an NFL game, the Colts are unlikely to sign him with an eye toward having him play on Sunday. But if he impresses in his audition, perhaps Freeman could be added to the club’s roster as an emergency backup for Week 17 and a potential option for 2016.
South Notes: Saints, Colts, Hoyer, Wright
Some inside the Saints organization view Drew Brees‘ contract as an albatross that’s hampered their ability to progress, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Conor Orr of NFL.com).
The Saints are over the cap going into the offseason for the second straight year and may have to part with more veterans as a result. Brees will be due a $30MM cap hold in 2016, a number that will likely be renegotiated if the soon-to-be-16th-year quarterback is to return for an 11th season in New Orleans.
The 36-year-old Brees enters the final year of the five-year, $100MM deal he inked in 2012.
Here are some more items from the Southern divisions during Week 16’s penultimate game.
- NFL executives aren’t ruling out Sean Payton going back on his word on returning to New Orleans for an 11th season, per Rapoport. A path out of the Big Easy for Payton is a potential trip to Los Angeles. Payton’s daughter attends USC, and Rapoport believes a union with Philip Rivers would make sense if the Chargers move north and opt not to bring back Mike McCoy for a fourth year.
- The Colts‘ pair of middle-aged starters appear to be heading in divergent directions, with Adam Vinatieri looking set to come back for a 21st season and Matt Hasselbeck appearing prepared to retire after his 18th year, Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star writes. Hasselbeck left a game due to injury for the fourth straight week. Both are free agents after the season, but Colts punter Pat McAfee insists the 43-year-old Vinatieri will suit up next season.
- Hasselbeck does not sound optimistic when referring to his chances at making another start this season, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. With the Colts almost certainly out of the playoff picture, Charlie Whitehurst or Stephen Morris could get the call in Week 17.
- Despite Brandon Weeden‘s surprising work keeping the Texans in front in the division, Bill O’Brien will go back to Brian Hoyer once the veteran is able to return from the concussion he suffered, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- Kendall Wright appears likely to be shut down for the Titans‘ Week 17 game against the Colts after the fourth-year wide receiver reinjured his MCL, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports. Wright left Sunday’s game in the first half when doctors determined he could endure a further setback by continuing to play on the injury that cost him three games in November. Wright’s set to enter his fifth-year option season in 2016 and will do so coming off by far his worst year as a pro.
Saints Notes: Brees, Payton, Benson
Let’s have a look at some Saints-related news that has come across the wire this morning, news that includes some of the biggest names in New Orleans:
- Drew Brees may be under contract through 2016, but according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Brees will not be back with the club next season unless he “takes a hometown discount.” As a result of the contract restructure that Brees and the Saints worked out in September, the veteran signal-caller will carry an exorbitant $30MM cap number in 2016–the highest in the league–so it was inevitable that the two sides would have to revisit Brees’ deal in the coming months. The team could reduce that cap number via an extension, but given the team’s uncertain future, a release or trade may be more likely options. As former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets, the term “hometown discount” is not in Brees’ agent Tom Condon’s vocabulary.
- Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that there is some frustration among the Saints brass that Brees “maximized his contract” when he inked a five-year, $100MM deal prior to the 2012 season, a contract that has limited the club’s roster flexibility. Needless to say, it is difficult to blame a player for accepting money that a team willingly offers him.
- Rapoport asked sources close to head coach Sean Payton whether Payton would leave New Orleans at the end of the season, and those sources told Rapoport “never say never” (Twitter link). Team executives believe Payton is searching for a potential landing spot in case his time with the Saints is, in fact, coming to an end, and Rapoport tweets that Payton himself has privately mentioned the Chargers as a possibility. Albert Breer of the NFL Network names the Colts and whatever team(s) that end up in Los Angeles as the most likely destinations (Twitter link).
- Meanwhile, if Payton does leave the Saints next year, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports believes Jaguars offensive line coach Doug Marrone could be the team’s top choice to replace him.
- Saints owner Tom Benson has announced that he has no intention of retiring or selling the Saints, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Benson has been involved in a bitter legal dispute with his estranged daughter and grandchildren since he announced plans in January to will control of the Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans to his third wife, Gayle Benson.
AFC Notes: Pagano, Manning, Jets
A look around the AFC:
- One of the reasons for the Colts’ offensive decline this season is head coach Chuck Pagano‘s mentality, a source told Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Pagano prefers a run-first, ball-control attack rather than a high-flying approach – a 180 in attitude for a team that led the NFL in passing yards in 2014. With Indianapolis having been without quarterback Andrew Luck for a large chunk of the year, it’s hard to fault Pagano for shying away from the passing game. However, his ground-and-pound method hasn’t worked, as Indy is tied for 30th in both rushing yards (1,211) and per-carry average (3.6). The Colts have also been dismal through the air, coming in at 31st in yards per attempt (6.4) and 29th in rating (77.6).
- Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak took in Peyton Manning‘s workout Saturday and subsequently offered some encouraging words on his injured quarterback. “It went really well,” Kubiak said, per Mike Klis of 9News. “He had a good week, worked really hard this morning. Well, he worked every morning, but worked out really hard this morning conditioning-wise and throwing-wise.” Manning, who hasn’t played since mid-November because of a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot, will miss the Broncos’ key game Monday against Cincinnati. There’s a small chance he could be healthy enough to play in Denver’s regular-season finale on Jan. 3. Of course, even if the 39-year-old is ready to come back by then or during the playoffs, there’s no guarantee he’ll take the starting job back from Brock Osweiler.
- The Jets will have important decisions to make over the next couple offseasons regarding three members of their dominant defensive line. Both Muhammad Wilkerson and Damon Harrison are free agents at the end of the season, and Sheldon Richardson‘s contract is up after the 2016 campaign. Don’t be surprised if all three are Jets for at least one more year, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Cimini expects Wilkerson to get the franchise tag, while he believes the team could lock up Harrison to a long-term deal worth roughly $4.5MM per annum. If the Jets enable Harrison to hit the open market, he’s likely to head elsewhere. Richardson has been mentioned in the past as a trade candidate, but the Jets are unlikely to move him because of his off-field legal issues. He could start next season suspended for as many as six games, which would significantly damage his trade value and deter the Jets from dealing him.
AFC Notes: Tipton, Wood, Mularkey
Before you call it a night on this Christmas, here are a few other stories circulating regarding AFC teams.
- The Colts waived running back Zurlon Tipton earlier this week, and unfortunately he has already found his way back into the news after being arrested for allegedly firing an assault rifle early this morning, according to Jill Disis of IndyStar.com. He was charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and released on bond. Tipton played most of the past two years with the Colts, including 18 carries and a touchdown during the team’s three playoff games last season.
- The Bills have had some problems in the locker room this season, specifically with Mario Williams and the defensive line criticizing Rex Ryan’s new gameplan and scheme defensively. However, center Eric Wood is disappointed the entire team hasn’t bought in, and despite all the losing, believes the team is moving in the right direction, writes Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News.“It’s tough,” Wood said. “But I’m by no means giving up on it. I feel like we had enough talent this year to make the playoffs and make a run at this thing. I think going into next year, I have a ton of confidence.”
- Titans interim head coach Mike Mularkey hasn’t had a ton of success since taking over in Tennessee, but he isn’t worried about coaching for a job in 2016, writes Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press. “Days are so full of things, I have to get ready for the games, and I don’t have a lot of time to sit and ponder and wonder,” Mularkey said. “Again, I’m trying to get this team to win these last two games. Whatever happens at the end happens. We’ll see then.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/15
Here are Christmas Eve’s minor moves from around the league:
- The Saints have made a change at the back of their 53-man roster, elevating wide receiver Seantavius Jones from their practice squad and releasing fullback Toben Opurum, per Field Yates of ESPN.com, via ESPN’s Mike Triplett. Triplett speculates that Jones’ promotion might not bode well for the availability of Marques Colston, who hasn’t practiced this week due to a chest injury.
- The Bengals have promoted cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris from their practice squad, cutting cornerback Troy Hill to create a spot on the roster, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Earlier updates:
- The Giants signed wide receiver Ben Edwards to take Odell Beckham‘s roster spot for this week, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reports. A rookie out of Richmond, Edwards was originally waived by the Giants on July 31 after he injured his hamstring.
- The Colts signed quarterback Stephen Morris off the Eagles’ practice squad and cut cornerback D’Joun Smith to make room, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). A former UDFA from Miami, Morris spent some of 2014 with the Jaguars before being claimed by the Eagles in September. With Andrew Luck and Matt Hasselbeck ailing, Indianapolis remains in need of healthy signal-callers.