Extra Points: Luck, Chiefs, Mariota
Let’s take a look at some interesting notes as we wrap up this Pro Bowl Sunday:
- Reports have suggested that the Colts will make their star quarterback Andrew Luck the highest-paid player in the NFL, but Luck hasn’t had a chance to worry about his contract as of yet, writes Stephen Holder of IndyStar.com. “There’s nothing there right now,” Luck said. “I didn’t think about it all during the season and it’s only been a few days since it ended. I haven’t thought about it. I will have conversations with my agent just because you have to prepare, but I’m not sure where that report came from.”
- The Chiefs will need to address a number of weaknesses this offseason if they have any hope of getting back to the playoffs in 2015. Their top priorities will be across the offensive line and at wide receiver. Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star highlights seven potential free agents that could come in and have an immediate impact. He chooses four offensive lineman the team could target, as well as receivers Randall Cobb and Jeremy Maclin to end the infamous “consecutive weeks without a touchdown to a wide receiver” streak.
- The speculation on whether Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston will be the first quarterback selected in the 2015 NFL draft will undoubtedly dominate that part of the offseason, but Chris Mortensen of ESPN painted a picture that had the Buccaneers taking Mariota first overall, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Mortenson connected the dots between Mariota and Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, under whom Mark Helfrich began his career in offensive coaching. He also referenced Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian’s history running the spread offense.
- ESPN put together an evaluation of the rosters of all 30 NFL teams that missed the Super Bowl this year, with the goal of finding out how far away their rosters are from realistic Super Bowl contention. Using Pro Football Focus player grades for the 2014 season, the list ranks every team based on how many above average players they need to add (or develop) before having enough to field a team strong enough to win its conference. ESPN’s report places the Cowboys as the closest to the Super Bowl, and place the Jaguars furthest away.
49ers, Rams To Interview Chudzinski For OC
Colts offensive assistant Rob Chudzinski will make himself available for interviews starting on Tuesday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Chudzinski is expected to be in the running to fill a vacancy at offensive coordinator for some team.
Both the 49ers and Rams are at the top of the list of teams that have expressed interest in speaking with Chudzinski. He is likely considered a finalist with both organizations. While the Colts initially blocked Chudzinski from interviewing, his contract with the Colts expires sometime next week, and he will be free to pursue other coaching opportunities.
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is very high on the former Browns head coach, and if he decides to stay with the team he could be in position for an increased role in 2015.
Chudzinski started in the NFL as a tight ends coach for the Browns, eventually serving in the same role with the Chargers during the breakout career of Antonio Gates. Chudzinski also served as offensive coordinator with the Browns and Panthers before taking the Browns head coaching job in 2013.
He only lasted one season as the Browns head coach, going 4-12 before being fired and replaced by Mike Pettine. He then joined the Colts as a special assistant to the head coach. Chudzinski had previously worked with Pagano while coaching on the staff for the University of Miami between 1995 and 2000.
Colts Favorites To Land Duron Carter
The Colts “appear to have the edge” in landing highly-coveted CFL star Duron Carter, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. PFR”s Luke Adams pointed out on Friday that Carter was down to two finalists and posited that the Browns had fallen out of contention. Holder confirms that speculation, writing that the Vikings are the “other team to watch” in the Carter sweepstakes but making no mention of Cleveland whatsoever.
Carter’s story has been well-documented, and Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report published a detailed piece several days ago describing Carter’s fall from burgeoning star at Ohio State to a player that no NFL club wanted even as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Since then, however, Carter has resurrected his career after excelling with the Montreal Alouettes in back-to-back seasons, displaying the type of athleticism and natural ability that can make an NFL executive’s mouth water.
Since the end of the CFL season, Carter has been auditioning for a number of NFL clubs, finally concluding his workouts last week. It was not long ago that the Vikings were considered the favorite to sign Carter, but it was later revealed that Minnesota was not the top bidder for Carter’s services, and now Indianapolis appears to have taken the lead. The Colts, of course, have been in the mix all along, and we learned back in November that the imminent departure of Reggie Wayne, combined with GM Ryan Grigson‘s willingness to take chances, Grigson’s connections with the CFL, and Indianapolis’ history of gambling on players with “baggage” suggested that Carter may soon be playing his home games in Lucas Oil Stadium.
One thing that has rarely been discussed in the myriad articles discussing where Carter might land and what he might bring to the table is the type of deal he might command. As Holder points out, financial details will of course play a role in Carter’s decision, but it is unclear what those details might be. Holder does note that Carter, who amassed 1,939 receiving yards during his two years in Montreal, does have personal relationships with current Colts Jonathan Newsome and Trent Richardson, but Minnesota also holds the attraction of being the place where Carter’s father, Cris, resurrected his own career and became a Hall-0f-Famer.
Per a CFL-NFL agreement, Carter cannot sign with an NFL club until February 10, but when he is eligible to sign, the smart money appears to be on the Colts.
Extra Points: Luck, Vikings, Pro Bowl
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Saturday evening…
- We heard earlier this week that the Colts were preparing a “blockbuster mega deal” for franchise quarterback Andrew Luck. That was apparently news to the former first-overall pick, as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets that Luck was surprised about the inquiries regarding an extension. As a result, Holder believes a new contract is not “imminent.”
- Colts linebacker Andrew Jackson was arrested in Kentucky early Friday morning, reports Sabrina Adams of Fox 59 in Indy. The rookie was reportedly taken in for “careless driving and suspicion of DUI.”
- The Vikings have struggled since their Super Bowl run in 2009, making the playoffs just once. However, general manager Rick Spielman is happy with the progress his players have made. “Our team got older when we went through our Super Bowl run when we had Brett Favre and I knew we had to get younger,” Spielman said told Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. “That takes some time, and we’ve been able to accomplish that over the last couple of years and with the number of draft picks that we had. Now you’re hoping that those guys would develop and some of those guy are developing into pretty good football players for us. That cycle will be hopefully the guys that we extend and keep around for a while.”
- The Pro Bowl is coming back to Hawaii. According to Gll Brandt of SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Dan Leberfeld JetsConfidential.com on Twitter), the league’s All-Star game will return to the Aloha State for the next three seasons. The 2014 Pro Bowl will take place at the same site as the Super Bowl, the University of Phoenix Stadium.
AFC Links: Browns, Phillips, Williams, Jets
New Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo did not study quarterback Johnny Manziel before accepting the position in Cleveland, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“I’ll be honest with you. I’m going to be flat out honest with you because it’s the only way I know how to be. I have not. I’ve not watched the games from last year with Johnny. Obviously, I studied Johnny coming out of college and spent some time with Johnny,” said DeFilippo. “I wouldn’t say it was a lot of time, but I spent some time with Johnny. He flew out to Oakland and spent a day with him. Can you get an overview on a guy in one day? No, but you can get a grasp of what he thinks and how he’s feeling and those things. I got along with Johnny when we met with him, but I can’t tell you that I’ve watched the games yet. No, I have not.”
This could mean DeFilippo is not convinced that Manziel will be the quarterback of the future in Cleveland. That point is only further confirmed when he admitted during his pressure that the quarterback situation is still in flux. “We’re not sure if our starting quarterback is in the building right now or not,” said DeFilippo. “If he is that’s great. If he’s not, that’s great too.”
Here are some more links from around the AFC:
- The Browns are pursuing former journeyman quarterback Steve Walsh to be their new quarterbacks coach, writes Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1. Walsh has been coaching high school football for the past six years, but has turned down a number of opportunities to coach at a higher level.
- The Broncos are still looking for a defensive coordinator, and one possibility could be former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips, writes Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). Phillips served as the Texans defensive coordinator for three years under new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, and the two could reunite in Denver.
- The Broncos have not hired a defensive coordinator, but they have hired Bill Kollar as their defensive line coach, according to USA Today. Kollar spent the last six years coaching the defensive line for the Texans.
- The Jets have a pressing need a cornerback, and new GM Mike Maccagnan will have a number of options to improve the position, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He writes they could go after Antonio Cromartie or Byron Maxwell in free agency, but an intriguing prospect in the draft could be Quinten Rollins of the University of Miami (Ohio).
- Bills star pass rusher Mario Williams will be playing for a new defensive coordinator for the sixth straight year, writes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. With head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, the defense will switching back to a 3-4 base. Williams is excited to play outside linebacker. “I look forward to it,” he said. “So hopefully if (Ryan) hears this, this is my call-in: Will Linebacker. So hopefully it works out.”
- Colts pass rusher Robert Mathis is still recovering from a torn Achilles that forced him to miss all of 2014, but there is no guarantee he will be back in time for next season’s training camp, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. “He’s still in recovery,” said general manager Ryan Grigson. “He’s a freak and you hope that he has an athletic genetic freak type of recovery so that he’s ready day one of training camp. But that information is not clear yet or a timeline is not there because it’s a tough injury. Hopefully in a couple months from now, we’ll be able to have some information on that.”
Latest On Teams Still Seeking OCs
There’s been plenty of turnover among the offensive coordinator ranks around the NFL already this offseason, with about a third of the league’s franchies hiring new OCs so far — 10 teams have hired replacements for their old coordinators, while the Cowboys are technically the 11th to install a new OC, having given Scott Linehan the official title that Bill Callahan previously held.
As our coordinator search tracker shows, even after those 11 teams have made changes, there are still three clubs with vacancies at the position, though it’s possible only two of those clubs will actually make a hire. Here’s the latest on the three teams still without an offensive coordinator:
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners have already added one notable name to their offensive staff, hiring ex-Raiders interim coach Tony Sparano as their tight ends coach, but are still in need of a coordinator to oversee the offense. The club pursued former Broncos OC Adam Gase before he landed with the Bears, which leaves three candidates who have been linked to the club since the hiring of head coach Jim Tomsula: Mike Shanahan, Lane Kiffin, and Rob Chudzinski.
Shanahan’s name came up about a week ago, but he hasn’t received much buzz since then, and it looks to me as if Kiffin and Chudzinski are the favorites for the position. In fact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported over the weekend that Kiffin appeared to be the frontrunner. Since then, the Colts have rebuffed San Francisco’s attempt to speak to Chudzinski, which would seem to further solidify Kiffin as a top option, but we shouldn’t rule out the Colts assistant quite yet. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports (via Twitter) that Chudzinski’s contract with Indianapolis expires on Monday, at which point he’s expected to interview with the 49ers and Rams.
St. Louis Rams
As noted above, the Rams are expected to interview Colts assistant Rob Chudzinski when his contract with Indianapolis expires on Monday, and the fact that both San Francisco and St. Louis are willing to wait on Chudzinski suggests he’s a viable candidate for both clubs. Like the 49ers, the Rams had interest in Adam Gase and have been declined permission to speak to Chudzinski until now — St. Louis was also turned away when the team attempted to speak to Packers assistant Alex Van Pelt, and has seen a number of potential targets, including Greg Roman and Kyle Shanahan, land jobs with other clubs.
Still, the Rams did interview a candidate this week, in former Bills OC Nathaniel Hackett. Perhaps at this point Hackett is a top target by default, but a Thursday report indicated that the team may be comfortable promoting an in-house coach into the OC role. Tight ends coach Rob Boras and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti are viewed as strong candidates who are already on the staff, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who adds that Boras would probably get the nod over Cignetti if the Rams stay in house.
Houston Texans
The Texans didn’t have an offensive coordinator on staff in 2014, with head coach Bill O’Brien serving as the de facto OC. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier in the week that Houston could add an OC to the staff for 2015, but there has been no news on that front since La Canfora addressed the topic. The CBSSports.com scribe noted that Doug Marrone would be a strong candidate for such a position, so the fact that Marrone ultimately accepted a non-OC job in Jacksonville suggests the Texans may not be hiring an OC after all. Nonetheless, it’s a situation worth monitoring.
Draft Notes: QBs, Colts, Browns, Chiefs
Every NFL team hopes to find its franchise quarterback in the draft, but there’s also a risk that comes with selecting a high-profile signal-caller, as Connor Orr of NFL.com explains. “Everyone is fearful,” one NFC coach said of picking a QB high. “When they draft one, what if they make a mistake? It’s not going to work out too well. The GM, the coach and the quarterback are tied together.” Orr points to Geno Smith, whose failure, along with other mistakes, lead to ex-Jets general manager John Idzik’s firing. But regardless of the risk, the draft offers more promise than does the free agent QB market, where the top options are Mark Sanchez and Brian Hoyer, so clubs will presumably keep trying to hit on college quarterbacks. Here’s more news from the draft arena…
- The Colts spent a lot of time with Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony at the Senior Bowl, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. CBSSports.com ranks Anthony as the eighth-best inside linebacker available.
- The Browns seem to be set on improving their blocking up front, according to Pauline, who reports that Cleveland met with both Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet (link) and Delaware tight end Nick Boyle (link) at the Senior Bowl.
- Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett interviewed with the Chiefs, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). As Paylor adds, Dorsett excels at separating from defensive backs, a skill Kansas City could surely utilize.
- New Washington general manager Scot McCloughan says he’s interviewed “a ton” of NCAA prospects this week, and though he wouldn’t give an exact number, he did say that the staff spoke to prospects projected to go in the sixth round or higher, according to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (on Twitter).
AFC South Notes: Chudzinski, Texans, Jags
After blocking interview requests from the Rams and 49ers, assistant Rob Chudzinski could take on a greater role on the Colts‘ staff, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Head coach Chuck Pagano is very high on the former Browns head coach but La Canfora (link) is curious to see whether he re-signs with the club on January 31st when his contract expires of if he’ll seek opportunities elsewhere. More from the AFC South..
- One of the Texans‘ top priorities during the offseason will be re-signing their most prominent players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on March 10th, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Houston would like to retain cornerback Kareem Jackson, offensive tackle Derek Newton, and outside linebacker Brooks Reed, but if they’re unsuccessful, they’ll have to find replacements in free agency or the draft. Re-signing quarterback Ryan Mallett is another priority, even though the Texans are expected to pursue another QB who fits with what coach Bill O’Brien and quarterbacks coach George Godsey want to accomplish.
- The Jaguars are seeking a pass-rushing Leo defensive end and a run-stuffing, pass-rush threat at Otto linebacker, Hays Carlyon of The Florida-Times Union writes. Luckily for Jacksonville, it’s a good class for that. “It’s one of the best drafts I’ve seen recently for edge rushers,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “Some are 3-4 guys, some are 4-3 and some can do both. Some juniors that aren’t here are really gifted and will be at the top end. It’s one of the deepest outside linebacker/defensive end groups that we’ve seen in a while.” Louisville’s Lorenzo Mauldin, Oklahoma’s Geneo Grissom, Arkansas’ Trey Flowers, Missouri’s Markus Golden, and Norfolk State’s Lynden Trail could be of interest to the Jags.
- Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union looked at three defensive tackles that could appeal to the Jaguars in the draft.
South Notes: Saints, Wayne, Buccaneers
Years ago, Saints owner Tom Benson designated granddaughter Rita Benson LeBlanc as his handpicked successor. Tonight, he told Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune that he will instead transfer ownership of the city’s two major pro sports franchises (Saints and the NBA’s Pelicans) to his wife, Gayle, when he dies. As for LeBlanc, her offices at the teams’ Metairie headquarters recently have been vacated and her company-issued Mercedes-Benz and cell phone have been seized. More from the South divisions..
- Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne still isn’t sure if he’ll return for another season as Zak Keefer of the Indy Star writes. “Once I hit Nashville, I’ll figure out the rest,” the wide receiver said. “I’ll make my outline and go from there. I don’t have a plan. I’ve never had one. I just gotta make a couple phone calls, say a couple of prayers and see what route the good Lord sends me.” While it’s uncertain whether the Colts want the aging wideout back, Wayne reiterated on several occasions late in the season that he can’t imagine himself suiting up for any other team.
- The Saints are just two hours from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, but no member of the team’s coaching staff is in attendance to scout potential draft prospects, writes Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune. “He has his hands full in New Orleans,” Loomis said of head coach Sean Payton. “It’s just the normal activity that you would do,” Loomis said. “Sean felt like the staff would be better served to stay in New Orleans and work on those aspects as opposed to being here.”
- Heavy-hitting linebacker Denzel Perryman could be a target for the Buccaneers in this year’s draft, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The University of Miami standout, who is just shy of 5’11”, could potentially be in the mix for Tampa Bay at No. 34. Perryman is often knocked for his pass coverage skllls, but he says he’s determined to show off his improvement in that area.
Extra Points: Luck, Wilson, Ireland, Chudzinski
With Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson now eligible for extensions, there’s speculation that new high watermarks could be set for quarterback salaries and guarantees, but there’s also “major concern” among rival agents about negotiations for the two star signal-callers, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As Cole explains, both players are represented by fairly inexperienced agents — Wilson is repped by Mark Rodgers, primarily a baseball agent, while Luck’s uncle William Wilson reps the Indianapolis star.
These two deals are expected to have a significant trickle-down effect on future contracts for players at every position, not just for other quarterbacks. Wilson and Luck already have such impressive resumés that they should be in line for guarantees in excess of $50MM+ on their next contracts, rather than anything close to the limited guaranteed money that players like Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton accepted in their recent extensions, so fellow agents are hoping that neither Luck’s camp nor Wilson’s camp settles for a modest deal, lowering the bar for future extensions.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- After Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reported overnight (via Twitter) that former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland was expected to become the Saints’ college scouting director, general Mickey Loomis confirmed today to reporters that Ireland had indeed been hired to oversee the team’s college scouting process (Twitter links).
- Having reported earlier that the Colts were denying Rob Chudzinski permission to speak to teams about offensive coordinator jobs, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds an important piece of clarification (via Twitter): Chudzinski’s contract is set to expire in a week, at which point he’s free to interview anywhere, meaning he could still be in play for a team like the Bears, 49ers, or Rams.
- In addition to having their attempt to talk to Chudzinski rebuffed, the 49ers were denied permission to speak to Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph about their defensive coordinator opening, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Cincinnati also blocked the Broncos’ efforts to pursue Joseph for a DC job.
- According to Jason Fitzgerald’s projections at Over the Cap, the Patriots, Chiefs, and Bengals appear likely to land third-round compensatory picks in this year’s draft for losing Aqib Talib, Branden Albert, and Michael Johnson – respectively – in free agency a year ago. Fitzgerald also forecasts rookie pool amounts by team for 2015, with the Buccaneers’ rookie cap projected to exceed $8MM.
- While the Rams are often said to be “only” a quarterback away from contention, finding that QB isn’t exactly an easy task, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Wagoner passes along a number of quotes from Rams general manager Les Snead about the team’s quest to identify a long-term answer at the position.
- Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes a look at the upcoming offseasons for the league’s championship weekend losers, the Packers and Colts.