Latest On Lions’ GM Search
The Lions announced on Thursday that they’ve established an advisory board to lead the search for a new general manager, while continuing to consult with the league’s career development advisory panel. That panel has met twice already and will meet twice more before the end of the season, but Tom Pelissero of USA Today has already learned the identities of five of the leading candidates.
According to Pelissero, some of the early frontrunners are Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard, Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, Jaguars director of player personnel Chris Polian, and Packers director of player personnel Eliot Wolf. All five executives have been linked to the job in one fashion or another, though many have speculated that the Lions will not be able to lure Wolf away from Green Bay, where he is thought to be the heir apparent to the GM job. Ballard and DeCosta, two highly-respected NFL execs, were on last year’s list cultivated by the panel. The Jets used the panel last year to make their hire of Mike Maccagnan, who was then the Texans’ director of college scouting.
On Thursday afternoon, the Lions hired Rod Wood as the team’s new president, taking over the position previously held by Tom Lewand. Wood, of course, will be an integral part of the team’s advisory board to find its next GM. That group also includes owner Martha Firestone Ford and the team’s board of directors and vice chairmen, all of whom are members of the Ford family.
Jaguars Place Sen’Derrick Marks On IR
WEDNESDAY, 3:21pm: The Jaguars officially placed Marks on IR today, one of several roster moves announced by the team. Jacksonville also placed rookie safety James Sample on IR, and used the two open spots to promote safety Craig Loston from the practice squad and to activate wide receiver Rashad Greene from IR-DTR.
TUESDAY, 12:23pm: The Jaguars will place defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks on the injured reserve list, ending his season, head coach Gus Bradley confirmed today (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com). Marks tore his triceps during Sunday’s win over the Ravens.
Marks, 28, has been one of Jacksonville’s most reliable and productive defenders in recent seasons, but has been plagued by injuries within the last year. At the end of an impressive 2014 campaign that saw him rack up 8.5 sacks, Marks tore his ACL, delaying his 2015 debut. The former second-round pick managed to appear in just four games for the Jags this season before going down with another significant injury.
While the Jaguars got bad news on Marks, another key contributor returned to practice today, according to Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union. Wide receiver Allen Hurns paid another visit to a sports hernia specialist on Monday, but despite battling an abdominal injury and a foot ailment, he looks like a good bet to be active against the Titans this Thursday.
Per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter), Hurns said today that he may undergo sports hernia surgery after the season. There had been some speculation on Monday that the wideout may need to have such a procedure sooner, sidelining him during the season.
Suspensions Of Ace Sanders, LaRon Landry Lifted
The NFL has lifted the suspensions of safety LaRon Landry and wide receiver Ace Sanders, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Both players are free agents and free to sign with any team.
Sanders, who was released by the Jaguars in July, was hit with a ten game suspension for a violation of the substance abuse policy in August. A summer report indicated that teams including the Seahawks, Dolphins, and Lions had interest in Sanders, but his suspension obviously kept a deal from happening. Sanders, 24, had a decent rookie season in 2013, hauling in 51 balls, though he only averaged 9.5 yards per catch and reached the end zone just once. The South Carolina product wasn’t a major part of the Jaguars’ offense last season, after the team used multiple 2014 draft picks to add receiving help. He saw just seven targets in 2014, earning most of his playing time on special teams, where he returned 32 punts, averaging 7.1 yards per return.
Landry, 31, was suspended ten games for ostensibly violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs for a second time. Landry, a former sixth overall pick, signed a four-year deal with the Colts in 2013, which guaranteed him $11MM in his first season. However, his two seasons in Indianapolis were marred by injuries, underwhelming play, and a PED suspension which cost him four games in 2014.
Injury Updates: Bradford, L. Jones, Jaguars
While Peyton Manning‘s torn plantar fascia was probably the biggest injury news of the day, since it’ll lead to a Brock Osweiler start for the Broncos in Week 11, it’s hardly the only notable Monday injury update. Here are a few more:
- Based on initial tests, Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, who sustained a concussion and a left shoulder injury, is expected to miss at least one game, and potentially two, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Philadelphia is scheduled to play on Thanksgiving afternoon in Week 12, so Bradford won’t have a full second week to recover if he aims to play in that game.
- Rapoport also provides another QB injury update, tweeting that Steelers signal-caller Landry Jones has a “pretty severe” low ankle sprain. Pittsburgh has a bye this week, but Michael Vick looks likely to back up Ben Roethlisberger for the team’s next game.
- Lions head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters today that cornerback Josh Wilson suffered a “significant” knee injury, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link). Detroit has yet to make a roster move involving Wilson, but it sounds like his season might be over.
- Jaguars defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks has been diagnosed with a torn triceps, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links). That’s typically a season-ending injury, though O’Halloran notes that Marks is getting a second opinion before Jacksonville makes any definitive decisions.
- O’Halloran adds (via Twitter) that surgery for a sports hernia may be in play for Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns, who would be sidelined for four to six weeks if he underwent that procedure. Hurns is visiting a specialist this week to assess the extent of his abdominal injury.
- Titans defensive tackle Al Woods has a high ankle sprain, and will be out for a few weeks, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link).
AFC South Notes: LeBeau, Jaguars, Griffin
With Ken Whisenhunt now out of the picture in Tennessee, it’s not clear whether the Titans will retain defensive assistant Dick LeBeau beyond this season, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Titans interim CEO and president Steve Underwood said last week that he’d like to see the team target a “great offensive mind” in its search for a permanent head coach, suggesting that the defense would be in fine shape with LeBeau at the helm.
However, LeBeau initially joined the Titans in large part due to his relationship with Whisenhunt, and his contract expires at the end of the 2015 season. As the 78-year-old himself observes, there’s no guarantee that a new head coach wouldn’t want to bring in his own assistants.
While we wait to see whether LeBeau is one-and-done in Tennessee, let’s check in on some other items from out of the AFC South….
- The Jaguars had former 49ers running back Kendall Hunter in for a tryout this week, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Hunter, who has seen his NFL career derailed by injuries in recent years, was removed from Sam Francisco’s injured reserve list in September with a settlement, making him a free agent.
- Texans tight end Ryan Griffin, who was placed on injured reserve with the designation to return after Week 1, should be able to play Monday against the Bengals, head coach Bill O’Brien told reporters today (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). Griffin, who is returning from an MCL injury, would need to be activated to the 53-man roster by Monday afternoon to play this week.
- Per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link), Titans cornerback Jason McCourty is weighing the possibility of undergoing another procedure on his troublesome groin. Another surgery may be a season-ender for McCourty, who could also attempt to rehab the injury.
Workout Notes: Pats, Saints, Seahawks
Earlier tonight, we learned that the Ravens hosted former Browns first-round pick Phil Taylor for a workout on Tuesday. However, he wasn’t the only notable NFL veteran auditioning today. Here’s a roundup of today’s workouts from around the league:
- The Patriots worked out running back Daryl Richardson on Tuesday, a source tells PFT (on Twitter). Richardson, 25, was dropped from the Texans’ practice squad earlier this month. He appeared in 24 games for the Rams between the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
- The Saints worked out cornerbacks Bradley Fletcher and Chris Owens as well as wide receivers Aldrick Robinson and Greg Salas, Howard Balzer of USA Today tweets.
- Tight end Chase Coffman tried out for the Seahawks, Balzer tweets.
- The Jaguars tried out offensive linemen Kadeem Edwards and Xavier Proctor, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
Sunday Roundup: Hardy, L. McCown, Welker
As this week’s games get underway in full force, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:
- Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times, citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reports that the Buccaneers put together a contract structure for Greg Hardy that the Cowboys ultimately mirrored, but Tampa Bay’s contract was contingent on the club meeting with Hardy for evaluation. Once it became clear that such a meeting was not possible, the Bucs pulled the offer (Twitter links).
- Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune writes that Saints backup quarterback Luke McCown will get a second opinion on his back injury this week, but Terrell’s source indicates that McCown will likely require season ending surgery. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the news is fairly significant, as New Orleans has never had to rely on a rookie to back up Drew Brees.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that free agent wide receiver Wes Welker is still waiting for his phone to ring, and that he has passed both physicals he has taken this year. He wants to play for a contender, and he has instructed his agent to reach out again to the teams on his list to see if there is a fit.
- ESPN’s Jane McManus tweets that the NFL’s investigation into Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel‘s recent encounter with police is expected to conclude this week. McManus notes that the police report and various witness testimony have complicated the investigation.
- Although there was more league-wide effort to make a deal prior to this year’s trade deadline than in seasons past, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that only one trade was made because the demand from sellers was too great. The Browns and 49ers in particular asked for compensation that rival executives believed was unreasonable.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a detailed look at the 2016 wide receiver free agent class and the types of contracts some of the bigger names in the class can expect to land. Fitzgerald says the best player on that list, Alshon Jeffery, is better equipped to handle a franchise tag should the Bears go that route because he is so young and the tag will not impact the way teams view his future as long as he remains healthy.
- ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the Jaguars are likely to part ways with Toby Gerhart at season’s end.
- Likewise, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com believes Jon Beason has played his last game for the Giants (Twitter link).
NFL Mailbags: Titans, Panthers, Lions
It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s check out some of the more interesting notes, with a cameo from Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com…
- Wyatt wonders if Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt may have lost the lockerroom after having gone 3-20 over the past season-plus. The writer also believes the team may have felt more pressure playing under their former coach, and he wouldn’t be shocked to see a more relaxed squad this weekend.
- If the Panthers could only afford to keep one dynamic defender, David Newton would pick defensive tackle Kawann Short over cornerback Josh Norman. However, the writer is confident that the organization will be able to retain both players.
- The pair may be naturally connected, but Mike DiRocco believes Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles is already better than 49ers signal-caller (and former Jaguars QB) Blaine Gabbert. The biggest difference for the writer is Bortles’ poise in the pocket.
- If Brian Xanders was going to be considered as a candidate to be the next Lions general manager, Michael Rothstein writes that the Senior Personnel Executive would have been given the interim role.
AFC South Notes: Texans, Titans, Mariota
Through eight weeks of the NFL season, AFC South teams have a combined 9-21 record, with five of those wins coming in intra-divisional contests. The dismal division-wide performance has Texans owner Bob McNair looking at the silver lining of Houston’s disappointing first half as his team heads into its bye week, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com.
“We knew our offense was not going to be a high-powered offense, but we felt our defense would be one of the top-five defenses, and we’ve been far from that,” McNair said, speaking to KRIV and the Houston Chronicle. “The good news is that this is a new season, and we’re tied for first. The Colts have to play Denver next week, and we might be in first place by ourselves.”
As the Texans hope that a week off will move them into the AFC South’s top spot, let’s check on a few more items from across the division….
- Titans wide receiver Harry Douglas has nothing but positive things to say about new interim head coach Mike Mularkey, telling Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com that the former Falcons offensive coordinator is one of the main reasons he signed with Tennessee.
- Mularkey got some good news as he prepares for his first game as the Titans‘ head coach, telling reporters today that Marcus Mariota will start at quarterback this week for the club (Twitter link via Wyatt).
- Here’s one more from Wyatt, who spoke to Titans GM Ruston Webster about Mularkey, former head coach Ken Whisenhunt, and retooling Tennessee’s offensive line, among other topics.
- A Sunday date with Peyton Manning and the Broncos is right around the corner for the Colts, so Mike Wells of ESPN.com revisits Indianapolis’ decision to part ways with Manning three years ago, concluding it remains the right call for the franchise.
- The city of Jacksonville and Jaguars owner Shad Khan have announced $90MM in planned upgrades for EverBank Field, according to an Associated Press report.
Workout Notes: Saints, Seahawks, Jaguars
Today’s workouts from around the NFL..
- The Jets worked out defensive end Lawrence Okoye, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. Okoye, a former University of Kentucky discus hurler, had previous stops with the 49ers and Cardinals.
Earlier updates:
- The Saints tried out John Conner and Henry Hynoski, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. New Orleans already has a fullback on the roster in Austin Johnson, but he was a surprise scratch on Sunday and he may have fallen out of favor with coaches. Conner, nicknamed the Terminator, was a favorite of Rex Ryan while with the Jets. Conner followed Ryan to Buffalo in 2015, but he was let go before the start of the season. Hynoski, a four-year veteran, spent his full career with the Giants and appeared in every game last year.
- The Seahawks had ten players in for tryouts on Monday, including running back Isaiah Pead and defensive end Lawrence Okoye, a source tells Florio. Linebacker John Lotulelei, tackle Jesse Davis, guard Taylor Boggs, defensive end Keith Browner, guard Kadeem Edwards, defensive end Efe Obada, and defensive end DeAngelo Tyson were also showing their stuff for Seattle.
- The Jaguars brought in kickers Zach Hocker and Randy Bullock for a workout on Wednesday, but Josh Scobee was not among those in attendance, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- In addition to their previously reported look at Jeff Demps, the Jets tried out running back Akeem Hunt on Tuesday, a league source tells Florio. Wide receiver Larry Pinkard also got a look from Gang Green. Chris Ivory is dealing with tightness in his quad, so the Jets might opt to add a running back if he needs to sit out for a while.
- The Browns recently worked out cornerbacks Bill Bentley, Chase Casey, Al Louis-Jean, and Robert Steeples, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Cardinals worked out Emmanuel Acho, James Anderson and Ja’Gared Davis, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Falcons worked out Mike Gillislee and Devin Wylie, Wilson tweets.
- The Panthers worked out Andrew Miller, Wilson tweets.
- The Jets worked out wide receiver Larry Pinkard, Wilson tweets.
- The Steelers worked out Dwight Bentley and Montell Garner, Wilson tweets.
- The Raiders worked out Dyshawn Davis, Wilson tweets.
- The Saints worked out Jeff Luc, Patrick Scales, Jason Williams, and Christian Yount, Wilson tweets.
- The Packers worked out Justin Anderson, Curtis Grant, and Ronald Powell, Wilson tweets.
- The Colts worked out Sean Baker, Matt Daniels, outside linebacker Mike McAdoo, and Dreamius Smith, Wilson tweets.