Skip Peete Will Remain Rams' RB Coach
- The Eagles hired Mike Groh as their wide receivers coach, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Groh served as the Rams’ wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator in 2016, and he also worked as the Bears’ wide receivers coach from 2013-2015. Alshon Jeffery‘s best seasons came with Groh as his position coach, and in his one season with the Rams, Groh oversaw Kenny Britt‘s first 1,000-yard season (both Britt and Jeffery are eligible for unrestricted free agency this year, and Philadelphia needs wide receiver help in a big way). The 45-year-old Groh has an extensive college coaching resume, working as the quarterbacks coach for Louisville, the wide receivers coach for Alabama, and the wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, and offensive coordinator for Virginia.
- Skip Peete will remain the Rams‘ running backs coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Peete was hired as the team’s running backs coach last year after serving in that same capacity for the Raiders, Cowboys, and Bears.
McVay, Rams Have Interest in Redskins Coach Aubrey Pleasant
- Keim writes that the Redskins want to hang on to assistant defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant, noting that Sean McVay has had interest in bringing his former co-worker to the Rams. Pleasant played a significant role in helping former wideout Quinton Dunbar transition to a defensive back.
[SOURCE LINK]
Rams Lure Broncos Assistant DBs Coach
- Broncos assistant defensive backs coach Samson Brown will follow Wade Phillips to and become part of the Rams‘ defensive staff, Marvez tweets. The Broncos are bringing Johnnie Lynn aboard to replace him, per Marvez. Lynn worked with new Denver DBs coach Marcus Robertson with the Raiders.
Rams Could Hire Aubrey Pleasant
- Redskins assistant defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant is likely to join ex-Washington offensive coordinator and now-Rams head coach Sean McVay‘s staff in Los Angeles, tweets Sporting News’ Alex Marvez. However, a deal isn’t done yet, notes Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The Redskins want to retain Pleasant, who just finished his fourth season with the club.
Rams Expected To Make Front Office Hires
The Rams opted to retain Les Snead as general manager, but the club is expected to make other changes in their front office structure. Los Angeles COO Kevin Demoff said today the Rams are likely to make several new executive hires in the coming weeks, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com.
[RELATED: Rams Hire Greg Olson As QBs Coach]
“We need to make sure we deliver on the rest of that analysis, which is how we get better as an organization,” Demoff said. “I think it would be disingenuous to stand up there in December and say we all need to improve, and then not make any changes outside of the coaching staff. I think that would ring hollow. So, we’re going to continue to evaluate. And I would expect that we will make additions to our front office to try to make sure that we field the best possible team that we can field.”
Los Angeles has made a number of changes to its coaching staff — including hiring head coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips — but thus far has yet to alter its front office, as Taylor Morton (player personnel), Ran Carthon (pro personnel), and Brad Holmes (college scouting) have remained in their roles. The Rams might not have much competition for executives, as the 49ers are currently the only club searching for a new general manager.
Rams To Hire Greg Olson As QBs Coach
Greg Olson seemed like a lock to become the Bills’ next offensive coordinator, but they’re going to have to look elsewhere. Olson is on his way to the Rams to serve as their quarterbacks coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
In Los Angeles, Olson will reunite with newly minted head coach Sean McVay. The two previously worked together in Tampa Bay and will now exert heavy influence over the development of young signal-caller Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft. Olson has plenty of experience tutoring quarterbacks as both a position coach and coordinator. He has been part of several staffs, including the Rams’ (2006-07), since his NFL coaching career began in 2001.
Olson was most recently a coordinator in Jacksonville, where QB Blake Bortles hasn’t quite panned out since going third overall in 2014. Thanks in part to that, Olson lost his job with the Jaguars last October.
In rejecting the Bills for the Rams, Olson turned down “much more” money, per Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Staying in close proximity to his family was a motivating factor, Carucci adds (Twitter links).
When Brad Childress exited the race for the Bills’ O-coordinator role Tuesday, it appeared Olson would land the job. The Bills even hired one of Olson’s previous offensive assistants, running backs coach Kelly Skipper, on Wednesday. But it turns out he’ll serve under someone else in Buffalo. That could be Packers quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, tweets CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. Van Pelt was a longtime backup QB with the Bills and had a stint as their OC in 2009.
Rams Could Hire Aaron Kromer As OC
- The possibility of longtime NFL assistant Aaron Kromer serving as Rams head coach Sean McVay‘s offensive coordinator is “getting stronger,” tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. McVay wants someone with an O-line background to fill the role, and Kromer has plenty of experience in that regard. He has overseen the lines in Oakland, New Orleans and Buffalo, and has also been an offensive coordinator in Chicago.
NFLPA Announces Cap Carryover Amounts
The NFL Players Association has announced all 32 teams’ salary cap carryover amounts for the 2017 season (Twitter link). Next season’s cap figure isn’t yet known, but it’s likely to be in the $165MM range. When that becomes official, it can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that club’s official spending room for 2017.
Here are this year’s carryover totals:
- Cleveland Browns: $50,123,269
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $39,314,310
- San Francisco 49ers: $38,708,916
- Tennessee Titans: $24,046,522
- Washington Redskins: $15,055,131
- Carolina Panthers: $13,208,020
- Miami Dolphins: $8,363,708
- Chicago Bears: $8,103,197
- Oakland Raiders: $8,000,000
- Green Bay Packers: $7,984,687
- Philadelphia Eagles: $7,933,869
- Denver Broncos: $7,243,248
- Indianapolis Colts: $6,614,106
- Cincinnati Bengals: $6,578,866
- New Orleans Saints: $5,754,000
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $5,330,779
- New England Patriots: $5,292,335
- Kansas City Chiefs: $5,002,168
- Houston Texans: $4,935,924
- Detroit Lions: $4,725,644
- Arizona Cardinals: $4,405,068
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $3,269,367
- Buffalo Bills: $2,837,222
- Baltimore Ravens: $2,553,126
- Dallas Cowboys: $2,401,553
- Seattle Seahawks: $2,065,865
- New York Giants: $1,800,000
- Atlanta Falcons: $926,541
- Minnesota Vikings: $400,184
- New York Jets: $371,487
- Los Angeles Rams: $304,311
- Los Angeles Chargers: $113,693
Latest On Redskins’ Offensive Staff
Redskins offensive line coach Bill Callahan has come up as a possibility to fill the vacant O-coordinator positions with both Washington and the Rams, but he’s uninterested in leaving his current role.
“It’s not that he’s dismissive of an opportunity to, at some point in time, become a coordinator,” agent Bob LaMonte told Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. “But at this time, he’s not interested because he’s enjoying the players he works with and enjoying working for Jay (Gruden).”
Callahan, 60, has already been a coordinator with the Raiders (1998-2001) and the Cowboys (2012-14). After leaving Dallas, he took over the Redskins’ offensive line and is now coming off a season in which the unit allow the fourth-fewest sacks in the NFL (23) and sent two players – left tackle Trent Williams and right guard Brandon Scherff – to the Pro Bowl. Callahan’s line also finished the season as Football Outsiders’ sixth-ranked front five and Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best group.
With Callahan not open to taking the place of ex-Redskins O-coordinator and now-Rams head coach Sean McVay, it’s now even likelier than before that quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh will become Gruden’s top offensive assistant, according to Clarke. Tight ends coach Wes Phillips is also in the mix, but he could join his father, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, on McVay’s staff in Los Angeles.
Cavanaugh has been in charge of the Redskins’ signal-callers since 2015, Kirk Cousins‘ breakout year. He was formerly a coordinator with the Bears and Ravens.
2017 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $1.8MM in 2017. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2017 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Aaron Lynch, LB; Marcus Martin, OL
Bears: Charles Leno, T; Will Sutton, DT
Bengals: Russell Bodine, C
Bills: Preston Brown, LB; Seantrel Henderson, T
Broncos: Michael Schofield, OL
Browns: Christian Kirksey, LB
Buccaneers: Kevin Pamphile, G
Cardinals: John Brown, WR
Chiefs: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, G; Zach Fulton, G; Phillip Gaines, CB
Colts: Donte Moncrief, WR
Cowboys: Anthony Hitchens, LB
Falcons: Devonta Freeman, RB
Giants: Devon Kennard, LB
Jaguars: Aaron Colvin, CB; Brandon Linder, G; Telvin Smith, LB
Lions: Nevin Lawson, CB; Travis Swanson, C
Packers: Corey Linsley, C; Richard Rodgers, TE
Panthers: Tre Boston, S; Trai Turner, G
Raiders: T.J. Carrie, CB; Justin Ellis, DT; Gabe Jackson, G
Rams: Maurice Alexander, S; E.J. Gaines, CB
Redskins: Bashaud Breeland, CB; Spencer Long, G; Morgan Moses, T
Texans: C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE; Andre Hal, S
Titans: DaQuan Jones, DL; Avery Williamson, LB
Vikings: Shamar Stephen, DT