La Canfora’s Latest: McDermott, Lions, Kroenke
Let’s take a look at some of the latest notes and observations from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:
- Both La Canfora and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com have delved into some of the most notable names who will be connected to head coaching vacancies this offseason. Rapoport mentions Bears OC Adam Gase, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, Jaguars offensive line coach Doug Marrone, and Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable as veterans of the head coaching interview circuit who will be generating plenty of buzz this offseason. Other less familiar candidates who have also piqued the interest of teams around the league include Panthers coordinators Mike Shula (offensive) and Sean McDermott (defensive), and Bills RB coach Anthony Lynn (all Twitter links). La Canfora explores the case for McDermott in more detail, noting that Carolina’s defense under McDermott’s watch has been among the league’s best for some time, but given the Panthers’ success this season, McDermott has been getting more attention around the league. La Canfora says it would not be a surprise if McDermott met with four to six teams during wildcard weekend, which is likely to be a bye week for the Panthers. Per La Canfora, a team that hires McDermott would do well to add current Chargers head coach Mike McCoy as its offensive coordinator. McCoy is rumored to be on his way out of San Diego at the end of the year, and he and McDermott share a “mutual admiration” for each other. The addition of McCoy would also help to alleviate concern regarding McDermott’s abilities on the offensive side of the ball.
- La Canfora also has a look at potential candidates for the Lions GM job, noting that the team may have difficulty courting some of its top choices given the questions concerning team ownership and the fact that new team president Ron Wood is an unknown commodity in football circles. However, the Lions’ resurgence in recent weeks, the talent on the roster, and the fact that the club has a history of “unwavering loyalty” to its front office executives could allow the team to nab a prized candidate. Those candidates include names like Seahawks pro personnel director Trent Kirchner, Packers player personnel director Eliot Wolf, Patriots director of pro scouting Bob Quinn, and Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta. Of those names, Quinn may be the most likely option, considering that Wolf and DeCosta are both fairly comfortable in their roles as GM-in-waiting for their current clubs, and Kirchner will be the top candidate for a number of teams.
- If Stan Kroenke‘s plan to move the Rams to Los Angeles falls though, La Canfora identifies several other options for the St. Louis owner. The league knows that if Kroenke loses out to the Chargers and Raiders in the race to LA, it would have to work actively to find other solutions for Kroenke, with London and Denver representing two such solutions. Kroenke–who remains focused on LA at the moment and has not actively considered any alternatives–has business interests in England and owns Premier League powerhouse Arsenal. Colorado, meanwhile, serves as Kroenke’s base, and his family owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. La Canfora’s sources indicate that Kroenke could purchase the Broncos at some point down the road–La Canfora writes that team ownership will be in flux when Pat Bowlen passes on–and sell the Rams to an investor looking to keep the team in St. Louis. However, Broncos Vice President of Public Relations Patrick Smyth took to Twitter shortly after La Canfora’s report, tweeting that the plan is to keep ownership of the Broncos in the Bowlen family.
Rams Sign Zach Hocker
4:39pm: To open up a spot on the roster for Hocker, the Rams have cut tight end Justice Cunningham, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
1:08pm: With Greg Zuerlein questionable to play in Sunday’s game against the Bengals, the Rams are signing free agent kicker Zach Hocker as an insurance policy, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Zuerlein has been battling a groin injury, and his availability for Sunday remains unclear.
Hocker, a seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft, earned his first starting job this year in New Orleans. However, the 24-year-old was a little shaky during his first six games as the team’s kicker, resulting in his release in October. Hocker missed four of his 13 field goal tries, including three from less than 50 yards, and failed to convert one of his extra-point attempts as well. After becoming a free agent, Hocker had workouts with the Jets, Jaguars, and Giants.
As for Zuerlein, even when he’s been healthy, he’s been up and down this season. The fourth-year veteran has missed eight field goals and an extra point in 10 games, and is converting a career-low 65.2% of his field goal attempts.
An injury is also forcing the Rams to make a change at a more important position, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that Nick Foles will return to the starting lineup with Case Keenum still recovering from a concussion. No roster move should be required at QB though, since Sean Mannion remains on the roster as a backup option.
Breer’s Latest: Cousins, Jets, L.A., London
After spending some time looking back on the long-time Tom Brady/Peyton Manning rivalry, which won’t get another installment this weekend, Albert Breer of the NFL Network surveys the rest of the NFL, and passes along a handful of noteworthy nuggets. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- Sources tell Breer that Washington and Kirk Cousins‘ representatives have engaged in “very preliminary” extension talks. However, both sides have acknowledged that those discussions are unlikely to really get serious until after the season.
- As Washington considers a long-term deal – or perhaps the franchise tag – for Cousins, the club needs to decide if he’s a franchise quarterback. Jay Gruden‘s assessment? “That’s what we need to find out,” the Washington head coach said. “The quarterback position, you gotta be consistent. And if there is a knock on Kirk, it’s that he played great here for a quarter or a half, and then he has a couple brain farts and throws a couple bad balls. He needs to be highly consistent over time. But arm talent-wise, leadership skill-wise, there’s no question he can be a very good quarterback for a long time. You just keep repping him, keep coaching him. Every week is different.”
- The Jets are seeing “years of shaky drafting” catch up to them, so GM Mike Maccagnan will have to figure out how to restock the roster this winter. According to Breer, there’s a good chance that Maccagnan will try to accumulate draft capital on the trade market — Muhammad Wilkerson would be an interesting chip if the club decides to use its franchise tag on him.
- With the Chargers, Rams, and Raiders – the three teams considering a move to Los Angeles – all struggling in recent weeks, it’s fair to wonder if one or more of those franchises will undergo overhauls this offseason, particularly if any relocate to Los Angeles. As Breer observes, there were four teams that relocated in the 1990s, and three of them fired their coaches at that time. Any club that moves to L.A. in 2016 would have to take a hard look at every aspect of its operation, particularly since the league as a whole “cannot afford to fail when it comes to Los Angeles,” as former Raiders exec Amy Trask tells Breer.
- One of the three games scheduled to be played in London in 2016 features the Rams and an unknown NFC East opponent for now, as the league waits to see how the standings will line up. As Breer explains, the move is designed to test how the U.K. fan base will react when it only knows one of the two teams, since tickets are set to go on sale next week.
NFC West Notes: Bailey, Tomsula, Kaepernick
Here’s a look at the NFC West:
Rams’ Stedman Bailey Shot In Head
3:28pm: According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Bailey continued to have “extensive surgery” this afternoon. The procedure was slated to be done about three hours ago, but doctors are continuing to try to help him recover.
WEDNESDAY, 12:43am: The Rams have issued a statement on Bailey, announcing that they have spoken the wideout, who is “in the hospital in critical, but stable, condition.” The club continues to gather facts about the situation and will provide further updates as they become available.
TUESDAY, 11:48pm: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Stedman was shot twice in the head while sitting in a car with two young relatives and his cousin. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter) that Bailey is conscious and will undergo “what could be extensive surgery.”
11:43pm: Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey has been involved in a shooting incident and sustained a head wound, reports Michael Silver of NFL.com (Twitter links). According to Silver, the injury is not believed to be life-threatening, but Bailey will undergo surgery on Wednesday morning.
Details on the incident are still unclear, but multiple players around the NFL have published tweets passing along their thoughts and prayers to Bailey, and the shooting has been confirmed by multiple outlets. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter links) says Bailey was shot in the hip as well as in the head, adding that the incident took place in South Florida, where the 25-year-old is from. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Rams are expected to release a statement soon.
Bailey, who turned 25 earlier this month, has been with the Rams since being selected in the third round of the 2013 draft. While he hasn’t played a huge role in the team’s offense, Bailey has been targeted 25 times this season, catching 12 balls for 182 yards and a touchdown. He is currently halfway through serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Extra Points: Rams, Randle, Mexico City
The NFL announced its 2016 lineup of London games today, and the Rams are one of three teams giving up a home game to play overseas. However, as Jacob Kirn of the St. Louis Business Journal writes, that would seem to violate the terms of the team’s lease with the Edward Jones Dome. Of course, the franchise’s future in St. Louis beyond this year remains up in the air, so it’s possible there will be no lease with dome in 2016 to violate.
For what it’s worth, the St. Louis stadium task force issued a statement today indicating that if the Rams were to enter discussions with the task force about the riverfront stadium proposal, then “we’re certain accommodations can be made for the Rams to play one game in London next season.” As is, this looks like just another small piece in a complicated Los Angeles puzzle.
Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends from around the NFL:
- Just three weeks after he was waived, former Cowboys running back Joseph Randle was arrested on Tuesday after an incident at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas. Randle, who had already been suspended by the NFL for a previous arrest, was charged with one felony and five misdemeanors, further reducing the possibility of him signing with a new team anytime soon. Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Morning News has the details on the incident, including the specific charges Randle is facing.
- The NFL’s three London games may not be the league’s only international contests during the 2016 regular season. Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), the league is working on a logistics issue relating to a possible Mexico City game, but is “well along” in the process, and there’s a good chance a November ’16 game will be scheduled at Azteca Stadium.
- While there have been proposals to push the NFL vote on Los Angeles further back, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links) says that’s unlikely to happen due to the league’s schedule release. As Farmer explains, forcing a late vote would risk get the moving team(s) off on the wrong foot in a challenging market.
- The Steelers didn’t open the 21-day practice window for tackle Mike Adams prior to Tuesday’s deadline, so his 2015 campaign is over before it began, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Adams started the year on the PUP list and would have had to begin practicing yesterday to have a chance at being activated this season. Instead, his contract is expected to toll, meaning he won’t reach unrestricted free agency.
West Notes: Lynch, Chargers, Fisher
Following up on a Sunday report, which indicated that Marshawn Lynch is visiting a specialist in Philadelphia about a possible sports hernia, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms that the Seahawks running back is believed to suffering from a sports hernia. If Dr. Williams Meyers, that Philadelphia specialist, agrees with that diagnosis, Lynch would likely undergo surgery immediately, and may miss the rest of the regular season.
It’s worth noting that Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns visited Dr. Meyers last week for an abdominal injury, and ultimately decided to put off possible sports hernia surgery until after the season, returning to action for Jacksonville last Thursday against the Titans. Of course, not every sports hernia injury is the same, and it’s possible Lynch’s will require more immediate attention, but we shouldn’t officially write off Beast Mode for the next few weeks quite yet.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:
- With the Chargers out of the 2015 playoff picture, it’s time for team chairman Dean Spanos to consider the club’s long-term prospects, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, who suggests that both head coach Mike McCoy and general manager Tom Telesco are on the hot seat in San Diego.
- McCoy must go, says Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Acee, who argues that the Chargers head coach should be relieved of his duties at season’s end, it means something that McCoy hasn’t lost the team this season, but “it just doesn’t mean enough.”
- Another head coach whose seat appears to be getting a little warmer is Jeff Fisher, writes Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. While the Rams haven’t enjoyed very strong quarterback play during Fisher’s tenure in St. Louis, it’s worth noting that Fisher pushed for the acquisition of Nick Foles, who was benched during the club’s current three-game losing streak, notes Garafolo.
- Within that same piece, Garafolo also addresses the Colin Kaepernick situation, indicating that sources close to Kaepernick were “adamant” that the 49ers quarterback didn’t consider his contract status when he made the decision to undergo shoulder surgery. Still, it could become a sticking point this offseason — Kaepernick’s 2016 salary is guaranteed for injury only until April 1, and while the Niners expect the QB to be able to pass a physical by then, those physicals are somewhat subjective. Kaepernick’s camp could cite other physicians with differing opinions and try to fight the team to get his salary guaranteed if he’s cut before April.
West Notes: Lynch, Washington, Manning
Marshawn Lynch will visit a specialist in Philadelphia, with a possible sports hernia injury, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Pete Carroll noted after Lynch missed the Seahawks‘ victory against the 49ers that injury hasn’t been ruled out, and such a diagnosis would shelve Lynch for a while.
The Seahawks appear to be in solid shape due to Thomas Rawls‘ presence, however, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio didn’t mince words when characterizing what the rookie’s 255-total-yard day means for the 29-year-old Lynch’s future in Seattle, saying the sixth-year Seahawk will not be back with the team for a seventh season due to the gulf between the backs’ contracts.
With a cap number of $11.5MM, Lynch would be the third-highest-paid Seahawk in his age-30 season. Should the Seahawks take Florio’s advice and turn their backfield over to 2015 UDFA Rawls, who’s slated to make $530K next year, Lynch’s recent extension which runs through the 2017 season contains $5MM worth of dead money going into next season.
Here’s some more news coming out of the Western divisions tonight.
- Former Cardinals Pro Bowl linebacker Daryl Washington continues to violate the terms of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Jay Glazer reported on Fox (as relayed by Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk). The 29-year-old Washington hasn’t played since Week 17 of the 2013 season due to his year-long suspension that hasn’t been revisited. Washington was scheduled to apply for reinstatement in March, and there are concerns his career is over.
- Rams starter Case Keenum sustained a concussion during the team’s loss to the Ravens today, but he continued to play, losing a fumble that led to Baltimore’s game-winning field goal, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. A Timmy Jernigan sack that didn’t count due to an offside penalty negating it did the damage, according to Jeff Fisher. Media learned of Keenum’s concussion only when informed by the St. Louis media relations staff that the quarterback wouldn’t be available for postgame interviews.
- San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer met with Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt to discuss progress on a path to a new Chargers stadium, David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Hunt’s a member of a six-owner committee focused on Los Angeles relocation, and Faulconer’s met with five members of that newly formed coalition thus far. The two didn’t discuss the two LA stadium projects, Garrick reports, with the meeting instead focusing on San Diego’s path to green-lighting construction on its own. Faulconer’s plan features $350MM in contributions from city and county taxpayers, and after California Gov. Jerry Brown’s recent ruling to expedite an environmental review would put this proposal up for a city vote as early as June, but the Chargers have yet to resume negotiations with the city.
- Gary Kubiak hasn’t decided if Peyton Manning or Brock Osweiler will start for the Broncos against the Patriots next week, Florio reports. The PFT scribe notes Kubiak said he’d have a difficult time benching Osweiler after his solid performance against the Bears, and if the fourth-year career backup follows it up with an upset over the Patriots, Kubiak’s previous declaration of starting Manning again when healthy will simply resolve itself when the first-year Denver coach deems the 39-year-old of insufficient health to recapture the job.
Latest On Los Angeles
A process that seemed headed toward an inevitable conclusion’s starting to at least show some inconsistency in its timeline. The NFL may not return to the Los Angeles market in 2016, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeting the three-team pursuit’s encountered “gridlock” in terms of having a team there by next season.
Rapoport notes the league still hopes to hold a relocation vote in May 2016, although that is now uncertain, but hears from multiple sources that 2017 may be when LA reacquires a franchise.
Here is some more on the Rams, Chargers and Raiders’ LA jostle.
- Rams owner Stan Kroenke is willing to help broker a deal to keep the Chargers and Raiders in San Diego and Oakland, respectively, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Acee adds that the Rams and Chargers’ decision-makers will conduct some kind of negotiation about playing together in Inglewood, where Kroenke’s project is further along, but notes the NFL will likely try to appeal to the three owners’ sense of humanity and persuade at least one of them to remain in their current markets. With Dean Spanos‘ son living in San Diego and working in the Chargers’ organization, Spanos could be the easiest to persuade, Acee writes.
- St. Louis city comptroller Darlene Green will vote against the latest financing plan for a new St. Louis stadium due to viewing it as “fiscally irresponsible,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Green, one of three members of the city’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment, has been critical of the $1 billion stadium plan that calls for the city to cover approximately $145MM of the costs.
Sunday Roundup: Sanchez, Cousins, Graham
Just like Brock Osweiler in Denver, Mark Sanchez has the opportunity to secure a full-time starting job with the Eagles, and his audition starts today. As Sam Bradford continues to deal with a concussion and shoulder injury, Sanchez will get the start against the Buccaneers this afternoon, and per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra) he will also start Thanksgiving Day against the Lions. Since the Eagles did not sign Bradford to an extension this offseason, it will be easy for Philadelphia to move on from him if it so chooses, and it would not be a surprise if Sanchez took hold of the job for the remainder of 2015. What happens beyond that, though, is anyone’s guess.
Now let’s take a look at some links from around the league:
- Washington has had preliminary contract talks with Kirk Cousins, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). However, as former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets, there is no reason for Cousins to sign an extension anytime soon, as the rewards for not doing so outweigh the risks.
- Rapoport tweets that the Cowboys‘ support for embattled DE Greg Hardy is waning. Hardy was late for practice last Thursday and late for a team meeting last Saturday, and it is unclear how much longer he can test the team’s patience. Of course, it would be strange if tardiness is the reason Dallas ultimately chooses to part ways with Hardy.
- Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald looks back at what went right for the Dolphins this offseason and what they should have done differently.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com details the reasons for Jimmy Graham‘s disappointing 2015 season and likens his tenure with the Seahawks to Randy Moss‘ time in Oakland. Fitzgerald believes that Graham’s statistical output is artificially low because of the offense he plays in, and although there are risks if a team should choose to pursue Graham in the offseason, the potential rewards outweigh those concerns.
- In a separate piece, Fitzgerald explores why Nick Foles‘ benching does not mean he will be leaving the Rams next year.
- Matt Vensel of The Star Tribune examines how the Vikings have successfully navigated the draft and deftly handled difficult personnel decisions to assemble one of the league’s best defenses.
- Likewise, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle discusses how the Texans‘ youth movement on defense is giving the club hope for the future.
- Although it does not come as much of surprise, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that teams hoping to lure Alabama head coach Nick Saban back to the professional ranks are facing very steep odds, and La Canfora details why Saban will stay right where he is.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reviews the performance of the 2015 draft class to date, observing that, with a few notable exceptions, the class has largely been a disappointment.
- Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com explores some potential impacts of the NFL’s decision to make compensatory draft picks tradeable.