Beckham, Donald Named Top Rookies
Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. has been named the NFL’s 2014 Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Professional Football Writers of America announced today in a press release. The PFWA also voted Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as 2014’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Beckham, the 12th overall pick last May, got off to a late start, missing the Giants’ first four regular season games due to hamstring issues, but made up for lost time the rest of the way, compiling 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions. In his final nine contests, the LSU product averaged an incredible 133 yards per game, helping to rejuvenate a passing game that was without Victor Cruz.
As for Donald, the Rams rookie was selected 13th last spring, one pick behind Beckham. The former Pittsburgh defender made a strong Rams line even better, recording nine sacks and grading as the league’s best defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).
Here are the full All-Rookie teams, per the PFWA:
Offense:
QB: Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings)
RB: Jeremy Hill (Bengals), Tre Mason (Rams)
WR: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
TE: Jace Amaro (Jets)
C: Corey Linsley (Packers)
G: Joel Bitonio (Browns), Zack Martin (Cowboys)
T: Taylor Lewan (Titans), Ja’Wuan James (Dolphins)
Defense:
DL: Aaron Donald (Rams), Timmy Jernigan (Ravens), Kony Ealy (Panthers), Justin Ellis (Raiders)
LB: Chris Borland (49ers), Khalil Mack (Raiders), C.J. Mosley (Ravens)
CB: Kyle Fuller (Bears), E.J. Gaines (Rams)
S: Deone Bucannon (Cardinals), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Packers)
Special teams:
K: Cody Parkey (Eagles)
P: Pat O’Donnell (Bears)
KR: Jarvis Landry (Dolphins)
PR: De’Anthony Thomas (Chiefs)
ST: Trey Burton (Eagles)
Coach Updates: Bears, Raiders, 49ers, Rams
Earlier tonight, we learned that Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has emerged as the possible frontrunner for the Jets‘ head coaching position, with mutual interest between the two sides. Let’s round up a few more Friday coaching updates from around the NFL….
- The Bears have requested permission to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin for their head coaching job, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. We should expect Chicago’s coaching search to ramp up now that the team has hired Ryan Pace as its general manager.
- The Raiders would like to hire an established, veteran coach for their head coaching opening, but the structure of the front office is making some candidates wary about the job, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole specifically mentions Mike Shanahan as an ideal target for Oakland, given his experience and track record.
- Speaking to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com, Raiders owner Mark Davis said a candidate with previous head coaching candidate would be “preferable,” but didn’t rule out the possibility of hiring someone who hasn’t even had a coordinator job — that seems unlikely, since all of the team’s reported candidates so far have been either coordinators or head coaches. In any case, Davis added that there’s no set deadline for his club to make a hire.
- Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the contracts for all the Raiders‘ assistants except Tony Sparano are set to expire next Tuesday night.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link) confirms that Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles had his interview with the 49ers in Santa Clara today. Maiocco calls it the Niners’ last “known” interview, which suggests there’s nothing currently on tap with rumored candidates Jim Mora, Jim Tomsula, and Kyle Shanahan. San Francisco also reportedly had interest in Gary Kubiak, whose Ravens are still alive in the playoffs.
- Speaking of the 49ers, they’ve granted the division-rival Rams permission to speak to offensive coordinator Greg Roman about the same job in St. Louis, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The Rams also want to speak to Kyle Shanahan, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
St. Louis Unveils Plan For New Stadium
This week opened with news that Rams owner Stan Kroenke intends to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles, and before the week was out, the city of St. Louis announced today that it has plans of its own for a new stadium. As Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com details, St. Louis’ plan calls for the construction of a 64,000-seat, open-air stadium on the north St. Louis riverfront, about a half-mile from the Gateway Arch.
The proposed stadium, announced today by Governor Jay Nixon‘s team of former Anheuser-Busch president Dave Peacock and local attorney Bob Blitz, would be constructed by 2020 and would cost between $860MM and 985MM. Of that total, a little less than half ($400-450MM) would come from private financing – the NFL and team ownership – while the remaining $460-535MM would be provided by public sources, according to the proposal. The state and city already pay annual fees toward the debt on the Edward Jones Dome, so while those figures may look daunting, Peacock suggests the burden on Missouri taxpayers wouldn’t necessarily increase.
“The new stadium will impose no new tax burden on taxpayers in the local region and the state of Missouri,” Peacock said. “We are confident that the money is available in such a way that it will not add an incremental burden on our community and if anything the net result we’d incur on this investment is positive for the community.”
While the St. Louis team sounded optimistic about its plan, it’s worth noting that the Rams weren’t involved in the announcement. As Wagoner writes, the team issued a statement today saying it had seen the plans and will review them. So far, Kroenke hasn’t shown much willingness to engage with St. Louis leaders about how to keep the Rams in town. The team’s lease at the Edward Jones Dome can be changed to a year-to-year arrangement this offseason, and if the NFL gets on board with his Los Angeles plan, St. Louis’ proposal may not be enough to keep the franchise.
If the Rams do relocate, it’s possible that the St. Louis stadium plan could move forward at some point for another NFL franchise, particularly since the project’s leaders hope to land an MLS team for the new stadium as well. But considering what a long and complicated process relocation and/or expansion can be, keeping the Rams remains the city’s top priority for now. Once Kroenke and the Rams review the new proposal, we should get a clearer picture of what the owner’s intentions are.
NFC West Rumors: Fitzgerald, Rams, Warner
Larry Fitzgerald‘s agent, Eugene Parker, has had positive preliminary contract talks with the Cardinals, sources tell Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic. Fitzgerald, who just completed his eleventh season, is due an $8MM bonus if he’s on the roster on March 17. Fitzgerald has to decide if wants to continue his career in Arizona, and if so, how big a pay cut he would be willing accept. Cards GM Steve Keim has said that he won’t cut the former Pro Bowler, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of trading him. A look at the NFC West..
- Vic Fangio would target Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator and Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator if he is promoted to head coach of the 49ers, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Shanahan would appear to have two horses in the race when it comes to the 49ers’ offensive coordinator gig as father Mike Shanahan has also interviewed for the head coaching position.
- Rams owner Stan Kroenke isn’t taking calls from St. Louis officials, so they’re now working directly with the NFL to try and keep their team, as Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes (with help from The Associated Press). “After a while, you sort of get the hint,” said Jeff Rainford, the mayor’s chief of staff. City and state officials firmly believe that the Rams can succeed in St. Louis, but if they won’t stay, the city is prepared to try and lure another team.
- If the Cardinals had wanted to replace Ryan Lindley with Kurt Warner for their playoff run, he would have been open to it. “There was a scenario where I would have considered it,” Warner said on the Dan Patrick Show, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I don’t know what I would have done.” The 43-year-old Warner said he talked to Arians and GM Steve Keim “in passing” but that he doesn’t think they were ever seriously interested in bringing him back. But the veteran QB was interested enough that he talked to his family about it, and they were supportive.
Extra Points: Shanahan, Packers, Draft
A source indicated to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that if Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn gets a head coaching job, he’ll try to hire Kyle Shanahan away from the Browns to be his offensive coordinator. Cole adds there’s a good chance Quinn’s landing spot will be with the Jets. More from around the NFL..
- It’s extremely unlikely that the Packers will grant another team permission to interview Eliot Wolf, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter).
- The Texans have granted the Eagles permission to interview director of pro personnel Brian Gaine for their GM spot, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Rams owner Stan Kroenke says that he plans to build a stadium in Los Angeles on spec, but NFL owners doubt that he’d actually go ahead and do that, according to Brett Schrotenboer of USA Today Sports. It’s far to risky of a move for a billionaire like Kroenke and it seems like many feel that he is looking for leverage in St. Louis above all else.
- University of Louisville junior safety James Sample told Lars Hanson of 247 Sports (on Twitter) that he will forego his senior year and enter the 2015 Draft.
- Junior running back Dee Hart is leaving Colorado State to declare for NFL Draft, as Mike Brohard of the Reporter-Herald writes. Hart sent his paperwork into the NFL but has yet to receive a draft grade. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder doesn’t have ideal size, but he profiles as a tough downhill runner. The Alabama transfer played only one season for Colorado State, leading the team with 1,275 yards rushing while scoring 16 touchdowns.
- Mike Shanahan would create a buzz, but Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group says he’d be a poor choice for the Raiders. Thompson notes that the 62-year-old coach hasn’t won anything significant since John Elway was his quarterback and he’s coming off of an ugly situation with Washington.
- Former Bears Director of College Scouting Greg Gabriel had great things to say about Chris Ballard, a finalist for the Bears‘ vacant GM position. “He’s very astute, very smart, excellent evaluator and he’s had the experience in the NFL of working on the college side and the pro side,” Gabriel told CSNChicago.com. “He knows the workings on both sides as far as the different scouting areas within the NFL.”
Brian Schottenheimer Leaves Rams For UGA
Brian Schottenheimer is no longer the offensive coordinator for the Rams, according to an announcement from the University of Georgia, which reveals that Schottenheimer will join the school as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (Twitter link via Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph).
With Sam Bradford sidelined for the season in St. Louis, an offense led by the likes of Austin Davis and Shaun Hill struggled to get much going this year under Schottenheimer, finishing 27th in DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. It was the worst season for Schottenheimer’s unit is his three years with the Rams, with his offense never finishing inside the league’s top 20 in terms of DVOA.
With Schottenheimer headed back to college for the first time since he was USC’s tight ends coach in 2000, the Rams are the latest team to have an opening at the offensive coordinator position. I’d expect the team to begin its search for Schottenheimer’s replacement immediately.
NFC West Notes: Rams, Los Angeles, Cardinals
By making an advance move to plant his flag in Los Angeles, Rams owner Stan Kroenke will mobilize the opposition, writes Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Chargers benefit from their proximity to Los Angeles and another team coming into that territory will take away from their bottom line. By firing the opening salvo, Kroenke is putting the Chargers on high alert. Beyond that, other owners are unhappy with his move to jump the line towards L.A. and with 24 votes needed to approve a relocation, he might have put himself behind the 8 ball. Here’s more out of the NFC West..
- Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com looks at the Cardinals‘ roster heading into the offseason and the team’s potential free agents. Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly sounds intent on signing a one-year deal, whether it’s with Arizona or another club. Linebacker Larry Foote, meanwhile, is considering retirement.
- However, Urban writes that he is more focused on the Cardinals‘ free agent class following the 2015 season. Among those scheduled to be up after ’15: defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, quarterback Drew Stanton, wide receiver Michael Floyd, defensive end Frostee Rucker, and many more key players. GM Steve Keim will work to extend many of those players, but that could still signal an offseason of significant change in Arizona.
- The Rams also have a number of key free agent decisions to make and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch breaks it all down.
AFC Notes: Chargers, Roethlisberger, Ravens
The notion of the Rams moving west to Los Angeles gained some steam with this week’s announcement that Rams owner Stan Kroenke intends to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) says he was told Monday that Chargers owner Dean Spanos will attempt to block the Rams if they try to move to L.A., and believes he has the nine votes necessary to stop a move. We’re a long way from arriving at that point, but I’d be surprised if Kroenke attempted to move forward with a move if he didn’t believe he had the votes from ownership to approve it.
- As they look to make additions to their offseason roster, the Chargers worked out two CFL players, offensive lineman Ben Heenan and defensive back Delvin Breaux, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link via ESPN’s Eric Williams). Heenan auditioned for the Lions on Saturday, while Breaux has now tried out for five clubs since December.
- Asked about his contract status as he prepares to enter a contract year, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said today that he’d like to get an extension done sooner rather than later, but he’ll leave that up to his agent and the Rooney family (Twitter links via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
- With New England and Baltimore prepared to square off in Saturday’s divisional playoff, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com revisits the Ravens‘ offseason decision to pursue and sign Steve Smith rather than fellow free agent receiver Julian Edelman.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Yates looks back on an offseason decision of his own, exploring the Bills‘ move to trade their 2015 first-rounder to move up and snag wideout Sammy Watkins. Recent reports have indicated former head coach Doug Marrone wasn’t too happy about that deal, and Yates concludes that Marrone was right to be upset.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Newman, McCloughan, Bradham
As Terence Newman nears potential free agency, the veteran cornerback will have to decide whether or not he’ll continue his playing career, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. While Newman would love a chance to compete for a Super Bowl, there’s also some appeal in going out on his own terms, as he explains.
“I think Barry Sanders did it best,” Newman said. “He just said, ‘Hey, this isn’t for me anymore.’ He was probably one of the only people that ever went out on his own terms; he wasn’t forced out age-wise or whatever. He just called it quits because he wanted to. He’s probably the only person I can think of that ever did that.”
Assuming Newman does decide to continue playing, another year with the Bengals is a possibility. The cornerback says he expects to be in contact with the team, adding “[we’ll] see what happens.” Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The draft order has been set for picks 21 through 24 this year, as Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk details. Based on record and strength-of-schedule tiebreakers, it’ll be the Bengals at No. 21, followed by the Steelers, Lions, and Cardinals, respectively.
- We heard on Monday morning that Washington has interest in hiring former 49ers GM Scot McCloughan to a front office role, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) reports that McCloughan actually has offers from at least three teams for prominent front office positions. McCloughan is “relishing” being his own boss at the moment, but may seriously consider taking a role with an NFL team, says La Canfora. Meanwhile, Michael Silver of NFL.com (Twitter links) says the Raiders courted McCloughan, but were unwilling to give GM Reggie McKenzie‘s decision-making power to McCloughan, who would only have been interested in the role if he were running the team’s football department.
- Greg Roman, who is expected to land with another team as an offensive coordinator, definitely won’t be back with the 49ers, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who identifies a few possible candidates to oversee San Francisco’s offense in 2015.
- After reporting on Monday morning that the Bills were interested in negotiating a new deal for newly-extension-eligible linebacker Nigel Bradham, Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Bradham has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him.
- Addressing his team’s defensive line and its inability to create a consistent pass rush, Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said today, “We need to improve the guys who are coming back here next year and continue to improve, and we need to infuse some new players, to be honest with you” (link via Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
- Nick Fairley‘s NFL future is largely tied to that of Ndamukong Suh, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, who explains that the Lions won’t have the ability to keep both defensive tackles this offseason.
- In response to a report that Rams owner Stan Kroenke plans to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles, St. Louis officials released a statement today indicating that the city is “ready to demonstrate our commitment” to keeping the franchise in Missouri, per Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal (TwitLonger link).
Rams Owner Plans To Build Stadium In L.A.
Just over two weeks after we learned that commissioner Roger Goodell informed teams no franchises would be relocating to Los Angeles for the 2015 season, Sam Farmer and Roger Vincent of the Los Angeles Times have a major update on the possibility of the NFL returning to L.A. According to the Times duo, Rams owner Stan Kroenke has joined forces with Stockbridge Capital Group and intends to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood.
Farmer and Vincent write that Kroenke, who purchased 60 acres of land adjacent to the Forum a year ago, has joined forces with Stockbridge Capital Group, the owners of the 238-acre Hollywood Park site. The plan for the group is to build an 80,000-seat NFL stadium, along with a 6,000-seat performance venue.
“We are excited to unveil an expanded plan that will bring a world-class sports and entertainment district to Hollywood Park,” Stockbridge founder Terry Fancher said in a statement. “We are committed to working with [the Kroenke Group] to build a project that will put Inglewood back on the map as home of the truly great sports and entertainment venues.”
While we’ve heard rumblings about the NFL’s potential return to Los Angeles for the last two decades, this is the first time that an existing team owner has held a space large enough to accommodate a viable stadium – with parking – and announced plans to move forward with the project.
Of course, this doesn’t make it a sure thing that the Rams will move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, but it turns it into a very real possibility, particularly since the club can begin a year-to-year agreement in St. Louis as of the end of this month — that would give the franchise the flexibility to leave after the 2015 season, assuming arrangements for a temporary home in L.A. can be finalized as the new Hollywood Park stadium is built. The announcement forces St. Louis’ hand, with the city now under pressure to come back with a strong offer for the Rams within the next few weeks in order to try to keep the club in Missouri.
The Chargers and Raiders have also been mentioned as candidates to move to Los Angeles, so it will be interesting to see how the ownership of those clubs responds to Kroenke’s announcement. Farmer notes in a Q&A with Peter King of The MMQB.com that the concept of moving two teams to Los Angeles at once is “very difficult,” and that he wouldn’t expect to see more than one team move to L.A. initially. As of today, it looks like the Rams are the clubhouse leaders to be that team.