Cole’s Latest: Payton, Fells, Lions, Cowboys
Saints head coach Sean Payton is “intrigued” by the idea that teams like the Dolphins and Colts could pursue him after the 2015 season, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
That doesn’t mean Payton would leave New Orleans, or that he’d be able to get out of his contract even if he wanted to. However, Cole notes that there are some questions surrounding the ownership situation in New Orleans – presumably a reference to the Benson family’s legal drama – and Payton also may not be able to rebuild the Saints around Drew Brees quickly enough to compete again before Brees reaches the end of his career.
Payton’s situation will be one worth keeping an eye on over the next few weeks and months, as we wait to see how the season plays out in New Orleans, Miami, Indianapolis, and elsewhere. In the meantime, Cole has published several more video reports on noteworthy topics, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…
- A weekend report indicated that Giants tight end Daniel Fells was at risk of losing his foot due to an MRSA infection, and Cole suggests that the issue has been even more serious than that, calling it “life-threatening.” While Fells is in good shape for the time being, he has undergone several procedures and had parts of his foot removed already, according to Cole, who says the tight end’s playing career is over.
- After a blowout home loss to the Cardinals, several Lions players expressed concern about the relationship between the team and head coach Jim Caldwell, says Cole. Per Cole, some Lions players were dissatisfied with the way Caldwell handled the aftermath of last Monday night’s loss to the Seahawks, when he didn’t appear to fight hard over the fumble call that cost the team the game. For what it’s worth, Caldwell said today that the club isn’t making changes to its coaching staff this week (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com).
- Citing two sources, Cole reports that Matt Cassel is “highly likely” to be the Cowboys‘ starting quarterback in Week 7, following the team’s bye.
- The Chiefs are split on whether Knile Davis or Charcandrick West will be Jamaal Charles‘ primary replacement going forward, assuming the star running back is indeed out for the season. According to Cole, head coach Andy Reid prefers West, since his running style is similar to Charles’, but Davis has plenty of support within the organization from those who believe he’s a better overall back than West. We heard this morning that Kansas City is also bringing in veteran back Ben Tate for a workout tomorrow.
East Notes: Giants, Dolphins, Enemkpali
Ex-Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor on Sunday night, and while he was in town, Umenyiora weighed in on his former teammate, Jason Pierre-Paul. As Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes, Umenyiora thinks JPP is “just happy he’s alive” after his fireworks accident, but he remains very optimistic about a comeback.
“If anybody could do it, it’ll be him,” Umenyiora said. “He’s a powerful, athletic football player. I relied more on technique: He was just more athleticism. A guy like that, he’d be able to [come back]. … He’s still young. He’s going to be able to play football. I don’t know if it’s going to be this year, but he’s going to be able to play.”
As we wait to see when Pierre-Paul might be able to return to the field, here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Sunday night’s performance was a quintessential example of why the Giants extended Eli Manning with a lucrative new contract prior to the season, writes Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com.
- The Dolphins announced today in a press release that special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi has been elevated to an assistant head coach position. According to the team, Rizzi will continue to oversee the special teams unit while working with new head coach Dan Campbell.
- Speaking of Campbell, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald identifies the 10 biggest issues that the Dolphins‘ interim head coach must fix in order to turn the team’s season around.
- As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets, the Bills will have until 3:00pm central time today to either add IK Enemkpali to their 53-man roster or cut him. If the club chooses to activate Enemkpali, who is returning from a four-game suspension, another player would need to be removed from the roster.
East Notes: Hardy, Fins, D. Lewis
Greg Hardy is set to make his Cowboys debut today, though it will not come without some extra controversy. On Tuesday, in his first media session since he signed a one-year deal with Dallas this offseason, Hardy made some bizarre and ill-timed comments regarding Tom Brady‘s wife and returning to the field with “guns blazin,'” and a rap video heavy on strippers and guns–which Hardy made during his suspension–surfaced just yesterday. The NFL’s first vice president of social responsibility, Anna Isaacson, recently issued the following statement:
“I couldn’t disagree more with Greg Hardy’s comments, and they do not reflect the values of the league. We are working hard to bring attention to the positive role models many other players represent and also to continue our education with all members of the NFL family.”
As the early Week 5 games approach, let’s take a quick swing around the league’s east divisions, including more notes on Hardy:
- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett reportedly admonished Hardy for his comments, but on Friday, owner Jerry Jones took to the airwaves to defend his player. In so doing, says Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News, Jones undermined his head coach and further enabled the apparently oblivious Hardy.
- In a bit of Twitter repartee this morning, ESPN’s Ed Werder and former Packers executive Andrew Brandt discussed the Hardy signing. Brandt points out that, in normal circumstances, Hardy would have generated interest from 12-15 clubs, but given his impending suspension, only one or two teams were interested. Werder says that, had teams known Hardy would have agreed to the team-friendly terms that the Cowboys offered him, there would have been at least 15 clubs in the running. The lack of interest, Werder says, was not based upon morality.
- The Dolphins might have just fired Joe Philbin, but it was not that long ago that owner Stephen Ross was determined that Philbin would lead his club for the foreseeable future. Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Miami vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum pushed Ross to at least pursue Dan Quinn, who was ultimately hired by the Falcons, but Ross would have none of it, and the Dolphins never even made an effort to contact Quinn.
- Whether or not the Dolphins are able to land Sean Payton in the offseason–and all indications are that Payton will remain in New Orleans—James Walker of ESPN.com says the interest in Payton makes it clear that Miami will be seeking an experienced head coach at season’s end.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe explores why the Patriots, who rarely invest in running backs, recently signed Dion Lewis to a contract extension through 2017 after just three games. As Volin points out, the Pats got tremendous value out of the deal, as Lewis has no guaranteed money for 2016 or 2017, and his cap number for 2017 will be the second-lowest among all starting running backs. New England is privately shocked that Lewis accepted a deal so far below market value.
Multiple Teams To Pursue Sean Payton
Multiple teams are expected to inquire about Saints head coach Sean Payton at the end of the season, per ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Schefter mentions the Dolphins as one of those teams, and the Colts are a possibility as well. Payton is signed through the 2017 season, but that does not mean that clubs with a head coaching vacancy will not pursue a trade for Payton, who has been with New Orleans for 10 years and who may not want to oversee the rebuilding process that the Saints appear to be headed for.
As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (via Twitter) and Schefter point out, however, Payton was the subject of similar rumors last year, and he has repeatedly shot them down. He was even mentioned as a possible candidate for the University of Michigan post last December, but his response has always been that he is not interested in any other position and that he is not, like his mentor Bill Parcells, beginning to feel the stirrings of wanderlust. Payton is 81-51 during his tenure with the Saints, and he has captured a Super Bowl championship during that time.
Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune speculates (via Twitter) that the Giants and a franchise that moves to Los Angeles could join the Dolphins and Colts as potential suitors for Payton’s services. The Dolphins, having just fired Joe Philbin, will be in the market for a head coach, and they have pursued big-name candidates in the past, including Jeff Fisher, Jon Gruden, and Jim Harbaugh. The Colts, meanwhile, are not expected to bring back Chuck Pagano, and it has been rumored that owner Jim Irsay could go “big-game hunting” at the end of the 2015 season.
Nonetheless, given Payton’s unwavering stance on the matter and what it would cost to trade for him–multiple draft picks, including at least one first-rounder, would certainly be involved–it is unlikely that he finds himself on another sideline in 2016. That is not to mention, of course, Payton’s contract: he earns $8MM per year, making him the highest-paid head coach in the league. As Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald simply tweets, “He won’t come cheap.”
Miami would likely be the most aggressive suitor, and Payton does have ties to the club. Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell was a tight end for the Cowboys when Payton served as Dallas’ offensive coordinator, and Campbell ended his career playing for Payton in New Orleans. Plus, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, “[t]he influence of Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells remains significant within Miami’s organization and Payton is one of his prized pupils.”
But it is that familiarity with the Dolphins that could harm, rather than help, Miami’s pursuit of Payton. As Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets, Payton now works with Jeff Ireland, who is currently a college scout for the Saints’ after serving as the general manger of the Dolphins from 2008 through 2013. Payton also remains close with Parcells, so he is intimately familiar with all of the Dolphins’ internal issues that have hindered the club in recent seasons. Salguero adds in a separate tweet that if Payton should leave New Orleans in the future, it will be for a team that would give him control over football operations. The Dolphins currently have Mike Tannenbaum in that role, and Salguero says that is unlikely to change.
However, it only makes sense that Miami, along with a number of other teams in the league, would make a run at Payton, whose tenure with the Saints has been a largely successful one and who could bring the type of schematic and cultural change that teams crave. As of now, though, unless the Saints receive an offer too good to turn down, Payton and New Orleans appear to be in it for the long haul.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets
Dion Lewis agreeing to a deal the Patriots felt was below market value shocked the team, sources told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
By signing the deal, Lewis agreed to accept just $600K guaranteed, in the form of a signing bonus, despite averaging 108.3 yards from scrimmage per game in his three-game stint in New England.
Volin notes that Lewis’ 2015 overall earnings will be $1.19MM, the same as backup Brandon Bolden, and his 2016 base salary ($800K) will be less than punter Ryan Allen‘s $1MM haul.
In pointing out that Shane Vereen and Roy Helu received $4.75MM guaranteed and $4.1MM over two years, respectively, Volin argues Lewis, who he calls potentially a much better player than both, sold low on himself.
In other news from the AFC East …
- The Patriots, thanks to trades of and for complementary parts and compensatory picks, will have an interesting stable of draft choices in 2016, writes Volin, who points out that a quarterback-desperate team like the Texans could fork over as much as a first-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo. That seems high, considering Ryan Mallett came to Houston for a Day 3 draft pick. Although if the Pats trade for a first-rounder, the NFL will deprive them of whichever selection is higher — their pick or an acquired selection — due to the Deflategate penalties stripping them of their first-rounder.
- Stephen Ross will have to stop firing staffers in sections, writes Volin, if he wants any kind of stability to be associated with his franchise. The Dolphins owner fired Tony Sparano but kept GM Jeff Ireland in 2012, fired Ireland but retained Joe Philbin and now staggered the firings of Philbin and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle.
- Sheldon Richardson won’t be restricted much despite missing four games due to suspension, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Mehta also expects Jets coach Todd Bowles to use more four-man fronts now that arguably his top defensive lineman is back in a way to get Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams on the field together.
- Daryl Slater of the New York Daily News argues Richardson will be eased into action more gradually than Mehta predicts, with the ex-Missouri lineman being barred from practice at the Jets’ facilities during his suspension.
- Richardson’s next suspension for his speeding/resisting arrest incident over the summer won’t come until 2016, Slater offers, with the case continuing to see delays.
AFC East Notes: FJax, Bills, Dolphins, Lewis
Running back Fred Jackson was hurt when the Bills released him earlier this year and in a heartfelt piece for The Players’ Tribune, the veteran discussed the events surrounding his departure from Buffalo.
“Any time you get caught off guard with news like that, you don’t know how to respond,” Jackson wrote. “The natural reaction is to be disappointed — which I was — or angry — which I also was. But at the end of the day, the NFL is a business and the team decided they thought it was in its best interest to release me. And no matter how I felt about the situation, I needed to find a new team. The best thing I could do is to find an organization that wanted me to be there, where I had a chance to make it to the playoffs and make a run at a Super Bowl — something I never got the opportunity to do in Buffalo.”
Within the essay, Jackson also says that he asked GM Doug Whaley if he needed to worry about his job being in jeopardy after pulling his hamstring in training camp. Whaley, he asserts, told him not to worry about his job, but he was dropped from the roster soon after.
Here’s more out of the AFC East..
- James Walker of ESPN.com wonders if the Dolphins should explore their trade options between now and the deadline. He feels that wide receiver Rishard Matthews, who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2016 and looking for a nice raise, would make sense as a trade chip. Through four games (but really three games because of his quiet Week 4) this season, Matthews has posted 17 cathes, 278 yards, and three touchdowns.
- It’s hard to criticize Patriots running back Dion Lewis for signing a new deal when given the opportunity, Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald said on CSNNE. The Patriots signed Lewis to a contract extension through the 2017 season on Thursday. With the way Lewis is playing, that deal looks rather team-friendly at the moment.
- Lewis can earn up to $400K in incentives in 2016 and 2017 if he plays in 60% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps, Howe tweets.
Dolphins Fire DC Kevin Coyle, Promote Lou Anarumo
1:20pm: The Dolphins (via Twitter links) confirmed that Coyle is out and Anarumo is the team’s new defensive coordinator.
1:05pm: Dolphins defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo will be the new defensive coordinator, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter).
12:46pm: The Dolphins are firing defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, a source tells Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Interim head coach Dan Campbell has made it clear all week long that Coyle’s fate was up in the air and, today, the ax has come down in Miami.
Coyle was hired by the Dolphins prior to the 2012 season. Before going to Miami, Coyle spent eight years as the defensive backs coach for the Bengals. The Dolphins came into the season with a very solid defense on paper. In practice, the Dolphins D has graded out as one of the very worst in the NFL. On top of that, Coyle has been said to be rather unpopular in the locker room and it’s not much of a surprise to see him go. This now marks the second major coaching change for the Dolphins in the last week after head coach Joe Philbin was fired.
Days ago the Dolphins touched base with former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz about the vacancy, but he declined the opportunity. At this time, it’s not immediately clear who will be taking over DC duties for the Dolphins.
Coyle was “as disliked by his players as any coach we’ve encountered [in Miami],” according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald who has covered the team for many years. The Dolphins are 1-3 heading into their bye week with very weak production out of their defense, even with the offseason addition of Ndamukong Suh.
Many speculated that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor would be on the hot seat after Philbin was fired, but for now it appears that he will remain in his position with longtime coach Al Saunders serving as a consultant.
AFC East Notes: Brady, Campbell, Wilkerson
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday he had no regrets about the way he acted throughout the Deflategate drama, as Christopher Price of WEEI.com writes. Goodell was complimentary of Brady but also made it clear that he was never interested in giving him special treatment.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Tom. I know him personally,” Goodell said. “As I say, I admire him tremendously. He is a future Hall of Fame player. But our rules apply to everybody. They apply to every single player. And every single player expects those rules to apply to everybody. Every coach does, every fan does, every partner, every team does.”
Here’s more from the AFC East..
- It sounds like the Dolphins are going to give interim coach Dan Campbell a chance to win the permanent job in Miami, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. “That’s why we did this with 12 games left, not two,” a source told Werder. Presumably, the Dolphins will consider outside options at season’s end, but a strong finish for Campbell would give him a leg up on his competition.
- New Bills kicker Billy Cundiff told reporters, including ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (on Twitter), “I’m here to kick off. Everything else is on a need-to-know basis.” Of course, after kicker Dan Carpenter missed a 30-yard try on Sunday, many are wondering if that plan might change.
- Muhammad Wilkerson has been an “absolute beast” so far this season for the Jets, and Brian Costello of the New York Post suggests that the team has to find a way to lock up one of its best defensive players to a long-term deal.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Workout Notes: Bears, Broncos, Packers
Here’s a roundup of today’s auditions from around the NFL. All links go to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle on Twitter), unless noted otherwise..
- The Lions worked out nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, nose tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, and defensive end Jerel Worthy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
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The Seahawks worked out cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chimdi Chekwa, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
- The Bears worked out wide receivers Marcus Lucas and Nathan Palmer, guard Cole Manhart, and tackles Tyler Moore and Byron Stingily (link).
- The Broncos worked out punter Kasey Redfern (link).
- The Packers worked out running back Akeem Hunt, wide receiver Donatella Luckett, quarterback Phillip Sims, wide receiver Tyler Slavin, running back Dreamius Smith, linebacker Colton Underwood, and linebacker Matthew Wells (link).
- The Dolphins worked out wide receivers Isaiah Burse and Rannell Hall, defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel, guards Vinston Painter and Anthony Steen, defensive tackle Olsen Pierre, linebacker Mike Reilly, strong safety Brandian Ross, and defensive end Quanterus Smith (link + link).
- The Saints worked out punter Steven Clark, guard Travis Bond, punter Robert Malone, guard Jacques McClendon, and punter Brian Moorman (link).
- The Giants worked out defensive end Jake Bequette, tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Cody Fajardo, and tight end Brian Leonhardt (link).
- The Jets worked out defensive end DeAngelo Tyson (link).
- The Bucs worked out linebacker Ronald Powell (link).
- The Titans worked out David Arkin, James Brewer, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Alex Kupper, Joe Looney, and Cody White (link).
- Defensive tackle Joe Vellano worked out for the Lions today (link).
Dolphins Notes: Tannehill, Coyle, Saunders
It’s been a busy week in Miami, where the Dolphins fired head coach Joe Philbin upon returning home from London, replacing him with former tight ends coach Dan Campbell. Campbell has already made some changes on the offensive side of the coaching staff, bringing in ex-Raiders assistant Al Saunders and altering the roles of some of the team’s assistants. Here’s the latest out of Miami:
- Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill publicly addressed reports about last Saturday’s practice for the first time today, admitting to reporters that he got upset and made some negative comments toward some players during the session. Acknowledging that he made remarks about a “scout team trophy case,” the veteran signal-caller said he has since cleared the air with those players (Twitter links via James Walker of ESPN.com).
- One key detail of the initial report on Saturday’s practice that Tannehill disputed, however, was the idea that he told any player to “enjoy [his] practice squad pay check.” Tannehill adamantly denied saying anything to that effect, calling the report “slanderous” (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald).
- Campbell said today that he still doesn’t know whether or not Kevin Coyle will stay on as Miami’s defensive coordinator (Twitter link via Beasley). The longer the Dolphins go without announcing a decision or identifying a replacement, the more likely it is that Coyle sticks around, but the fact that Campbell didn’t confirm the DC’s job is safe suggests that it’s still very much in jeopardy.
- Campbell also provided some details on the hiring of Saunders, suggesting that he’ll work primarily with the Dolphins’ wide receivers (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports). Former wide receivers coach Ken O’Keefe, who was named a senior offensive assistant today, will work with the quarterbacks going forward.