Extra Points: Grossman, Hoyer, Philbin
The Browns could use some depth at quarterback with injuries to Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer and they called on Rex Grossman to serve as a backup. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Sexy Rexy isn’t interested, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Grossman is hosting his whole family for the holidays and he says he would rather spent Christmas with them than with the 7-8 Browns. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- It sounds like Hoyer could be healthy enough to serve as an emergency backup for the Browns in their season finale, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Meanwhile, signal caller Connor Shaw could be promoted from the practice squad for additional depth.
- Dolphins owner Stephen Ross kept coach Joe Philbin because he likes him as a person and he refused to hire a GM who wanted him gone, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter).
- With the Saints now eliminated from playoff contention and headed for a top 15 draft pick, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looks at what they can do next season. Much of the Saints savings, he explains, will probably come through contract restructuring with veterans.
AFC Notes: Jets, Philbin, Tannehill, Sparano
The Jets have hired NFL Network analyst and former general manager Charlie Casserly as a consultant, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Owner Woody Johnson brought in Casserly as a football mind as an offseason approaches that could see the team potentially firing head coach Rex Ryan as well as general manager John Idzik.
Casserly has previous experience as the general manager in Washington and for the Houston Texans.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Dolphins‘ head coach Joe Philbin got the vote of confidence from owner Stephen Ross yesterday, and will be returning to the team in 2015. At the same time, Philbin has declined to offer the same guarantee to his coaching staff, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Philbin did not say whether or not he planned on bringing back his coordinators for another season. It does appear that general manager Dennis Hickey will be back with the team though, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- At one point early this season, Ryan Tannehill‘s future with the Dolphins was uncertain. Things have changed since then, and Tannehill has solidified himself as the franchise quarterback in Miami, write James Walker of ESPN.com. The team will now likely exercise his fifth-year option, which was not a given before the season.
- Raiders‘ interim head coach Tony Sparano would like the word “interim” removed from his title, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Many of his players agree that he has earned a chance at the job for real. Defensive end Antonio Smith, quarterback Derek Carr, and safety Charles Woodson all came out in support of their current leader. The Raiders are rumored to be interested in Jim Harbaugh for their head coaching job next season.
Dolphins Notes: Philbin, Harbaugh, Wake, Clay
Following his announcement that Joe Philbin will return as the Dolphins’ head coach, owner Stephen Ross elaborated on his decision to retain the man who has lead Miami for nearly three seasons, per Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4). “We say patience is a virtue. But I’m expecting big things next year, I’ll tell you that,” said Ross. “I think everybody feels a buzz. Things are changing around here. It’s frustrating we didn’t make the playoffs. I feel as bad as everybody does. But I think we’re building something here and I believe in the coach.” Here are some more notes out of South Beach…
- Philbin himself was understandably pleased with the news, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. “This is where I want to be the head coach,” said Philbin. “Three years ago when I interviewed I came to work to Steve Ross. He’s the owner. He’s shown a lot of support to me over the years, through let’s face it, some difficult times. It’s a privilege to be the head coach and I want to do the things I said when I came here — consistently compete for championships.”
- In the same piece, Ross tells Salguero that despite speculation that the Dolphins were interested in Jim Harbaugh, he did not contact the 49ers head coach.
- By reaching the double-digit sack threshold during today’s game against the Vikings, defensive end Cameron Wake earned a $750K bonus, tweets Salguero.
- Charles Clay might not generate much interest in free agency, but he could be an interesting option for a team that would employ him in an FB/TE/halfback role, opines Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). I pegged Clay to garner a four-year deal worth $16-18MM in August, but given his lackluster season, he won’t come anywhere near that figure.
Dolphins To Retain Joe Philbin
The Dolphins moved to 8-7 with a last-minute victory over the Vikings today, but they had already been eliminated from playoff contention thanks to the Chargers’ win over the 49ers last night. Despite that fact, the club won’t see a coaching staff overhaul, as owner Stephen Ross said after the game that head coach Joe Philbin will return for the 2015 season, according to the team’s Twitter account.
Philbin, 53, was hired as Miami’s head coach in 2012 after spending the previous five seasons as the Packers’ offensive coordinator. The club has a 23-24 record (and no postseason appearances) during his tenure, but there have been some positive developments. The defensive unit has been stout at times, and following the hiring of offensive coordinator Bill Lazor prior to this season, third-year QB Ryan Tannehill has shown significant signs of improvement. Still, it’s fair to wonder if 2015 will be Philbin’s final shot in Miami; if the team doesn’t make the playoffs next season, it will probably be tough for Ross to keep him around any longer.
2015, then, sets up as a make-or-break year in South Beach, and it’s unlikely that the current version of the Dolphins’ roster will see many upgrades. Over the Cap’s data shows Miami to have negative cap space in 2015, at nearly $2.2MM in the red. The club will obviously make some moves to be in compliance the cap; cutting players like Dannell Ellerbe, Brian Hartline, and Cortland Finnegan, for example, could save the Fins more than $14MM. But Miami probably won’t be able to make its typical splashes in free agency, meaning Philbin & Co. will have to rely on continued advancement from Tannehill and a dominant defense to compete next season. If not, general manager Dennis Hickey, hired earlier this year, would likely be given the opportunity to choose his own coach.
On a macro level, this news crosses off one possible destination for 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, who is expected to leave San Francisco at season’s end. Ross tried to bring in Harbaugh as the Dolphins’ head coach prior to the 2011 season, so speculation arose that Miami would once again be interested in acquiring the controversial head coach. However, given the expected level of interest in Harbaugh from the University of Michigan (who reportedly offered a six-year deal worth nearly $50MM), the Raiders, and a slew of other suitors, the Dolphins opted to stick with their incumbent coach. It’s just my speculation, but I would guess that Miami didn’t want to pursue Harbaugh for a second time, only to be publicly embarrassed yet again if he declined their overtures.
Coaching Notes: Trestman, Bowles, Shanahan
We learned earlier today that Mike Smith was unlikely to return as coach of the Falcons in 2015, but there are plenty of head coaching candidates for whom the future appears much brighter, along with a number of others who are likely to be relieved of their duties or otherwise on the move. Let’s take a look:
- As we passed along earlier, Bears head coach Marc Trestman is expected to be fired after the season.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is a top head coaching candidate for the Jets and Bears, and the Dolphins have not ruled out a reunion with Bowles.
- Although the University of Michigan apparently has a legitimate chance to land 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh as its next head coach, the Wolverines also have the Ravens‘ John Harbaugh, the Saints‘ Sean Payton, the Bills‘ Doug Marrone, and the Cowboys‘ Jason Garrett on their radar, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Outside of Jim Harbaugh, however, the other named candidates are highly unlikely to appear in maize and blue next year.
- In the same piece, La Canfora writes that Jim Harbaugh briefly accepted the Michigan job in 2011 before changing his mind shortly thereafter.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that UCLA’s Jim Mora and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn are two collegiate coaches whom NFL teams may consider for head coaching vacancies in 2015. Rapoport adds (Twitter links) that he would expect the 49ers to have interest in Mora and the Dolphins to have interest in Malzahn.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Mike Shanahan has not ruled out a return to coaching in 2015, and Florio lists the Falcons and 49ers as possible destinations. However, Shanahan, who was responsible for drafting Jay Cutler, maintains his belief that Cutler is a franchise quarterback, and the Bears (assuming they hang on to Cutler) may want to pursue Shanahan.
East Notes: RGIII, Eagles, Cutler
It was not long ago that the respective futures of Robert Griffin III and Jay Gruden in Washington were in doubt. After one strong game against the Eagles on Saturday night, that no longer seems to be the case. Following a last-minute, 27-24 victory over their playoff-hopeful division rivals, Washington’s head coach and quarterback are set to return for 2015.
As Jason Reid of the Washington Post wrote just hours after the team’s victory, “Jay Gruden and Robert Griffin III are expected to return next season.” Reid went on to note that Washington’s reliance on the on the run game and DeSean Jackson allowed Griffin to be more comfortable in the pocket than he has been all season, which could have created a blueprint for the team’s success moving forward.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds that there was never any real doubt among the Washington administration that Griffin would be back, as the team continues to hope that he can be the franchise quarterback it once anticipated. So, as Florio writes, “the only remaining question is whether they pick up his eight-figure option for 2016 by May 3. If the goal is to support him, they either need to exercise the option or extend his contract.”
Now for some more noes from the league’s east divisions:
- In the wake of the Eagles‘ embarrassing loss to Washington, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the team needs a quarterback, and while Mark Sanchez has clearly demonstrated he is not the answer, McLane believes that Nick Foles is not the long-term solution either. Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com agrees with that assessment.
- Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes that the Giants should bring back Jason Pierre-Paul and Antrel Rolle after their strong late-season performances.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins‘ performance against Minnesota this afternoon is a life-or-death matter for head coach Joe Philbin.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the quarterback-desperate Jets, unless they have a foolproof plan to trade up for Marcus Mariota or strongly believe in Jameis Winston, should consider making a deal for embattled Bears signal-caller Jay Cutler. As Cimini writes, a long-time personnel executive who has extensive knowledge of Cutler has said, “I’d rather deal with [Cutler’s] issues than deal with a guy with no talent.”
Minor Moves: Saturday
We will keep track of all of Saturday’s minor transactions here. As usual, newest moves will be added to the top as they come in:
- The Seahawks have made a change to their 53-man roster, placing tight end Rashaun Allen on waivers and promoting offensive lineman Keavon Milton from their taxi squad, tweets Brian McIntyre. Milton will provide some depth on Seattle’s offensive line as the team prepares to be without Russell Okung and Max Unger this weekend in Arizona.
Earlier updates:
- Earlier today, the Raiders placed Tarell Brown on injured reserve. The team has signed linebacker Spencer Hadley off of its practice squad to fill Brown’s roster spot, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The 49ers have placed rookie inside linebacker Chris Borland on the injured reserve, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). The team has promoted outside linebacker Chase Thomas from its practice squad.
- The Buccaneers have placed safety Major Wright on injured reserve, reports Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). The team has promoted cornerback C.J. Wilson from the practice squad to the active roster to fill his spot.
- The Dolphins have signed wide receiver Matt Hazel off of the practice squad to the active roster, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). The team has released linebacker Jake Knott to make room for Hazel.
Latest on Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Jim Harbaugh has been in the news recently, as the 49ers have been eliminated from playoff contention and tensions between him and the organization have culminated in a disappointing season. Harbaugh’s alma mater, the University of Michigan, has reportedly offered him a mammoth $48MM contract to be their head coach.
Here are a few notes regarding Harbaugh’s purported next coaching stop:
- Harbaugh’s family and friends have encouraged him to take the job coaching the University of Michigan, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN. However, Harbaugh still wants to coach in the NFL, even if it is with a team besides the 49ers. He will likely wait for NFL jobs to come open in order to see what is available before getting back to Michigan regarding their opening. Schefter also writes that NFL teams may not be willing to open up the checkbooks as wide as Michigan is, as the Wolverines are starved to return to their winning ways.
- One job that has not become available yet that Harbaugh might be interested is with the Dolphins, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN. If the Dolphins decide to move on from Joe Philbin, he may be a top candidate as his replacement. The organization pursued him very adamantly the last time he was available, and could be interested again.
- Despite reports that Harbaugh is set on staying in the NFL, Marcellus Wiley of ESPN reports that he has two sources that confirm Harbaugh will be the next head coach at the University of Michigan (via Twitter). According to Wiley, the announcement will come after the NFL season.
- Not everyone is sold on Harbaugh leaving for college however, and one adamant doubter is Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. He writes that the move for Harbaugh to return to college, after the NFL success he has experienced, would be unprecedented. He writes that while it is not impossible, that it would be surprising to see him make that move.
AFC Notes: Revis, Clay, Rubin, King, Mallett
Darrelle Revis will count for $25MM against the cap in 2015, and many fans and pundits expect him to move on to free agency after his lone season with the Patriots. Even Revis himself has not committed to staying a Patriot, according to Conor Orr of NFL.com. In advance of the matchup against his former teammates for the Jets, Revis was asked about his chances of playing with the Patriots or returning to the Jets this offseason. “I don’t know what my future holds, like I said,” Revis said. “We’ll see. The future will take care of itself.”
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Chargers‘ left tackle King Dunlap has been phenomenal in the final year of his contract, and that could lead to a big raise this offseason, writes Michael Gelhken of the U-T San Diego. “I’m just trying to focus on the now,” Dunlap said. “I know it’s coming. … Time’s not going to move any faster or any slower. Just focus on the now and let the rest take care of itself. … I’m still a work in progress. I’m not even close to being finished yet. I’m still working. “
- Dolphins‘ tight end Charles Clay has been a reliable weapon for Ryan Tannehill this season, and as he approaches free agency is focused on staying with the team, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “Just being here and knowing the guys, knowing the coaches, the city, this is definitely somewhere I want to spend the rest of my career,” Clay said. “I was saying that the second I got drafted. Yeah, I definitely want to [re-sign].”
- Browns‘ nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin is set to hit unrestricted free agency this March, but doesn’t plan to explore free agency. He wants to be a Brown for life, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
- Ryan Mallett of the Texans doesn’t have the long history with his franchise that Dunlap, Clay, and Rubin do, but he would also like to remain with his team, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He did note that the season is still in progress and that it is early to discuss his future with the team.
Workout Notes: Friday
Here is a list of the players working out with clubs, hoping to join a roster for the season’s home stretch:
- The Jaguars worked three players, including former second-round pick Arrelious Benn, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team also worked out Tim McCornett and Chidera Uzo-Diribe.
- The Raiders worked out former Saints’ receiver Joe Morgan earlier this week, but have also looked at Vernon Kearney and Marvin McNutt, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins tried out kicker Dustin Hopkins, reports Wilson (via Twitter)
- The Falcons have worked out Lavelle Westbrooks, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs worked out Travis Chappalear, writes Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Vikings worked out two players, Jordan McCray and Greg Van Roten, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Lions brought in Dejon Gomes for a workout, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Steelers brought Ronald Patrick in for a visit, writes Wilson (via Twitter).
- Wilson doesn’t get to have all the fun, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that the Broncos have worked out two defensive backs on Wednesday (via Twitter). They brought in Delvin Breaux and Jalil Carter, who played in the Canadian Football League.