NFC North Notes: Packers, Tillman, Peterson
Ron Wolf‘s biggest transaction during his tenure as Packers general manager was his acquisition of Brett Favre. Wolf sent a first-round pick to the Falcons to acquire the young quarterback, but that move may have never happened had former Jets GM Dick Steinberg had his way.
ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini spoke to Wolf following his nomination for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 76-year-old reflected on his first employment with the Jets, when he was a member of the front office. The organization fell in love with Favre, and when the Southern Mississippi quarterback fell to the second round, the team made a deal with the Cardinals to move up two spots.
“Dick thought he had a deal with Arizona,” Wolf said. “Fortunately for me and unfortunately for the Jets, when he called Arizona to finish the deal, they backed out because a player they wanted was still there.”
Of course, the rest is history. The Falcons selected Favre as the 33rd pick in the draft (the Jets selected Louisville quarterback Browning Nagle with the next pick), and the young player was traded to Green Bay a season later.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC North…
- The Packers announced the firing of special teams coach Shawn Slocum yesterday, and Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com says that the move wasn’t a surprise. Had the team overcome their two key special teams mistakes (the fake fake field goal and the botched onside kick) and made it to the Super Bowl, Wilde surmises that Slocum would have kept his job. However, the loss cemented the coach’s fate.
- Bears cornerback Charles Tillman made an appearance on ESPN Radio’s “SVP & Russillo” on Thursday, and the impending free agent told the hosts that he’d like to stay in Chicago. “Oh yeah, most definitely,” Tillman said (via ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright). “I would love to be back in Chicago. But that’s not up to me. That’s up to the new GM. His name is Ryan Pace. So that’s up to him and coach [John] Fox.”
- Bears tight end Martellus Bennett believes his former coach, Marc Trestman, is better suited to be an offensive coordinator. “Trestman, I think the issue that he had probably was managing us all, all the different personalities,” Bennett said (via Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun). “There’s a lot of big personalities. And I think, for a first-time head coach in the NFL, dealing with all the personalities that you have, I think that’s hard when you got guys like me, you know, [Brandon] Marshall, Lance Briggs on defense, Tillman.”
- Count Greg Jennings among those in the Vikings locker room who hope running back Adrian Peterson will stick around in 2015. The wideout discussed the subject on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com): “I don’t know if he’ll be back. I can’t answer that question. But what I do know is that if he does come back, he’d be accepted with open arms. As an organization from the Wilfs on down, we all want him back. So, I mean, it’s a touchy subject and he’s been the franchise player – face of that team – for eight years. So it will be a loss, a huge loss, if we can’t get him back, and that’s the nature of this business.”
North Notes: Packers, Allen, Bears, Teddy
Less than two weeks after a pair of special teams blunders contributed to the Packers’ NFC Championship Game loss, Green Bay has fired special teams coach Shawn Slocum, the team announced. Slocum, who’d been with the Packers since 2006, had led an ST unit that had been below-average in recent seasons, finishing 18th, 19th, and 22nd in Football Outsiders’ special teams DVOA in ’12, ’13, and ’14, respectively. As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes, Slocum is just the second coordinator to be fired by head coach Mike McCarthy, the first being DC Bob Sanders, who was let go after the 2008 season.
Here’s more from the North divisions:
- The Bears are likely to employ a 3-4 defense in 2015 under new coordinator Vic Fangio, and veteran defensive end (or linebacker, perhaps?) Jared Allen has a few concerns about the transition. “It’s not that I can’t do it,” Allen told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “For me, it is a question of what kind of system are we going to run? How do I fit in the system? How do we achieve our goals? These things will play out.” Both his 2015 base salary and roster bonus (which total $12.5MM) are guaranteed, so Allen, who admits he’d rather play end in a 4-3 look, will be on Chicago’s roster.
- Chicago’s coaching staff will see some continuity at the receiver position, as the Bears announced Mike Groh will remain in his role as WR coach. Groh, the son of longtime NFL/NCAA coach Al Groh, served under ex-head coach Marc Trestman from 2013-14, and helped Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery put together outstanding seasons.
- The Vikings nabbed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the 32nd pick in last year’s draft, and according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the Lousiville product was reportedly happy he didn’t last elsewhere. A source tells Cabot that Bridgewater didn’t want to be selected by the QB-needy Browns because he knew that some in the Cleveland organization preferred Johnny Manziel. This jibes with what we’ve heard in the past, including reports that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan left the Browns due to disputes over the selection of Manziel.
Extra Points: Carroll, Rice, Manning
Vikings Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant hired Pete Carroll as the team’s defensive backs coach in 1985, a position he served in for five years. Way back then, he recognized that Carroll had something special writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. “I remember interviewing him, and he was enthusiastic, which he always is,” Grant said. “He knew a lot about football. He was primarily on defense, you know we talked about that, and he related good to the players.” Turns out, that Carroll kid turned out to be a pretty decent coach. More from around the NFL..
- NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith says that the union’s parallel report to the Mueller Report on the Ray Rice situation is done, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). The report on the former Ravens running back will be given to the executive committee later today.
- Former NFL quarterback Archie Manning said Thursday that he expects his son, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, to decide on whether he plays in 2015 “maybe in the next week or two.” “He’s given a lot of thought to it,” Archie Manning said, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “My advice for him is to go through the process, get away a little bit, let your leg heal, give it a lot of throught and decide what you’re going to do … [I] think he’s taken a good evaluation of where he is physically.”
- Former Colts wide receiver Austin Collie is heading to the CFL, but not to the team previously reported. Collie will join up with the BC Lions, according to Arash Madani of Sportsnet (on Twitter).
- Executive director DeMaurice Smith says the NFLPA will issue its own salary cap projections for the first time, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). The purpose, he says, is to counter the “inaccurate” projections of the NFL.
NFC Notes: Ingram, Breaux, Peterson, Eagles
History is not on the side of Saints running back Mark Ingram as he approaches free agency, Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune writes. The league has devalued running backs in the last four years: they’ve gone off the board later in each draft since 2011 and teams are hesitant to pay out big bucks for a position that is believed to have a short shelf life. Ingram says the Saints want him back he claims the feeling is mutual, but it remains to be seen if they’ll pay big bucks to keep him. It also doesn’t help that Ingram has a lengthy injury history. More from the NFC..
- Delvin Breaux‘s contract with the Saints contains a partial guarantee of $138K in 2015, according to Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune. Breaux’s contract includes the league minimum base salary in each of the three years. After Breaux’s signing, the Saints now have 60 players under contract for 2015. Of the 15 unsigned players on the 2014 squad, eleven are unrestricted free agents, three are restricted free agents, and one is an exclusive-rights free agent.
- The Star Tribune’s Mark Craig discussed Adrian Peterson‘s future with the Vikings. The embattled running back is under contract with Minnesota for 2015, but many have speculated that he could be traded.
- After whiffing on a number of candidates, Eagles coach Chip Kelly got his man in Ed Marynowitz to fill the team’s front office vacancy. Now, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if Marynowitz will be a yes man or partner in personnel.
Schefter, Caplan On Suh, Bucs, Peterson, QBs
While most reporters continue to focus on the Super Bowl, which is now just three days away, NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan turn their attention to the offseason in a pair of stories for ESPN.com today, providing a handful of interesting tidbits about coaches, free agency, and the draft. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights from Schefter and Caplan….
- Many of Schefter’s sources around the league don’t expect the Lions to assign the franchise tag to Ndamukong Suh, since the price ($26.87MM) would simply be too high for one player. Per Schefter, those who know Suh think that the idea of playing in a big market like New York, Chicago, or Dallas has always appealed to him. The Jets, Giants, Bears, and Cowboys could all certainly use a player like Suh, though you could say that about nearly every team in the NFL.
- There’s a “real sense” that the Buccaneers have their sights set on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as the No. 1 pick in April, says Schefter, though he cautions that many NFL execs and scouts consider Jameis Winston the best QB prospect in the draft. We still have three months until draft night, so plenty can – and will – change in between now and then.
- While the Vikings seem comfortable with the idea of bringing back Adrian Peterson, the veteran running back may not want to return to Minnesota. According to Schefter, at least six teams have already done background work on Peterson to prepare for the possibility that he becomes available.
- Multiple executives told Caplan at the Senior Bowl that Washington‘s Kirk Cousins and Mike Glennon of the Buccaneers are viable trade candidates, especially for teams looking for stopgap starters for the 2015 season. One NFC team exec said he thought both Cousins and Glennon would be worth a fourth- or fifth-round pick in a trade.
- Although former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is coming off a successful season in Buffalo, he’s no lock to coach anywhere in 2015, says Caplan. We’ve heard all along that Schwartz will be patient when it comes to picking his next job, and Caplan notes that there’s still $6MM left on his deal with the Bills, which gives him the flexibility to take his time.
- Caplan identifies six free-agents-to-be who may fly under the radar this offseason but could really help a team, including running back Roy Helu, linebacker Dan Skuta, and safety Jeron Johnson.
NFC Notes: Glennon, Rams, Eagles, Fewell
Assuming the Buccaneers intend to draft a quarterback in April with the first overall pick, that should make Mike Glennon expendable, and this spring could be an ideal time to move him in a trade, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. As Cummings points out, the free agent market for QBs is weak, and there are few viable rookie options besides Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. For teams looking to add a potential starting quarterback, Glennon may actually be one of the best options available, and should only cost a mid-round pick.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Former Buffalo offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has a second interview lined up with the Rams for their offensive coordinator position this week, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Per La Canfora, the Bills would like to bring back Hackett, who is also drawing interest from Washington and the Jaguars as a potential quarterbacks coach.
- In addition to considering Chris Polian for their front office opening, the Eagles have Dolphins scout Chris Grier and internal candidate Ed Marynowitz at or near the top of their list of targets, reports Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. One source tells Mosher that he believes Grier is coming in to interview for a second time with Chip Kelly.
- Ex-Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has an offer from the 49ers to become their defensive backs coach, says John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). However, before he makes a decision on that offer, Fewell is speaking to Washington about a similar role on Jay Gruden‘s staff, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- CFL receiver Duron Carter is expected to make a decision on his NFL team this week, according to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities, who tweets that the Vikings and a couple other teams remain well-positioned — one of those other suitors is certainly the Colts, who were reported on the weekend to be the frontrunners. Carter can’t officially sign an NFL contract until February 10 unless the Montreal Alouettes release him from his CFL deal.
- Speaking to reporters in Arizona, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said it was “very tough” to pass up a free agent offer last year from the Bears, who offered him “way more money.” Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times has the quotes and the details.
- Locking up linebacker Lavonte David to a long-term deal, perhaps in the neighborhood of $7MM annually, should be a priority for the Buccaneers this season, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
Colts Favorites To Land Duron Carter
The Colts “appear to have the edge” in landing highly-coveted CFL star Duron Carter, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. PFR”s Luke Adams pointed out on Friday that Carter was down to two finalists and posited that the Browns had fallen out of contention. Holder confirms that speculation, writing that the Vikings are the “other team to watch” in the Carter sweepstakes but making no mention of Cleveland whatsoever.
Carter’s story has been well-documented, and Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report published a detailed piece several days ago describing Carter’s fall from burgeoning star at Ohio State to a player that no NFL club wanted even as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Since then, however, Carter has resurrected his career after excelling with the Montreal Alouettes in back-to-back seasons, displaying the type of athleticism and natural ability that can make an NFL executive’s mouth water.
Since the end of the CFL season, Carter has been auditioning for a number of NFL clubs, finally concluding his workouts last week. It was not long ago that the Vikings were considered the favorite to sign Carter, but it was later revealed that Minnesota was not the top bidder for Carter’s services, and now Indianapolis appears to have taken the lead. The Colts, of course, have been in the mix all along, and we learned back in November that the imminent departure of Reggie Wayne, combined with GM Ryan Grigson‘s willingness to take chances, Grigson’s connections with the CFL, and Indianapolis’ history of gambling on players with “baggage” suggested that Carter may soon be playing his home games in Lucas Oil Stadium.
One thing that has rarely been discussed in the myriad articles discussing where Carter might land and what he might bring to the table is the type of deal he might command. As Holder points out, financial details will of course play a role in Carter’s decision, but it is unclear what those details might be. Holder does note that Carter, who amassed 1,939 receiving yards during his two years in Montreal, does have personal relationships with current Colts Jonathan Newsome and Trent Richardson, but Minnesota also holds the attraction of being the place where Carter’s father, Cris, resurrected his own career and became a Hall-0f-Famer.
Per a CFL-NFL agreement, Carter cannot sign with an NFL club until February 10, but when he is eligible to sign, the smart money appears to be on the Colts.
Extra Points: Luck, Vikings, Pro Bowl
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Saturday evening…
- We heard earlier this week that the Colts were preparing a “blockbuster mega deal” for franchise quarterback Andrew Luck. That was apparently news to the former first-overall pick, as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets that Luck was surprised about the inquiries regarding an extension. As a result, Holder believes a new contract is not “imminent.”
- Colts linebacker Andrew Jackson was arrested in Kentucky early Friday morning, reports Sabrina Adams of Fox 59 in Indy. The rookie was reportedly taken in for “careless driving and suspicion of DUI.”
- The Vikings have struggled since their Super Bowl run in 2009, making the playoffs just once. However, general manager Rick Spielman is happy with the progress his players have made. “Our team got older when we went through our Super Bowl run when we had Brett Favre and I knew we had to get younger,” Spielman said told Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. “That takes some time, and we’ve been able to accomplish that over the last couple of years and with the number of draft picks that we had. Now you’re hoping that those guys would develop and some of those guy are developing into pretty good football players for us. That cycle will be hopefully the guys that we extend and keep around for a while.”
- The Pro Bowl is coming back to Hawaii. According to Gll Brandt of SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Dan Leberfeld JetsConfidential.com on Twitter), the league’s All-Star game will return to the Aloha State for the next three seasons. The 2014 Pro Bowl will take place at the same site as the Super Bowl, the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Jerome Felton Signs With Relativity Sports
Vikings fullback Jerome Felton has officially hired new representation, signing with Relativity Sports, reports Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (via Twitter).
Felton’s new agents at the firm will be C.J. LaBoy, Doug Hendrickson, and Eugene Parker. They will negotiate the terms of his next contract, as Felton is expected to opt out of his deal with the Vikings.
Felton’s former agent Sean Howard released a statement on his time with the Pro Bowl player, through Mullen (via Twitter). “For 7 years I’ve successfully assisted Jerome off the field, as well as guided his NFL career to Pro Bowl status,” said Howard. “I wish him continued success.”
Felton saw his snaps reduced heavily with the team in 2014, although the reason is unclear. It could certainly be due to changes in the coaching staff, with new offensive coordinator Norv Turner preferring a one back system.
It may not have been Turner’s true intention, however, as the team could not commit as much energy to the running game after Adrian Peterson was suspended, which could have also effected his playing time. The team also has fullback Zach Line on the roster, and he could serve as a replacement should the team move on from Felton.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Cobb, Mathis
With cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Davon House both eligible for free agency this offseason, the Packers must decide whether to retain one, neither, or both, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. For his part, House would like to see both he and Williams work out new deals with the team.
“In a perfect world, we both come back,” House said. “But there’s only two starting corners on each team. Tramon is well-deserving. I feel like my potential is pretty high. So we’ll see, we’ll see.”
Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- A team source tells Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com that he can’t see Packers GM Ted Thompson letting wideout Randall Cobb get away in free agency. However, Cobb says that until he has signed on the dotted line, he “can’t be for certain on anything.”
- Asked at the end of the 2014 season if he wanted to play one more season, cornerback Rashean Mathis suggested that he may have more than one year left in him, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. Although Mathis turns 35 before the 2015 season, he’s coming off a strong year, and would like to re-sign with the Lions, though he didn’t rule out the possibility of playing for another team.
- Longtime Vikings nose tackle Kevin Williams is playing for the Seahawks now, looking for his first Super Bowl ring next Sunday, but when he eventually retires he wants to sign a one-day contract with Minnesota and go out as a Viking, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.