NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/7/20
The latest reserve/futures signings from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- K/P Kaare Vedvik
Detroit Lions
- RB Tra Carson
New England Patriots
- OLB Tashawn Bower
Oakland Raiders
- RB Mark Thompson, LB Nick Usher
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Darrin Hall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DE Quinton Bell, S Deiondre’ Hall, T Brad Seaton, RB Aca’Cedric Ware
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/6/20
Here are Monday’s reserve/futures deals:
Green Bay Packers
- WR Reggie Begelton, RB Elijah Wellman
Miami Dolphins
- QB Jake Rudock
New England Patriots
- WR Quincy Adeboyejo, LB Terez Hall, S Obi Melifonwu, S Adarius Pickett, WR Devin Ross, DL Nick Thurman, G Najee Toran
Oakland Raiders
- CB Dylan Mabin
Philadelphia Eagles
- WR River Cracraft, TE Alex Ellis, WR Marcus Green, DT Albert Huggins, QB Kyle Lauletta, WR Marken Michel, C Keegan Render, CB Tremon Smith
Latest On Tom Brady, Patriots
His season complete after Round 1 for the first time since the 2009 season, Tom Brady is on the doorstep of free agency for the first time. As of now, the Patriots’ 42-year-old quarterback is not planning to retire. Brady followed up those comments soon after and did not sound like someone ready to leave the game.
“I’ll explore those opportunities whenever they are. If it’s the Patriots, great. If that doesn’t work, I don’t know. I just don’t know,” Brady said, via Peter King of NBC Sports. “I love playing football. I still want to play football. I think I still can play at a championship level. I’ve just got to go do it. I’m motivated to get back to work and training.”
Brady received a pay raise from the Patriots last year, but Tom Curran of NBC Sports notes the future first-ballot Hall of Famer wanted the type of extension Drew Brees received from the Saints in 2018. Brees re-upped for two years and $50MM two Marches ago, while the Patriots preferred a year-to-year arrangement entering his age-42 season. Brady would become a free agent in March and do so for the first time.
Robert Kraft has frequently made clear he does not want the all-time great playing for another team. The Patriots owner told King it was difficult to approve Brady’s request for 2020 flexibility, and he now hopes the team fits into the passer’s plans.
“Before the season started it was very important to Tom that he be free to do whatever he wanted at the end of the year. You know what I said to myself? That any person who plays 20 years for this team and helps us get to nine Super Bowls, and been really selfless, has earned that right,” Kraft said. “And you know, my hope and prayer is No. 1, he play for the Patriots. Or No. 2, he retires. … But I just hope and pray we fit into his plans.”
Bill Belichick will play a key role in determining if Brady is back. But rather than give the 20-year veteran a raise, Belichick is likely to allow Brady to see what his options are in free agency, Curran adds. With 38-year-old Philip Rivers a free agent-to-be, the Chargers have been linked to Brady. The Raiders could loom as a dark horse, King writes.
Having traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers years ago, the Patriots do not have a realistic Brady heir apparent that would keep them on this level. Allowing Brady to walk would create a fascinating scenario where this century’s premier franchise must aggressively chase a quarterback. At the same time, the Pats will likely need to upgrade their pass-catching corps to entice Brady to return.
Coaching Rumors: Panthers, Rhule, McDaniels
The latest from around the NFL:
- Saints assistant Mike Nolan is a name to watch as new Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy searches for his next defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears.
- The Panthers‘ interview with Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will take place in Minneapolis on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports. The Browns could also schedule a chat with Stefanski for that same day. During Stefanski’s first full season at the helm, the Vikings ranked as a top-10 offense in points. With Stefanski on the sidelines, the Vikings also managed a 26-20 win over the Saints on Sunday to advance to the divisional round.
- The Giants‘ interview with Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has been scheduled for Tuesday, Schefter hears. After that, they’ll meet with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels on Wednesday. Both interviews will take place in New Jersey.
- At least 4 NFL teams have expressed interest in former Giants head coach Pat Shurmur as an offensive coordinator, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. Shurmur has also heard from “a college team or two.” Shurmur was fired by the Giants after amassing a 9-23 record over the course of two disappointing seasons.
Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order
After a weekend full of drama and upsets, four more spots have been determined in this year’s NFL Draft order. Most notably – the Patriots will pick No. 23 overall, their highest original pick since 2006.
Here’s the updated rundown, from Nos. 1-24:
1. Bengals (2-14)
2. Redskins (3-13)
3. Lions (3-12-1)
4. Giants (4-12)
5. Dolphins (5-11)
6. Chargers (5-11)
7. Panthers (5-11)
8. Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jaguars (6-10)
10. Browns (6-10)
11. Jets (7-9)
12. Raiders (7-9)
13. Colts (7-9)
14. Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Broncos (7-9)
16. Falcons (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)
19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)
20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)
21. Eagles (9-7)
22. Bills (10-6)
23. Patriots (12-4)
24. Saints (13-3)
Benjamin Watson Likely To Retire
Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson is likely to retire, as the 39-year-old told reporters, including Zack Cox of NESN, in an emotional interview last night (video link).
New England was eliminated from the postseason on Saturday, and Watson, who was brought in to help fill the void left by Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement, caught three passes for 38 yards in the game. He also had a long reception called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield penalty.
Of course, Watson announced in December 2018 that he would be hanging up the cleats, but he chose to come out of retirement to sign with the Pats in May. Unfortunately, he was suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season due to a violation of the league’s PED policy — he reportedly took a testosterone supplement subscribed by his doctor while he was still retired — and New England released him on October 7. But he re-signed with the team shortly thereafter, and he ended the season with 17 catches for 173 yards.
In sixteen seasons in the NFL that included two separate stints with the Patriots and Saints, in addition to stops with the Ravens and Browns, Watson — who has been a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award on several occasions — compiled 547 catches for 6,058 yards and 44 TDs. He also captured a championship ring as a member of the Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXIX team.
Watson said, “there’s only so much your body can take, and so much you want to put your family though, before you want to settle down and have some roots. Figure out what the next chapter of your life is going to be.”
Tom Brady Unlikely To Retire?
Whenever the Patriots’ 2019 season ended, there was always going to be rampant speculation about Tom Brady‘s future, given that he is eligible to become a free agent for the first time in his long and illustrious career. And now that the Titans have ended New England’s hopes for a repeat, let the speculation and rumor-mongering commence.
At his post-game presser, Brady was, predictably, asked about whether he would retire or continue playing. And while Brady understandably said he didn’t want to discuss his future so soon after a difficult playoff loss, he indicated that he was not planning on retiring. “I would say it’s pretty unlikely. … Hopefully unlikely,” Brady said (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com).
If he does return for his age-43 season, Brady may not be back with the Patriots. He has been connected to the Chargers, and there is also some thought that he could join longtime OC Josh McDaniels if McDaniels accepts a head coaching job with the Panthers. The Colts, who have an uncertain QB situation but who otherwise have a strong roster and a bevy of cap space, could also be a fit.
However, Brady has not ruled out a return to Foxborough. “I love the Patriots. They have the greatest organization,” Brady said. “Playing for [owner Robert] Kraft all these years and coach [Bill] Belichick, there’s nobody who has had a better career than me, just being with them. I’m very blessed. I don’t know what the future looks like, so I’m not going to predict it.”
The Patriots cannot use the franchise tag on Brady in 2020, and if he does choose to come back, the Patriots would need to add more offensive firepower. It’s fair to wonder if New England would have prevailed over Tennessee if it had one or two more reliable receiving weapons, and the prospect of several more targets combined with the Pats’ sturdy defense could make the prospect of another year in Massachusetts attractive.
And Brady surely doesn’t want his career to end on a pick-six, as it would if he chose to retire this year. But as he said, “[w]ho knows what the future holds? We’ll leave it at that,”
NFL Pushes Back On Patriots Discipline Reports
Earlier this morning, there was a report that the Patriots were definitely going to be punished for committing a “game-day violation” as part of their videotaping scandal. Now, the league office is pushing back on that report. 
The NFL released a statement denying that any final decision had been made, via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “The investigation is ongoing and there has been no discussion of any potential discipline. Any suggestion of potential discipline or a timeline on an announcement is pure speculation,” the statement read. Schefter had reported that the official punishment was going to come down in the next two weeks, and obviously Roger Goodell took issue with his reporting.
Schefter cited a couple of examples of potential discipline, which have come up repeatedly throughout this process. One is the $250K fine for the Browns and four-game suspension for then-GM Ray Farmer for in-game texting, and the other is the Falcons losing a fifth-round pick and being fined $350K for pumping in artificial crowd noise to their stadium.
Everything has indicated for a while now that Goodell will hand down some sort of punishment, but it’s interesting that he took the unusual step of releasing this statement in response to a specific report. Perhaps the Pats have a chance to escape from this latest controversy unscathed after all.
Patriots To Be Disciplined For Video Violation
The Patriots will indeed be punished for their “acknowledged gameday video violations in Cincinnati,” reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that New England did commit a game-day violation, but it’s uncertain if there’s a link to football operations.
Schefter notes that the punishment is likely to come within the next two weeks. The NFL has yet to collect all of the security reports, but there should be clarity once that’s resolved.
Schefter also cited a basis for the impending discipline. Back in 2015, former Browns general manager Ray Farmer violated the league’s electronic device policy by sending text messages to the coaching staff during games. The Browns were fined $250K and Farmer was suspended four games without pay. The same year, the Falcons were forced to forfeit a fifth-rounder and pay a $350K fine after it was found that team president Rich McKay was responsible for pumping in crowd noise during home games (McKay was also suspended from the competition committee).
To review, the Patriots’ media production team was filming a feature on a scout during a Bengals-Browns game in early December. The film crew obtained the necessary credentials to follow the scout to the Cleveland press box. However, part of the B-roll included footage of the Cincinnati sideline, and NFL teams are prohibited from shooting video of coaches on the sideline. Plus, the Pats played the Bengals the following weekend, which led to further questioning about their motives.
The Patriots acknowledged that they should have done a better job advising the crew of league protocol, and they also conceded that they should have informed the Bengals and the league of their intentions prior to the game. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick immediately distanced himself from the incident and was reportedly furious when he learned about it. Commissioner Roger Goodell previously confirmed that the Patriots’ history with illegal videotaping would be factored into the process.
Patriots Grant Giants Permission To Interview Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge
The Patriots have granted the Giants permission to interview assistants Josh McDaniels and Joe Judge for their head coaching vacancy, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. They’ve also given their blessing to the Browns and Panthers to speak with McDaniels, McBride hears. 
Both men will have to wait until next week to interview as candidates coaching in Wild Card games are not permitted to interview next week. But, after the Patriots face the Titans on Saturday night, they’ll have a busy schedule ahead of them.
McDaniels, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, famously left the Colts at the altar following the 2017 season. Two years later, teams are still intrigued by what he can bring to the table, though they may be concerned about a potential flip-flop. For his part, McDaniels believes that teams will still be willing to consider him for HC positions.
As the Broncos’ head coach in 2009 and (most of ) 2010, McDaniels coached Denver to an 11-17 mark. Judge, the Patriots’ special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach, joined the Pats in 2012 after a three-year stint at Alabama.