NFC Notes: Lynch, Seahawks, Packers, Giants
Let’s take a quick spin around the NFC:
- Despite Marshawn Lynch‘s indication on Twitter that he is planning to retire — and his agent’s subsequent confirmation — some Seahawks don’t believe that the veteran running back intends to hang up his cleats, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who reports that some Seattle players believe that Lynch will have interest in returning to the field after he presumably skips offseason work. Of course, if Lynch doesn’t officially file retirement papers, the Seahawks are likely to release him, so staying with Seattle might not be an option.
- The Packers might need to revamp their offensive line in the coming calendar year, as three starters — guards Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang, and left tackle David Bakhtiari — as well as key reserve J.C. Tretter, are all set to hit unrestricted free agency after the upcoming season, as Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. With the group’s impending free agent status in mind, general manager Ted Thompson was “glued” to offensive line drills at the Senior Bowl, a source tells Silverstein, who notes that besides finding potential future starters, Green Bay need to bring in offensive line depth after injuries depleted the front five last season.
- After the Giants released a trio of veteran players — tackle Will Beatty, guard Geoff Schwartz, and linebacker Jon Beason (who subsequently announced his retirement) — Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News takes a look at who could replace each of the departed. The club is probably set at left tackle, where 2015 first-rounder Ereck Flowers played all last season, and figures to do again in 2016. But at guard, Vacchiano points to Kansas City’s Jeff Allen as a free agent who cold intrigue Big Blue, while at linebacker, Denver’s Danny Trevathan (and his expensive price tag) might be on the Giants’ radar.
Justin Tuck Announces Retirement
FEBRUARY 11: During an appearance on Big Blue Kickoff Live, Tuck said he plans to sign a one-day contract to retire as a Giant, tweets Lance Medow of the Giants’ Radio Network.
FEBRUARY 1: After playing 11 NFL seasons, veteran defensive end Justin Tuck has decided to call it a career, according to Mike Garafaolo of FOX Sports, who reports that Tuck will be retiring. The 32-year-old confirmed his decision on Facebook, and in comments to Garafolo.
“It’s been like a tug of war, and finally the rope broke,” Tuck said of his decision on whether or not to end his playing career. “And where I fell was retirement.”
Tuck’s final NFL season in 2015 was cut short due a torn right pectoral muscle, which landed him on the injured reserve list last October. Unlike Ravens wideout Steve Smith, who reconsidered his plan to retire once he suffered a season-ending surgery, Tuck isn’t determined to play one more healthy season before moving on to the next stage of his career — even though he thinks he’s capable of doing it.
“Physically, I feel like I can play with the best of them,” Tuck said. “It’s hilarious I got hurt on the most fluky play ever, but it’s part of it and maybe that was God trying to tell me something. I’m looking forward to being able to do something else.”
A third-round pick back in 2005, Tuck didn’t play much for the Giants during his first two seasons, but racked up 10 sacks as a part-time player in 2007, and then earned All-Pro honors in 2008, when he recorded 12 sacks and three forced fumbles. The Notre Dame product, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants, contributing to a pass rush that helped limit Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense during those games, spent nine years in New York before spending the last two with the Raiders.
For his career, Tuck appeared in 147 total regular-season games, including 127 for the Giants. He totaled 66.5 career sacks, getting into double-digits in four separate seasons, including his final year with the Giants in 2013. The two-time Pro Bowler also picked up 5.5 sacks in the postseason, with four of those sacks coming in Super Bowls against the Pats.
Despite enjoying his time in Oakland, Tuck, who would have been a free agent this offseason, admitted that a return to the Giants might have been the only scenario in which he continued his career in 2016. However, the Giants made his decision easier when they made a coaching change at season’s end.
“If Coach (Tom) Coughlin would’ve come back another year, I probably would’ve (considered) coming back,” Tuck told Garafolo. “I didn’t even venture down that road. I think I would’ve given a lot of consideration to it.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants Hire Ex-Lions GM Martin Mayhew
The Giants have added a former general manager to their front office today, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired Martin Mayhew as their director of football operations/special projects. It’s Mayhew’s first job since the Lions let him go from his GM position in November.
According to the Giants’ announcement, Mayhew will work closely with assistant general manager Kevin Abrams on cap issues and contract negotiations. Mayhew will also handle special projects assigned by GM Jerry Reese.
The Lions and Giants essentially completed a swap of front office executives, since Mayhew is replacing former Giants director of football operations Matt Harriss. The Lions signed Harris, who is expected to play a significant role in managing the team’s salary cap, as their VP of football administration last month.
Mayhew, who was named the Lions’ permanent GM in 2008, spent 15 years in total with the franchise, and had his ups and downs during his time in Detroit. The team earned postseason berths in 2011 and 2014, but never made it out of the first round during Mayhew’s tenure as GM, and finished below .500 in all of his non-playoff seasons.
Before he was hired by the Giants, Mayhew also interviewed for the Titans’ general manager job in January, and was reportedly considered for a football operations job in the Browns’ front office.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Draft Rumors: Spence, Jack, Cowboys
Eastern Kentucky’s Noah Spence is an interesting prospect with one of the more unique “red flag” situations in this year’s class. Spence, a former star at Ohio State, was dismissed from the Buckeyes after two positive tests for ecstasy. In 2015, Spence shined for the Colonels, but he’ll now have to answer questions about his history. They say that honesty is the best policy, and that’s exactly the approach that the defensive end will be taking heading into the draft, as Tony Pauline writes for PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
Last year, cornerback Marcus Peters wound up being a first-round pick of the Chiefs despite his own off-the-field issues. Peters’ strategy was to accept just about every interview and visit request from NFL teams and Spence will be taking a page out of his book. It’s probably not a coincidence that Peters and Spence share the same agent.
Here’s more on the NFL Draft, courtesy of Pauline:
- Decision makers have indicated to Pauline that UCLA’s Myles Jack will go “very early” in the draft. Pauline admits that he, personally, is not a fan of the linebacker, but NFL decision makers are referring to Jack as a “rare athlete.” There are concerns about his size, but scouts are quick to point to Shaq Thompson, the Panthers first round pick in 2015, as an example of a player who was not held back by his statue. Jack, they say, is also a much better prospect than Thompson.
- In an informal survey of NFL execs, Pauline says that this is the consensus for how the first five picks will go: 1. Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss, left tackle), 2. Jalen Ramsey (Florida State, defensive back) 3. Jared Goff (Cal, quarterback), 4. Jack, 5) Joey Bosa (Ohio State, defensive end).
- Ramsey going that early would be disappointing to the Cowboys as Pauline hears that the FSU star sits atop their wish list. Dallas owns the No. 4 pick in the draft. Ramsey, a former top ten recruit out of high school, shows promise at both the cornerback and safety positions. Last season, he tallied 3.5 tackles for loss and 10 pass break-ups. In 2014, he had a gaudy stat line of 79 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and12 pass break-ups.
- Former LSU cornerback Rashard Robinson is drawing a lot of interest and the Raiders and Giants are among the teams impressed by him. Robinson played at LSU in the 2013 season, but a series of issues led to him being jettisoned from the program. Robinson was suspended indefinitely in 2014 and was denied reinstatement to the program in 2015. Robinson has red flags, but he’s also a 6’2″ corner with talent.
- Safety Keanu Neal (Florida) is getting late first-round consideration from teams. In fact, several teams view Neal as the “best-looking safety in the draft” thanks in no small part to his explosive play. A leg injury slowed him down somewhat in 2015, but scouts are putting more stock into film from the 2014 season when he was healthy.
- Indiana defensive tackle Darius Latham has promise and, talent-wise, projects as a second/third round talent. However, like Spence, he has some off-the-field issues that need to be addressed. Latham was suspended back in September for a student ethics violation – the second suspension of his collegiate career. The Indiana standout measures at 6’4″, 310 pounds and finished his IU career with 81 tackles, 31 solo, 7.5 sacks (42 yards), 18.5 tackles for loss (66 yards), two fumble recoveries, one interception, seven pass breakups, and two blocked extra points.
- Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez is generating buzz after he tallied six tackles in the Senior Bowl, Pauline writes.
East Rumors: Tannehill, Patriots, Kap
Ryan Tannehill asked former Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor for more audible latitude last season prior to Lazor’s dismissal, but the then-OC dismissed the notion, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
In Adam Gase, Tannehill will find a more innovative offensive coach, at least judging by his 2010s work in Denver and Chicago, but may not enjoy the kind of freedom he covets, Jackson notes. Gase’s work with Peyton Manning in 2013-14 notwithstanding, the Bears, per CSNChicago.com, were not an audible-heavy team under his direction last season, even as Jay Cutler progressed.
“I’m going to speak for Ryan right now, which I typically don’t do,” Greg Jennings told Finsiders.com. “He wants some more freedom. … He’s been hand-held his entire career.”
Here’s the latest from the NFL’s Eastern divisions on Day 1 of the offseason.
- Jennings is no lock to be employed by the Dolphins next season after he caught just 19 passes for 208 yards — both well below his previous career-low marks. The 32-year-old wideout’s entering the second season of a two-year, $8MM contract, and the Dolphins, per Pro Football Talk (via Jackson), haven’t told him he’ll be back. Jennings is due to occupy a $5.5MM cap number for the currently over-the-cap Fins, who can save $4MM by cutting the backup target. Jennings is currently Miami’s highest-paid receiver.
- The Patriots are in discussions with retired coach Dante Scarnecchia about a return to the coaching staff to fix their ailing offensive line, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Scarnecchia retired after the 2013 season but he has remained around the Pats, particularly to help with evaluating offensive line prospects in the draft. One source told Reiss that it would be a surprise if the coach wasn’t back on the sidelines for the Pats in 2016. Scarnecchia had retired after 32 seasons in the NFL, 30 of which came in New England.
- There has been a lot of debate as to whether the Jets should pursue 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and, over the weekend, Hall of Famer Joe Namath weighed in. “I think he should consider that a little more,” Namath told ESPN radio (via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News) when asked about Brandon Marshall‘s opposition to the idea. “I know that [Ryan] Fitzpatrick did a wonderful job this year. Whenever I’m asked to critique what I’ve seen and what I feel, I know that he would like to throw the ball more accurately given the chance. You need more than one quarterback on a team. If Kaepernick were available, I’d certainly consider bringing him in, yes.“
- During an appearance on the Fox News show Fox & Friends, Tom Coughlin reiterated he has no plans to retire, via Tom Rock of Newsday. “I’m not. … I don’t like that word, you know, the retired word,” Coughlin said. “I’m way too young for that, you know what I mean?” Coughlin will also discuss a potential advisory role with the Giants with John Mara soon, Rock reports. Coughlin’s coached in the NFL for 20 of the past 21 seasons, eight with the Jaguars before sitting out 2003.
Zach Links contributed to this report
Extra Points: Manziel, Schwartz, London
Long thought to be Johnny Manziel‘s career lifeline, the Cowboys may not have been interested in the embattled quarterback at all, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Team sources told Hill the Browns quarterback who could be facing legal action for his potential role in a domestic assault wasn’t on the Cowboys’ radar even before the ex-Heisman Trophy winner’s latest off-the-field occurrence.
Hill writes the same personnel who advised Jerry Jones to pass on the polarizing Texas A&M quarterback in favor of Zack Martin are still in place. The Cowboys remain very much in search of a quality backup quarterback, but Manziel doesn’t fit that profile and appears to be a non-starter in Dallas.
The Browns are expected to cut Manziel before the new league year begins.
Here’s the latest from around the league.
- The NFL’s tri-annual showcases in London continue to generate buzz on a franchise spawning in the United Kingdom’s biggest city, and Roger Goodell isn’t doing anything to squelch that notion. “We are considering playing more games in the U.K. It’s a balancing act with our schedule. … As far as a franchise, let’s continue to grow. Let’s continue to see that excitement and enthusiasm, passion and support continue to develop. If it does, I think that’s a realistic possibility,” Goodell told media, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. The obvious logistical issues remain, as London is an eight hours ahead of the Pacific Time Zone, and such an expansion would be the most daring step among the four major American sports leagues.
- Goodell stands in favor of the league pursuing a policy that will automatically eject players after they receive their second personal foul in a game, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports. “I believe that that’s consistent with what we believe are safety issues,” the commissioner told media at his yearly address, “but I also believe it’s consistent with what we believe are the standards of sportsmanship that we’ve emphasized. We should take that out of the hands of the officials.” Any rule change must be approved by at least 24 of the 32 owners. John Mara wants such a rule to be clear as opposed to a gray area regarding low-end personal fouls. “To me, it’d have to be severe enough personal fouls as opposed to something like an incidental facemask,” Mara told Maske. Following the actions of Odell Beckham Jr. and Vontaze Burfict within a span of three weeks, the league would appear to have momentum to pass legislation of this sort.
- Geoff Schwartz would be hesitant if the Giants were to pursue his free agent brother Mitchell Schwartz, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports. The Giants are in need of a right tackle after turning to journeyman Marshall Newhouse last season, and the 26-year-old Mitchell Schwartz is arguably the best available. The Browns’ right-edge presence graded as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best tackle this season. “I don’t know if we would get along too well playing next to each other for a while, just because of our personalities,” Geoff Schwartz said. “Maybe after a week or so, we’d kind of get tired of each other. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong. He’s the best right tackle this year, I hope he goes somewhere and gets every cent he can get. I just don’t know if the Giants are in position to pay a right tackle eight-and-a-half-, nine-million dollars.” Geoff Schwartz stands to make $3.9MM in base salary if the Giants bring the injury-prone guard/tackle back for a third season. He does not, however, want his brother to re-sign with the rebuilding Browns. “Obviously, you want to get your money, but you want to win. You don’t want to be on a losing team. He’s had four offensive coordinators in four years. He’s had three or four GMs, three head coaches. I mean, you can’t win that way,” Schwartz said.
- Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman did not activate the brakes when his Dodge Ram collided with a Honda Civic in October, injuring the other driver, according to the Seattle Times’ Lynn Thompson. Coleman, who played in a career-most 14 games for the Seahawks this season, was going 60 mph in 35-mph zone at the time of the crash, one that left the driver of the Honda Civic with a concussion and a broken collarbone. Coleman suffered a concussion in the accident while losing his hearing aid. Coleman told police he’d smoked a form of synthetic marijuana, not illegal in Washington, an hour before the collision.
East Notes: Curry, Eagles, Jets, Giants, Fins
Edge rusher Vinny Curry became the latest Eagle to sign a long-term extension with the club this week, inking a five-year deal that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2020. And while the initial guarantee of Curry’s $47MM deal was reported as $23MM, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that the full guarantee is actually only $18MM — the remaining $5MM is for injury only. Corry also passes along Curry’s cap charges from 2016-2020 (Twitter link): $3MM, $9MM, $11MM, $11.25MM, and finally, $12MM in 2020.
There’s more news from the East divisions, so let’s dive in:
- The Jets have hired Jeff Hammerschmidt as assistant special teams coordinator, the club announced via press release. Hammerschmidt spent the past four years as Colorado State’s special teams coach, and also worked with the team’s running backs and tight ends. He’ll serve under Brant Boyer, whom New York hired away from the Colts earlier this week.
- In his latest offseason preview, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a look at the Giants, noting that the club’s main goal in the next few months should be working out contract solutions with receiver Victor Cruz and tackle Will Beatty. A strong effort during the free agent period, opines Fitzgerald, will be key if Big Blue wants to compete in 2016.
- Ryan Tannehill was essentially banned from calling audibles last season, so much so that receiver Greg Jennings isn’t sure anyone knows what the young Dolphins quarterback is really capable of, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “[H]e hasn’t been given the reins to where he has the liberty and freedom to call his shots sometimes,” said Jennings. “It’s almost like taking a baby who’s six years old and he still has a bottle in his mouth. Gotta take it out and see if he can drink out of a cup.”
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cousins, Goldson, Eli
After meeting with several candidates for their front office opening, the Eagles have halted their search for a new personnel chief for now, as we learned earlier this week. Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Howie Roseman explained why the team doesn’t plan to fill that position until after the draft.
“Just by the nature of the time of year, teams aren’t necessarily going to be so aligned with [a comprehensive search],” Roseman said. “We’re looking at this as a long-term decision for us – not just a five-month decision. The candidates we looked at were good, but we also want to make sure we’re looking at all the good candidates that are available.”
Roseman was also asked about the possibility of re-signing quarterback Sam Bradford and extending defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, and while he declined to go into specifics, he expressed some interest in locking up both players. “Everything is positive about Sam” and the Eagles have the cap space to re-sign him, according to Roseman, who said of Cox, “We’d love for him not only to start his career but finish his career as an Eagle.”
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- Although Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap initially thought the Eagles overpaid offensive tackle Lane Johnson on his new extension, a deeper dive into the number reveals the deal is more team-friendly than it looks on the surface, as Fitzgerald explains.
- Mike Jones of the Washington Post weighs the pro and cons of Washington franchising Kirk Cousins or signing him to a multiyear deal, concluding that locking the quarterback up to a long-term deal now would “probably bring more benefits” than the franchise tag would.
- Veteran safety Dashon Goldson is set to count for $8MM on Washington‘s books in 2016, and the team could clear that entire amount by cutting him. However, John Keim of ESPN.com thinks Goldson will stick around, perhaps after accepting a pay cut or restructure, since the club still values what he can provide both on the field and in the locker room.
- As his 39-year-old brother prepares to play what could be his last game, Giants quarterback Eli Manning said this week that he believes he has several more good years of football in him and is optimistic about playing until he’s 40, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
East Notes: Cowboys, Dolphins, Bromley
Earlier today, we heard that the Cowboys were set to talk to former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan about their defensive backs coach position, but Nolan isn’t the only candidate for the opening. According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter), the Cowboys will also interview Tim Lewis, lost his job as the Niners’ defensive backs coach last month.
Alex Marvez of FOX Sports adds a few more names to the Cowboys’ list of possible targets, tweeting that the team has already interviewed Titans assistant secondary coach Steve Brown, former Colts assistant Mike Gillhamer, and former Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden, who has since been hired by the Lions. Even with Golden off the table, it certainly seems that Dallas has no shortage of candidates to replace Jerome Henderson.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- It’s only been a few hours since word broke that the Browns are expected to cut Johnny Manziel when the 2016 league year officially begins, but that’s plenty of time for the speculation about Manziel landing with the Cowboys to rev up. As Todd Archer of ESPN.com and David Moore of the Dallas Morning News observe, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted to select Manziel during the 2014 draft, but was talked out of it by other members of the team’s front office, and the quarterback has shown little since then – on or off the field – to make the club regret that decision. Still, Jones may still harbor some optimism for Manziel’s potential, and as Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link) writes, the team hasn’t shied away from signing players with character red flags.
- The linebacker position “will be of particular interest” for the Dolphins throughout this offseason, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who writes that the club will be looking for two starting-caliber linebackers. Salguero suggests Miami will likely try to replace middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and outside linebacker Koa Misi this winter, if possible.
- A police source tells Ryan Sit and Rocco Parascandola of the New York Daily News that investigators have uncovered “significant discrepancies” in the story told by the woman who accused Giants defensive tackle Jay Bromley of assaulting and attempting to rape her. Bromley has steadfastly denied his accuser’s allegations.
East Notes: J. Reed, Hardy, Dolphins, Bromley
Two tight ends from the 2013 draft class, Zach Ertz of the Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Chiefs, signed lucrative new contract extensions last week, potentially setting the market for another tight end who was drafted that year. As Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post writes, it could be time for Washington to explore a new deal for Jordan Reed, whom GM Scot McCloughan wants to keep around.
However, it’s not as simple as immediately offering Reed an extension similar to the ones signed by Ertz and Kelce. As Tesfatsion details, 2015 was the first time that the Washington tight end exhibited an ability to stay healthy for a full season, so the team may be wary about jumping right into a long-term commitment. The Kirk Cousins situation also looms large over Washington’s offseason, and it could make sense for the club to get a sense of what it will be paying Cousins in 2016 and beyond before finalizing anything with Reed.
As we wait to see how McCloughan and co. handle the Reed situation, let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions….
- Although the Cowboys may be unlikely to re-sign Greg Hardy, at least one of the defensive end’s teammates would like to see him back in Dallas in 2016. Dez Bryant recently told Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News that he hopes the Cowboys can re-sign Hardy, adding that he’d “love” to continue playing with him.
- Teams rarely let 26-year-old pass rushers get away unless the cost is astronomical, which is why Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap thinks it would make sense for the Dolphins to retain Olivier Vernon this winter. Fitzgerald explores that topic and many others in his preview of Miami’s offseason.
- With a police investigation ongoing, Giants defensive tackle Jay Bromley is steadfastly denying that he attempted to rape and assaulted a woman in a New York hotel, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Bromley’s manager has said the allegations are “absolutely not” true, while the lineman’s attorney said he doesn’t expect his client to be charged.