Cardinals To Hire Mike McCoy As OC
Mike McCoy will be running another Western-division team’s offense in 2018. The Cardinals are set to hire him as their next OC, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The sides are working out a deal, per Rapoport. This will mark the third offense McCoy has overseen in the past three seasons. He ran the Chargers’ attack from 2013-16 as head coach and began last season as Broncos OC. McCoy’s second stay in Denver did not go as well, with the team firing him midway through the season.
Steve Wilks now has both of his coordinators on board days after taking the team’s HC reins. The top three coaches on the Cardinals’ staff have deep Panthers ties, although Wilks and McCoy’s Carolina tenures did not intersect. McCoy spent the first nine seasons of his NFL coaching career with the Panthers, from 2000-08, but Wilks didn’t arrive on staff until 2012. They’ll work together now, though, in beginning the post-Carson Palmer era.
The Broncos fired McCoy during their eight-game losing streak last season, but the 45-year-old coach experienced success in prior coaching positions.
His offense brought an uptick in Philip Rivers‘ career trajectory and helped Peyton Manning establish himself in Denver the year prior. McCoy’s most innovative coaching work may have come a year earlier, though, when he scrapped Denver’s offense midway through the season in order to install a Tim Tebow-friendly setup — one that ended up helping the team to an unlikely run to the divisional playoffs.
McCoy beat out Darrell Bevell for the Cards’ post, one that may or may not involve Larry Fitzgerald. The future Hall of Fame wideout has not committed to play a 15th season yet. The Cardinals do stand to return All-Pro David Johnson, and he’ll be vital to a team that does not have a surefire answer at quarterback post-Palmer.
Vikings To Interview Saints’ Dan Campbell For OC Job
The Vikings added another name to the interview list for their vacant offensive coordinator position. Former Dolphins interim head coach and current Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell will interview for the job, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
This meeting will take place on Tuesday at Mike Zimmer‘s ranch in Kentucky, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Tomasson adds Zimmer contacted Campbell about an assistant job two years ago before Campbell ultimately decided to join the Saints’ staff.
Campbell joins an interview list that consists of former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell, Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski and Texans QBs coach Sean Ryan. Bevell will receive the first interview, set for Friday.
Campbell has a history with Zimmer, to some degree, having been a Cowboys tight end for three seasons (2003-05) that overlapped with Zimmer’s time as Dallas’ DC.
The 41-year-old Campbell has served only as a tight ends coach or an interim head coach in his seven-year tenure as a full-time NFL assistant. This will mark his first interview for a coordinator position, but he did meet with Dolphins brass about Miami’s HC post in early 2016 prior to Adam Gase landing that job. Campbell succeeded Joe Philbin in 2015 with the Dolphins but got in 12 games as Miami’s HC that season, going 5-7.
Vince McMahon Announces XFL Reboot
The XFL is back. Roughly 17 years after its closure, WWE boss Vince McMahon announced that he is making a new foray into professional football.
In a press conference, McMahon declared that the XFL will return in 2020. Much like the first incarnation of the XFL, the introductory presser was sparse on details. However, as McMahon noted, the league is giving itself significantly more time to plan for the launch.
The league, McMahon says, will have fewer commercial breaks and move faster than the NFL’s version. The XFL will “start conservatively” with eight teams and 40-man rosters, but host cities for the teams have not yet been identified.
Surprisingly, McMahon’s “re-imagined” brand of football will not feature him as a brand ambassador. The WWE CEO vowed to bring in experienced football executives to run the show and said that the press conference might be the last we see of him with regards to the league. He added that there will be no crossover of talent from the wrestling organization to the football league, a stark difference from 2001 when Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler served as a commentary team.
There was some speculation that McMahon could position the league as a more patriotic alternative to the NFL, but he says the league “will have nothing to do with politics and nothing to do with social issues.” Instead, McMahon says the league will focus on its on-field product, though he was non-committal when asked if standing for the anthem will be mandatory.
Already, former University of Kentucky star Jared Lorenzen has volunteered his services for the XFL. “Well well well, how are you doing over there [Vince McMahon] and [Alpha Entertainment]?,” the Hefty Lefty wrote (on Twitter). “I see you may be looking for some athletes. I got ya. May be I do have 1 more comeback left me. #HeAteMe“
Latest On Johnny Manziel
Johnny Manziel’s agent says that he is giving the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL until Jan 31 to work out a ”fair deal.” The Tiger-Cats say they will not abide by any deadline. 
“A lot of stuff happens in the negotiation process,” Hamilton GM Eric Tillman said (via Alex Marvez of The Sporting News). “We have a lot of respect for Erik. Our meetings with Johnny have been good. We’ll be patient. I know the deadline is there but will be fluid. There’s a lot of time between now and the beginning of camp (in May).”
The Tiger-Cats, who own Manziel’s CFL rights, showed interest in signing the quarterback to a deal last year However, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie blocked the deal, saying that Manziel would first have to satisfy certain off-field conditions. In late December, Ambrosie opened the door for Manziel to join the league. The Tiger-Cats remain intrigued by Manziel’s potential, though they are unwilling to cave to demands by Manziel’s agent.
“I see a lot of good in Johnny. We see a lot of upside in him,” Tillman said. “We visited with him and looked him in the eye. I think he’s a guy who wants to reestablish himself even more as a person than a player. If he comes, I think it will be a win-win situation.”
Manziel, 26, has not played in the NFL since the 2015 season and the CFL could be a launching pad for his NFL return. If his camp can’t come to terms with Hamilton, he could always look into joining the XFL 2.0.
Vince McMahon To Launch Football League
What a time to be alive. On Thursday afternoon, WWE chief Vince McMahon will announce the formation of a new football league, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Of course, McMahon has done this before. In 2001, he partnered with NBC to launch the XFL, a league with no rules and no viewership to match. McMahon’s experiment drew phenomenal ratings in its debut, but fans tuned out over time, leading to the league’s closure after one season.
It’s presently unclear whether McMahon will use the XFL moniker for his new league. McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment offshoot has filed trademarks for “XFL,” but the company has also earmarked “UFL” and “United Football League.”
Given the current political climate and the backlash against National Anthem protests during the 2017 season, McMahon may look to brand his league as a patriotic alternative to the NFL. He might be able to tap into something on that front, but his venture will not succeed unless he can field a better talent pool with bigger stars than last time.
Jarvis Landry Doesn’t Expect To Re-Sign With Dolphins
Pending free agent wide receiver Jarvis Landry has told those close to him that he is not optimistic he’ll reach a long-term deal with the Dolphins, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
[RELATED: Dolphins, Ravens Discussed Jarvis Landry Trade]
Landry’s contract status has long been the subject of scrutiny in Miami, but the Dolphins didn’t formally exchange contract offers until December. Miami has yet to counter Landry’s latest ask, which is reportedly in the neighborhood of $14MM annually with $30MM in guarantees. The Dolphins have publicly questioned Landry during negotiations, while Landry has in turn called the talks “disrespectful.”
“He’s a Dolphin, he was drafted here, he’s been productive,” Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum said at the Senior Bowl. “[Head coach] Adam [Gase] has used him and he’s produced and he’s gotten better. As the three of us said, we want sustainability. We want to keep as many of our own players, within reason. Draft and develop them. But you can’t keep them all. That’s part of the system that we all live in.”
On the field in 2017, Landry topped his touchdown total from the 2015-16 seasons combined by scoring nine times, but he still didn’t get down the field with any regularity. In fact, his yards per reception was at a career-low of 8.8, down from 12.1 a year ago. Football Outsiders ranked Landry just 59th among 86 qualifiers in DVOA, a metric that grades a receiver on a per-play basis.
As such, league sources tell Beasley that Landry will struggle to reach the $14MM threshold, as that salary range is dominated by outside receivers such as A.J. Green, Davante Adams, and Julio Jones. While Miami does have the option of using the franchise tag on Landry, such a tender would cost more than $16MM.
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Los Angeles Rams
In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Los Angeles Rams, a surprise contender that captured the NFC West crown before suffering a defeat in the first round of the postseason.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Connor Barwin, LB
- Malcolm Brown, RB (ERFA)
- Derek Carrier, TE
- Cody Davis, S
- Lance Dunbar, RB
- Dominique Easley, DE
- Troy Hill, CB (ERFA)
- Trumaine Johnson, CB
- Lamarcus Joyner, S
- Zach Laskey, FB (ERFA)
- Matt Longacre, LB (RFA)
- Cornelius Lucas, T
- Cameron Lynch, LB (RFA)
- Jake McQuaide, LS
- Aaron Neary, G (ERFA)
- Nickell Robey-Coleman, CB
- Garrett Sickels, LB (ERFA)
- John Sullivan, C
- Tyrunn Walker, DT
- Sammy Watkins, WR
- Darrell Williams, T (RFA)
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:
- Robert Quinn, DE: $12,399,770
- Andrew Whitworth, T: $12,166,666
- Alec Ogletree, LB: $11,600,000
- Michael Brockers, DT: $10,750,000
- Mark Barron, LB: $10,000,000
- Robert Woods, WR: $8,000,000
- Tavon Austin, WR: $8,000,000
- Jared Goff, QB: $7,619,365
- Rodger Saffold, G: $7,500,000
- Aaron Donald, DT: $6,892,000
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $51,012,500
- 23rd pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for RB Todd Gurley
Three Needs:
1) Find a dynamic edge defender: We don’t need to tell you that defensive tackle Aaron Donald is an absolute monster. He earned a near-perfect 99.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, and was the only interior lineman who ranked among the NFL’s top 20 in quarterback pressures (his 52 were third-most in the league, behind only Demarcus Lawrence and Khalil Mack).
Thanks to Donald’s dominance and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips‘ scheming, Los Angeles posted a decent performance against opposing signal-callers: while the club ranked just 24th in sacks, it finished fifth in adjusted sack rate and 16th in pressure rate. Imagine what the Rams could do after improving on edge options Robert Quinn and Connor Barwin, each of whom graded as bottom-20 pass-rushers in 2017, according to PFF. Quinn’s production has been dwindling for at least three consecutive seasons, while Barwin is now 31 years old and will hit free agency in March.
The only problem with trying to improve an edge defense through free agency is that most teams don’t let quality pass-rushers get away, meaning many players on the open market will come with some kind of flaw (age, injury, etc.). So the Rams may first need to look internally, and potentially give more playing time to backup Matt Longacre, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Longacre, 26, played more snaps in 2017 than he had in the previous two seasons combined, and came through with 5.5 sacks and 15.5 pressures. Cameron DaSilva of RamsWire recently looked at why Longacre was so successful last year, noting that stunts and twists were a large part of Longacre’s usage.
If Los Angeles does look at the free agent edge rushing market, they won’t find much. Demarcus Lawrence is overwhelmingly likely to stay with the Cowboys either through a long-term contract or the franchise tag, leaving the Lions’ Ezekiel Ansah as the top defender available. Ansah has spent his entire career in a 4-3 scheme, leaving questions as to whether he could play in the Rams’ 3-4 front. If LA doesn’t think Ansah is a viable option, the club will instead have to look at incremental improvements.
The first call general manager Les Snead makes should go to veteran defender Julius Peppers, who is a free agent again after spending the 2017 season in Carolina. Peppers is 38 years old, but he hasn’t posted fewer than seven sacks in a decade. And the Rams shouldn’t necessarily worry about Peppers’ advanced age given that they’re in clear win-now mode. Not only can Peppers still be productive, but he played in a 3-4 look from 2014-16 — while Phillips and ex-Packers DC Dom Capers run different versions of the 3-4, Peppers has proven he can be effective in a stand-up role.
The other pass-rusher that should interest the Rams is Aaron Lynch, who will become a free agent in March after four seasons with the 49ers. Los Angeles should have a good idea of Lynch’s ability given that it plays San Francisco twice per year, but Lynch admittedly hasn’t been on the field much since 2016 (he’s averaged only 16% playtime over the past two seasons). The 24-year-old Lynch was reportedly overweight and in danger of getting cut last May, and while those are concerns, those issues could also mean Lynch will be cheap once he hits the open market. As recently as 2015, Lynch ranked fifth in the NFL with 34 pressures — that’s the type of upside that should interest the Rams, potentially on a multi-year deal.
A few other veteran players could be of note to the Rams this offseason, including a number that may be released in the coming months. Chief among them are two notable NFC North defenders, the Packers’ Clay Matthews and the Bears’ Pernell McPhee. Both are age-29+ and have dealt with injuries in recent season, but both also still have the potential to be play-making difference-makers. If they’re cut, the Rams should have interest. Los Angeles could also consider a trade, with the target being the Colts’ Jabaal Sheard. Sheard is coming off the best season of his career, but if Indianapolis is going to undergo something of a rebuild, it doesn’t need a 29-year-old edge defender, meaning he could probably be had.
If the Rams don’t land an impact edge rusher in free agency, they may be up a creek without a paddle, as the 2018 draft class of outside linebackers/defensive ends isn’t rife with top-end talent. NC State’s Bradley Chubb isn’t falling until the end of the first round, and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com only lists three other edge defenders — Arden Key (LSU), Harold Landry (Boston College), and Sam Hubbard (Ohio State) among his top-50 prospects. Adding insult to injury, Los Angeles doesn’t own a second-round pick in 2018 (ramifications of the Sammy Watkins trade), so it won’t be able to take advantage if one of those defenders listed takes a draft-day tumble.
2) Bolster the interior offensive line: The Rams’ 2017 offensive turnaround was one of the more discussed topics in the NFL last season, and the club’s improvement along the offensive line was a major part of that effort. After the 2016 campaign, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus graded Los Angeles’ front five as the No. 27 offensive line in the league, a ranking that almost seemed too positive given that the Rams had finished 29th in both adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate.
Steelers, Le’Veon Bell Closer Than Last Year
Things might not be as bad between Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers as initially believed. The running back told reporters on Wednesday that the team has already presented him with an extension offer and the two sides are a lot closer than they were last year (Twitter link via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic). 
Bell also disputed a recent report indicating that he was late to the Steelers’ walkthrough before their playoff game against the Jaguars. Bell says that the tardiness was due to personal reasons and coach Mike Tomlin was aware (Twitter link via Kaboly).
Earlier this month, Bell made waves by saying that he would consider sitting out the 2018 season if he’s franchise tagged for a second consecutive season. No one really knows whether Bell would quit if handed a one-year, $14.5MM tender, but it sounds like we might not have to find out. Last year, Bell turned down a $60MM offer from Pittsburgh. This time around, he could get more than that over a five-year period, or perhaps greater cash flow in the first few years.
Bell finished out the season with 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He also had 85 catches for 655 yards and two TDs, earning him a First-Team All-Pro nod.
Browns Officially Hire Todd Haley
The Browns have their man. On Wednesday morning, the Browns formally announced the hiring of Todd Haley as their new offensive coordinator. 
“We’re thrilled to bring Todd Haley in as our offensive coordinator,” said head coach Hue Jackson in a press release. “I’ve known Todd for a very long time and have respected and admired the job he’s done as a play-caller in this league. He’s a coordinator that has been successful in every place he’s been. He has been a guy that has adjusted his offense to successfully complement and taken advantage of the skillset of his personnel. I’ve witnessed firsthand how prolific his offenses have been in the AFC North over the last six seasons. As I reflected after the season and contemplated adding an offensive coordinator to the staff, my first thought was obviously improvement. If I was going to turn over the play calling duties to someone else, it had to be to someone that was experienced and had a long history of success in this league….When Todd became available, I jumped at the opportunity to meet with him. Once we sat down and talked, it became quickly evident that Todd would be a great fit.”
Of course, some will speculate that Jackson didn’t have much choice when it came to hiring an offensive coordinator. Jackson has been the team’s play caller for the last two years and the team has won just one game over that span. At the same time, Jackson previously intimated that he would have hired an OC for 2017, but he did not want to saddle a new hire with such a talent-poor offense.
Haley has spent the past 21 years coaching in the NFL, including the past six as the Steelers’ OC. Under Haley’s guidance, the Steelers had one of the best offenses in the NFL. Wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell flourished in Haley’s system and they were among the six offensive players from the Steelers to be selected to the Pro Bowl this past season. Meanwhile, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has earned four straight Pro Bowl nods and tied for the NFL lead in passing yards in 2014. The Browns are dying to those kinds of results from their next quarterback, whoever he may be.
In addition to Haley, the Browns announced that Amos Jones will be the team’s new special teams coordinator and Freddie Kitchens will serve as the running backs/associate head coach.
Ravens, Dolphins Talked Jarvis Landry Trade
The Ravens and Dolphins discussed a Jarvis Landry trade last offseason, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. However, Miami’s asking price was “prohibitive” and the deal did not go down. 
Landry is on the verge of free agency this year and it stands to reason that the Ravens could make a play for him. The Dolphins have interest in re-signing the wide receiver, but the two sides appear to be far apart on numbers. Recently, Landry characterized the talks as “disrespectful.” His agent, Damarius Bilbo, then made it clear that his client will not be taking a hometown discount to remain in Miami.
“How long has this franchise been around?,” Bilbo said. “It’s always going to be here. Take a discount? Absolutely not. This may be Jarvis’ first and last time to set himself up and his family up. He needs to strike and strike while the iron is hot. Plenty of guys that were drafted ahead of Jarvis have not performed to his level. Look at Jarvis’ performance level. If you want to compare him to the T.Y. Hiltons and the Doug Baldwins, those deals were done two or three years ago. It’s his time now. He’s next man up.”
It’s fair to wonder if Landry is actually in line for money that will top Baldwin ($11.5MM/year) and Hilton ($13MM/year). The 25-year-old is not much of a deep threat and there are other quality WRs about to hit the open market, including Sammy Watkins and Allen Robinson. However, Landry has averaged 100 catches for 1,010 yards over the past four seasons with 23 touchdowns over that span. There’s no denying that Landry moves the chains and the Ravens do like him as a player, so Zrebiec will not rule out the possibility of Baltimore making with that kind of cash.
It’s important to keep in mind that the early projections and demands for free agent wide receivers might not match up with what we actually see in March. Last year, there was talk of Alshon Jeffery, Kenny Stills, and Terrelle Pryor getting $12MM/season on multi-year deals. Here’s what actually happened: Jeffery wound up signing a one-year, $9.5MM contract (though he signed a lucrative extension in December), Stills got $8MM/year on a four-year pact, and Pryor signed a one year, $6MM deal. Landry could end up in the $13MM/year range, but don’t be surprised if he settles for seven figures instead.