Extra Points: Alonso, LA, Draft Prospects, Pats
Linebacker Kiko Alonso is coming off his first season with the Eagles, one in which the 2013 PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year was a non-factor. Alonso expects better things in 2016 with recently hired defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz at the helm, writes Paul Domowitch of Philly.com.
Alonso’s agent, Steve Karic, says the 25-year-old is “very excited” to play for Schwartz, who coordinated Buffalo’s defense to a fourth-place ranking in 2014. Alonso was also a Bill then, but he missed the season because of a torn ACL and didn’t play a down under Schwartz. Still, he’s familiar with Schwartz’s defense.
“He spent the offseason in Buffalo that year playing in this defense. He went through OTAs and minicamp in this defense. He was in the meeting rooms all season long,” Karic stated.
Karic then added that Alonso “definitely can play” the Mike (middle) or Will (weakside) LB role in Schwartz’s scheme. Prior to Alonso’s injury in 2014, Schwartz planned to use him as a Will ‘backer in Buffalo. Alonso played on the inside under former Eagles D-coordinator Billy Davis in 2015-16 and totaled just 43 tackles in 11 games, rating an ugly 92nd of 97 qualifying LBs by Pro Football Focus’ standards (subscription required).
Elsewhere around the NFL. . .
- Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News believes the Chargers will end up in LA next season (Twitter link). He also shot down the notion (via Twitter) that talks between the Chargers and Rams have stalled. This comes on the heels of a Monday night report from CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora that the two sides are “making progress.”
- North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz – who’s gaining steam as a possible first-round pick in the 2016 draft – has already met with nearly half of the league’s 32 teams at the Senior Bowl, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Two of those clubs are the Dolphins and Texans, Wentz told Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, respectively (Twitter links: 1, 2). With Ryan Tannehill in the fold, Beasley doesn’t expect the Dolphins to use the eighth overall pick on Wentz. However, if available, he could be a fit for QB-needy Houston at No. 22.
- Alabama MLB Reggie Ragland, one of Wentz’s fellow Senior Bowl participants, has spoken to the Ravens, Chiefs and Raiders so far, and he’ll also meet with the Packers (Twitter links via Wilson and Chase Goodbread of NFL.com). The probable first-rounder will play some OLB this week as a way to show off his versatility to prospective employers, reports Wilson (on Twitter).
- Foxborough, Mass., police arrested Patriots practice squad receiver J.J. Worton on Saturday and charged him with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 and over and one count of assault and battery, per ESPN.com. The Patriots didn’t comment on Worton’s arrest, tweets the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, who adds that the 24-year-old is unlikely to remain with the team. Worton, who signed with the Pats earlier this month, has an expiring contract.
West Notes: Mathieu, LA, Raiders
We learned Sunday that the Cardinals will try to lock up jack-of-all-trades defender Tyrann Mathieu this offseason. Now Mathieu, who has one year left on his rookie contract, says he hopes to stay in Arizona long term.
“Obviously, I love this team, I love this locker room, I love the coaching staff, upper management. I think this is the perfect place for me. I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life here,” the All-Pro safety stated Monday, per Darren Urban of the team’s website.
More from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Negotiations between the Rams and Chargers are “ongoing,” tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, as the Bolts continue in their efforts to partner with the Rams in Los Angeles. The two sides have been talking “for nearly a week straight” and are “making progress,” adds Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
- If the Chargers do end up in LA and the Raiders are unable to work something out with Oakland, they could view San Diego’s stadium situation as an upgrade – at least for the short term – according to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. In San Diego, the Raiders would have Qualcomm Stadium to themselves, which isn’t the case in Oakland. The Raiders and A’s both play at O.co Coliseum, and the Raiders “hate” sharing the stadium, Krasovic writes.
- Regardless of the disdain they have for their current stadium, the Raiders are likely to remain in Oakland next season, reports Bill Williamson of Fanrag Sports (Twitter link). The club has until March 31 to make a decision for 2016, but it might have to make a determination sooner, per Williamson. That could mean staying in Oakland for at least another year.
Coaching Notes: Pats, Browns, Giants, Lions
The latest NFL coaching updates:
- One day after Patriots quarterback Tom Brady absorbed 20-plus hits in a 20-18 AFC title game loss to Denver, the Pats are parting ways with offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). DeGuglielmo, who had been New England’s O-line coach since 2014, was aware he was on the hot seat, adds Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link).
- Former NFL running back Rock Cartwright is the newest addition to the Browns’ Hue Jackson-led coaching staff. Cartwright will work as an offensive quality control coach, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
- The Giants have interviewed Paul Pasqualoni about their defensive line coach vacancy, per Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (Twitter link). Pasqualoni held the same position with the Texans last season.
- Marvez reported Saturday that David Walker was set to become the Lions’ running backs coach. That hiring is now official, writes Tim Twentyman of the team’s website. Walker coached Indy’s RBs from 2011-14, including one season under Jim Caldwell.
NFC Notes: Seahawks, Eagles, Cards, Falcons
Bellevue, Wash., police arrested Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman in October on investigation of vehicular assault and hit-and-run, but they released the 26-year-old without charges the next day. They’re now recommending the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charge Coleman with felonies for both offenses, Jennifer Sullivan and Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times report. The prosecutor’s office will take the next several weeks to determine whether to file charges against Coleman, who was driving a Dodge pickup at a “high rate of speed,” according to police, and struck a Honda Civic traveling the same direction.
The police report, which was released Monday (per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com), says Coleman’s truck was going 60 in a 35-mph zone, and his foot was on the accelerator at 100 percent for several seconds. That pushed the other vehicle 260 feet off the roadway up a hill. It then flipped over. The driver went to the hospital with a head injury and a fractured left clavicle, while police found a barefoot Coleman two blocks from the scene. Stephen W. Hayne, Coleman’s lawyer, said the accident dislodged Coleman’s hearing aids, which may have left him disoriented and caused him to leave the scene. The report reveals Coleman admitted to smoking “Spice,” synthetic cannabinoids, and showed signs of impairment. Police found multiple bags of synthetic cannabinoids and various drug paraphernalia in Coleman’s truck. However, there were no signs of drug consumption in the blood tests Coleman underwent several hours after the accident. Despite that, Coleman – whom police accused of driving in a manner that was “rash and heedless” and “indifferent to the consequences” – could now be in serious trouble.
The four-year veteran is set to become a restricted free agent.
Some notes on the NFC’s other bird-themed teams:
- It’s currently unclear who will quarterback the Eagles next season. If newly extended tight end Zach Ertz has his way, the club will re-sign pending free agent Sam Bradford. “I’ve played for five quarterbacks now in three years, which seems like a lot, and I want to play with Sam,” Ertz said, per Bob Ford of Philly.com. Ertz added that Bradford hopes to remain with the Eagles. “He wants to be in Philadelphia. Whether he’s back here or not, that’s none of my business, honestly. He’s going to do what’s best for him and the Eagles are going to do what’s best for us. But at the end of the day, I think he wants to be here.”
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The Cardinals finished a below-average 20th in the NFL in sacks during the regular season and took down Panthers quarterback Cam Newton just once in their 49-15 NFC title game loss on Sunday. As a result, the Cards’ top offseason priority will be strengthening their pass rush, general manager Steve Keim said Monday (per Darren Urban of the team’s website).
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Despite playing his entire rookie year with a torn right labrum, Falcons pass rusher Vic Beasley will not have offseason surgery, according to head coach Dan Quinn (link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). As Ledbetter writes, some labrum tears can be treated without surgery. Beasley led the 2015-16 Falcons with four sacks, a franchise record for rookies, and will look to build on that next season without having to deal with a shoulder injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/25/16
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including reserve/futures signings and practice squad moves:
- Having been eliminated from the postseason, the Patriots began signing their practice squad players to reserve/futures contracts today. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the following players inked futures deals with New England:
- Chris Barker, G
- DeAndre Carter, WR
- Joey Iosefa, FB
- Rashaan Melvin, CB
- Keavon Milton, OL
- Cedric Thompson, S
- Brock Vereen, S
- The Broncos have the flexibility to continue to make changes to their practice squad since they’re still alive in the playoffs, and apparently did so today by releasing tight end Dan Light from their 10-man unit. Light himself tweeted word of the move this afternoon. To replace Light on their practice squad, the Broncos signed fellow TE Nick Kasa, according to Mike Klis of 9News (via Twitter).
AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Titans
On the heels of a disastrous 2015 season, Mike Wells of ESPN.com isn’t so sure that Colts general manager Ryan Grigson will be his usual aggressive self when it comes to signing veteran free agents this winter. As Wells observes, Andre Johnson, Trent Cole, and Todd Herremans were among last year’s additions who didn’t live up to expectations for Indianapolis in ’15.
Let’s round up a few more items from out of the AFC South…
- Based on a comment made today by Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it sounds like Atlanta kept defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel from the Jaguars. Jacksonville interviewed Manuel for their defensive coordinator position and if the team had been prepared to offer him that job, I find it hard to believe the Falcons would have stood in his way — if the Jags wanted to hire him in a lesser role though, it makes sense that Atlanta would have pushed to hang onto him.
- Armed with a ton of cap space this winter, the Jaguars should enter the free agent period ready to spend on players to complement their young core, with the goal of competing right away, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Fitzgerald points to the offensive line and the secondary as a couple key areas for Jacksonville to focus on as the team considers possible upgrades.
- The Titans formally announced their latest coaching staff hires today, confirming the previously-reported addition of Russ Grimm as the club’s new offensive line coach. In addition to Grimm, Tennessee hired Deshea Townsend as its secondary coach and Steve Jackson as an assistant secondary coach.
- After spending the 2015 campaign on the Colts‘ practice squad, wide receiver Duron Carter is officially headed back to the CFL for 2016, the Montreal Alouettes announced today in a press release.
Rams To Retain Rob Boras As OC
JANUARY 25: The Rams have hired former Bears assistant Mike Groh as their wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thomas notes that the addition means that Boras will return as the club’s offensive coordinator for 2016.
JANUARY 15: The Rams are expected to name Rob Boras their full-time offensive coordinator, though the move is not yet official, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, in addition to weighing their OC options, the Rams are interviewing potential passing-game coordinators.
[RELATED: Rams request interview with Browns OC John DeFilippo]
Boras took over as the Rams’ interim offensive coordinator with about a month left in the season, when the team parted ways with Frank Cignetti. Boras received consideration for the job before Cingetti was promoted last winter, but ultimately lost the competition — however, he received a new assistant head coach title at the time, and was in charge of the running game in addition to coaching the team’s tight ends.
Although the Rams finished with the league’s worst offense in terms of yards per game (297.6), the club showed marginal improvement during the last four games of the year under Boras. Additionally, buoyed by standout rookie Todd Gurley, the team averaged 122.3 rushing yards per contest, which was good for seventh in the NFL. So there’s some hope that the club could increase its offensive production if it gets its quarterback position stabilized.
While Boras appears to be the frontrunner for the offensive coordinator job in Los Angeles, the Rams also sat down with Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo earlier this week. It’s not clear yet whether DeFilippo will remain in Cleveland or explore taking a position with the Rams or another club.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Vikings Hire Pat Shurmur As Tight Ends Coach
MONDAY, 1:43pm: The Vikings have confirmed Shurmur’s hiring, announcing that he will serve as the team’s new tight ends coach. Kevin Stefanski, who previously held that role, will shift over to replace Kirby Wilson as the club’s running backs coach.
SATURDAY, 9:45pm: It’s unclear what Shurmur’s role will be, as head coach Mike Zimmer still needs to sort out his coaching staff, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. But the hire won’t lead to any other staff changes, per Goessling.
9:33pm: The Vikings have hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, reports Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). There’s no word as to Shurmur’s title in Minnesota, but it’s worth noting that the only vacant job on the Vikings’ staff is running backs coach.
Shurmur, 50, acted as Philadelphia’s interim head coach for the final game of the season following the dismissal of Chip Kelly, and then received an interview for the full-time job. That position went to Doug Pederson, however, and though Pederson expressed some interest in retaining Shurmur, the Eagles ultimately hired former Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich as their new OC.
[RELATED: Vikings to hire Tony Sparano as offensive line coach]
After being released from his Eagles contract, Shurmur immediately generated interest around the league. The Rams, whose offense Shurmur coordinated from 2009-10, requested permission to interview him for a role (reports varied as to whether that role was OC or passing game coordinator). Meanwhile, two mystery clubs, in addition to the Vikings, were reported on Thursday to have interest in pursuing Shurmur, who ultimately interviewed with Minnesota on Friday.
Shurmur’s NFL experience dates back to the 1999 season, when he entered the league as an assistant with Philadelphia. His most prominent job was acting as the Browns’ head coach — he lasted just two seasons (2011-12), posting a record of 9-23 during that time.
Dolphins Finalize Coaching Staff
The Dolphins have finalized Adam Gase‘s coaching staff for the 2016 season, announcing today in a press release that a number of assistants have been added or retained. The team had previously confirmed the hires of Clyde Christensen as offensive coordinator and Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator, among others, so today’s announcement doesn’t feature any major changes, but a few key roles have been filled.
[RELATED: Dolphins hire Adam Gase as head coach]
Here’s a breakdown of some of the noteworthy additions, promotions, or assignments announced today:
- Danny Barrett, running backs coach
- Ben Johnson, assistant wide receivers coach
- Chris Kuper, offensive quality control
- Lou Anarumo, defensive backs coach
- Terrell Williams, defensive line coach
- Charlie Bullen, assistant linebackers coach
- Rusty McKinney, defensive quality control
- Darren Rizzi, assistant head coach/special teams
- Marwan Maalouf, assistant special teams
- Dave Puloka, head strength and conditioning coach
Anarumo is perhaps the most interesting name on the list, since he finished the season as the Dolphins’ interim defensive coordinator after taking over for Kevin Coyle last October. Anarumo interviewed for the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator job earlier this month, but ultimately returned to Miami in the same role that he held for the club prior to his promotion.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Community Tailgate: Super Bowl 50 Winner
As Super Bowl 50 nears, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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Both home teams came out of Sunday’s championship games with victories, but that was hardly a given heading into the weekend. While the Panthers were favored over the Cardinals, the Broncos entered Sunday’s AFC championship against the Patriots as underdogs. However, an incredible effort by the defense, which hit Tom Brady more than any quarterback has been hit in a single game all season, helped Denver pull off the 20-18 upset.
While the Broncos squeaked through to Super Bowl 50 with a last-minute defensive stop, the Panthers throttled the Cardinals from start to finish in the NFC championship, and Carolina will head into the final game of the season as favorites over Denver.
Although some observers and reporters have likened the matchup to the Broncos/Seahawks Super Bowl two years ago, in which Seattle blew out Peyton Manning and the Broncos, this Denver defense looks much more dangerous than that team’s unit, and might be capable of slowing down Cam Newton and the Panthers. At the very least, Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and company should ensure that the league’s probable MVP won’t be quite as comfortable as he looked against the Seahawks and Cardinals.
How do you expect Super Bowl 50 to play out? Will the Panthers continue to cruise through the postseason en route to the franchise’s first championship, or will the Broncos pull off their second consecutive upset victory? Weigh in below with your predictions!