Week In Review: 1/17/16 – 1/24/16
Headlines:
- The Titans hired interim head coach Mike Mularkey on a full-time basis, inking him to a three-year contract.
- The Jaguars extended head coach Gus Bradley, locking him up through 2017.
- Running back Marshawn Lynch could be leaning towards retirement, per Seahawks GM John Schneider.
- Browns receiver Josh Gordon officially filed for reinstatement.
Offensive Coordinators:
- 49ers – Curtis Modkins (hired), Geep Chryst (fired)
- Chiefs – Brad Childress and Matt Nagy (promoted)
- Eagles – Frank Reich (hired)
- Lions – Jim Bob Cooter (retained)
Defensive Coordinators:
- 49ers – Eric Mangini (fired)
- Browns – Ray Horton (hired)
- Eagles – Jim Schwartz (hired)
- Jaguars – Todd Wash (promoted)
- Titans – Terry Robiskie (hired)
Signed:
- 49ers – Eric Rogers, WR (link)
Injuries:
- Broncos – Omar Bolden, DB (placed on IR)
- Patriots – Jerod Mayo, LB (placed on IR)
Sunday Roundup: Manning, 49ers, Norman
In a few hours, we will know which teams will be heading to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50. In the meantime, let’s dive into some news and notes from around the league:
- Although the story has largely fallen out of mainstream coverage, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the NFL is still reviewing the HGH allegations surrounding Broncos QB Peyton Manning and that the matter is not yet resolved.
- Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly has been very noncommittal in his comments regarding Colin Kaepernick, suggesting that Kelly is less excited about the prospect of having Kaepernick run his offense than one might think. It is especially strange that Kelly claimed he could not discuss how Kaepernick might fit into his offense because it was against NFL offseason rules, when in fact it is not against league rules to discuss a player who is under contract. Of course, Kelly’s comments could just be a reflection of his guarded, introverted personality, but the lack of enthusiasm is still somewhat surprising.
- The 49ers are still looking for a new defensive coordinator, and per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the team is interested in former Browns DC Jim O’Neil. Former Browns head coach Mike Pettine has said he wants to take the 2016 season off.
- Panthers CB Josh Norman, an impending free agent, is set to cash in on his terrific 2015 campaign, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) observes, Norman will likely seek a contract in the Richard Sherman/Patrick Peterson neighborhood (both of whom recently signed deals with more than $40MM in guarantees). The Panthers could, of course, put the franchise tag on Norman–at a value of $13-14MM–but Carolina should have around $20MM in cap space and does not have many other high priority free agents to worry about.
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers must improve their secondary in the offseason, but the problem is that they have few internal options that they can reasonably rely upon. The team may be forced to open its checkbook, and Bouchette thinks it would be wise for the Steelers to re-sign Brandon Boykin. He also names Eric Weddle as an intriguing possibility.
- According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, one of the reasons the Jaguars handed a one-year extension to head coach Gus Bradley was to avoid a situation like the one Chuck Pagano recently faced in Indianapolis. Pagano’s expiring contract, of course, created a season-long distraction that Jacksonville hopes to avoid.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com compared the Giants‘ roster to those of the four conference finalists, and in so doing, he discovered the biggest problem that the team faced in 2015 and may continue to face moving forward. Although the Giants do not have enough homegrown talent, and although they need to get more production from their first-round draft picks, the most significant concern the team faced relative to the league’s more successful franchises is that it did not get enough production from its highest-paid players. Big Blue got nothing, or next to nothing, from three of its highest-paid players–Victor Cruz, Will Beatty, and Jason Pierre-Paul–which will make for some interesting decisions in the offseason.
Tyrann Mathieu Extension Will Be Offseason Priority
Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu may have one year remaining on his rookie contract, but according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) Arizona GM Steve Keim wants to sign the dynamic playmaker to a long-term deal this offseason, a deal that would presumably make Mathieu one of the highest-paid safeties in the league.
And Mathieu has certainly earned it. Despite missing the last two games of the 2015 regular season–and all of the playoffs–due to a torn right ACL, the Honey Badger earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. He tallied 17 pass breakups, 80 tackles, and a forced fumble this year to go along with five interceptions–one of which he returned for a touchdown–and he ranked as the league’s best cornerback per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
[RELATED: Cardinals place Tyrann Mathieu on IR]
You read that right. PFF lists Mathieu as a cornerback, even though the Cardinals list him as a safety. In early December, PFF’s Sam Monson explains why, an explanation that highlights Mathieu’s value to his team. Arizona considers Mathieu a safety because that’s the position he plays in the Cardinals’ 3-4 base defense. However, the Cardinals run their base defense on only 33% of their defensive snaps. In all other sub-packages, Mathieu plays cornerback, usually serving as the slot corner. Because he excelled as a corner in college, Mathieu has had little trouble adapting to that role in the NFL. As Monson point outs, Mathieu has played every position in the back seven at some point this season.
It therefore does not take much to see one potential snag in the impending negotiations between Mathieu and the Cardinals. As Mathieu himself observed back in October, elite corners get paid more than elite safeties, especially in today’s pass-happy league where teams have to pay a premium for corners who can cover. Seattle’s Earl Thomas gets paid at the highest average annual value among safeties, at $10MM per year, whereas three cornerbacks–including Mathieu’s teammate, Patrick Peterson–enjoy an AAV of at least $14MM. Mathieu’s camp will therefore look to a contract like Richard Sherman‘s as a benchmark–four years, $56MM, with $40MM of guarantees–while the Cardinals are more likely to see Devin McCourty‘s recent five-year, $47.5MM deal (with $22MM in guarantees) as a more optimal starting point. But given that Mathieu is both a strong cover corner and a ball-hawking playmaker, I would expect that his next contract would pay him more like a top-flight corner, even if he doesn’t quite reach Sherman/Peterson/Darrelle Revis territory (the fact that Mathieu tore his left ACL and LCL in December 2013 could also keep his price down).
It has been something of a bumpy road for Mathieu to get to this point in his career. He was dismissed from LSU in August 2012 for a violation of team rules, and just two months later, he was arrested for possession of marijuana. Those troubles caused Mathieu’s draft stock to fall quite a bit, and he was ultimately selected in the third round of the 2013 draft. But not only has he put his off-field difficulties behind him, he has also become one of the Cardinals’ emotional leaders. As Orr writes, “[Mathieu’s] production alone is scary, but the emotional value Mathieu has brought to the team only increases his price tag this offseason.” Mathieu has traveled with the team throughout the postseason, and the ACL tear he suffered in December was reportedly a “clean” tear, which means that he should be ready for OTAs. But whenever Mathieu steps on the field again, he may do so as a very rich man.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
East Notes: Barrett, Jets, Reed
The Dolphins have hired Danny Barrett as their new running backs coach, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Barrett, 54, most recently served as the interim head coach at the University of Central Florida, but he has a varied background, having acted as a collegiate positional coach and as the head coach of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Now for some more notes from the league’s East divisions:
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that the Jets will not look to retain free agent linebacker Demario Davis, regardless of what the team does in the draft.
- In a full-length post, Cimini observes that Jets GM Mike Maccagnan is about to face his second major test. In his first year as GM, Maccagnan was armed with a great deal of cap space to supplement his roster, but in 2016, he not only has less cap space to work with, but six of the team’s eight highest cap charges belong to players who will be at least 31 next season (a statistic that does not yet includ 33-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick). Maccagnan will now have to make his team younger without sacrificing wins, one of the toughest things to do in professional sports.
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com wonders if Washington should pursue a contract extension with Jordan Reed, noting that although the tight end is set to earn just $685K in 2016–the last year of his current deal–it may make more sense long-term to lock him up now, despite his injury history.
- The Giants will of course run Ben McAdoo‘s West Coast offense in 2016, but who the offensive play-caller will be remains up in the air. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes, McAdoo himself is the most qualified, but he may prefer to get his head out of the play chart to better concentrate on the entire game. New York’s offensive coordinator, Mike Sullivan, and quarterbacks coach, Frank Cignetti, both have play-calling experience.
- Despite his recent injuries, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo thinks he’ll be fine for the foreseeable future. “There’s no question, I will be able to play for awhile,” Romo told Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Romo, 36 in April, will reportedly undergo a CT scan this week to determine if he needs surgery on his collarbone.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Raiders’ Move To San Diego Is “Very Viable”
The respective futures of the Chargers and Raiders are still very much in the air, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a potential Raiders’ move to San Diego is “very viable.” The Chargers and Rams, of course, are discussing the possibility of a Los Angeles partnership, and if the Chargers do end up following the Rams to LA, Schefter says the Raiders could move to San Diego in 2017 or 2018. San Diego has already been floated as a possible landing spot for the Raiders, but Schefter’s report indicates that those rumors could have some serious traction.
The Raiders are expected to remain in Oakland for at least the 2016 season, as Schefter and Matt Artz and Rebecca Parr of the Contra Costa Times write. Per Artz and Parr, Raiders brass and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority will meet behind closed doors tomorrow to discuss a lease extension. As Artz and Parr indicate, Raiders owner Mark Davis wants the extension while he continues to negotiate with city leaders for a new stadium in Oakland.
In a separate piece for InsideBayArea.com, Artz says that Raiders and Oakland officials have the same strategy for financing a new stadium: “entice a developer to help pay for it in return for cheap land and a piece of the team.” However, it is doubtful whether that strategy will be enough to help fund what the Raiders believe will be a $900MM project, especially since the Raiders’ insistence on preserving most of the stadium site for tailgating-friendly surface parking spaces limits any developer’s ability to turn a profit. On the other hand, Artz points out that the Raiders’ options outside of Oakland, including San Diego, have some major drawbacks. For instance, if Davis were to pursue a move to San Diego, Artz says that public stadium subsidies would be far from a sure thing, which could take that option off the table entirely.
But Schefter’s source is apparently more optimistic than Artz. And although the terms “Los Angeles Rams” and “Los Angeles Raiders” are rather familiar to many football fans, that source suggests that everyone might have to get used to saying “San Diego Raiders” in the near future.
NFC South Notes: Manuel, Falcons, Olsen
The NFC South champion Panthers are set to take on the Cardinals tomorrow in the NFC Championship, and while wait for that contest, let’s take a quick look at some notes out of Carolina’s division:
- Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel turned an offer to become the Jaguars defensive passing game coordinator and will remain with Atlanta, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Manuel, who interviewed for Jacksonville’s defensive coordinator vacancy before the club promoted internal candidate Todd Wash, will enter his second season with the Falcons.
- In a separate piece for the AJC, Ledbetter examines whether the Falcons should consider reuniting with linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who’s spent the 2015 season with the Cardinals after five years with Atlanta. The Falcons did offer Weatherspoon an incentive-laden deal last offseason, reports Ledbetter, but Arizona offered $1.25MM in guarantees. For his part, Weatherspoon seems happy with his current situation, but did allow that “part of [his] heart is in Atlanta.”
- Tight end Greg Olsen is the Panthers‘ No. 1 option in the receiving game, but at one point not long ago, he looked like a middling pass-catcher as a member of the Bears. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune looks back at the 2011 trade that brought Olsen from the Windy City to Carolina.
NFL Combine To Remain In Indy Through 2020
The NFL Scouting Combine will remain in Indianapolis through the 2020 season, reports Mike Chappell of CBS4. The new deal between the league and the city runs through 2017, followed by three one-year extension options, confirmed Chris Gahl, vice president of Visit Indy.
[RELATED: 107 early entrants declare for 2016 NFL Draft]
“We basically had been working on a year-to-year contract,” said Gahl. “The combine and the NFL were seeking a longer-term agreement because of the logistics involved and putting on an event the size of the combine. This allows everyone involved to know the dates are secure and the venue is secure. It allows for longer-term planning.”
More than 2,000 NFL coaches, executives, and other employees (plus about 300 draft-eligible prospects) migrate to Indianapolis each year in advance of the draft. The event, which has become so popular that it’s now aired on the NFL Network, has been hosted in Indianapolis since 1987. Rumors had swirled that the combine could move to Los Angeles as part of the league’s recent relocation efforts, but it appears that won’t happen any time soon.
This year’s combine will take place February 23-29.
Browns’ Joe Thomas Unlikely To Request Trade
Earlier this month, Browns left tackle Joe Thomas — frustrated after his club fired head coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer — said he would wait to see who the team brought in as the pair’s replacements before making a decision on whether to seek a trade out of Cleveland. Speaking on WKYC on Saturday, Thomas appeared pleased with the Browns’ new direction.
[RELATED: Browns receiver Josh Gordon files for reinstatement]
“Certainly I love the people in Cleveland. It’s my home. I love the city. I love everything about it. So I definitely want to be part of the turnaround,” said Thomas, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
The Browns, of course, have made several staff and front office changes since the end of the regular season, hiring former Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson as head coach (Thomas reportedly called the selection of Jackson “pretty awesome”), promoting Sashi Brown to executive vice president of football operations, and bringing in former Mets executive Paul DePodesta as chief strategy officer.
[Browns hire Ray Horton, Pep Hamiton, and Al Saunders]
At a press conference on Thursday, Brown told the media that he had met with Thomas, and insisted that the nine-year veteran “will be a big piece of what [the team] does moving forward,” an indication that the new regime wasn’t too keen on trading its franchise left tackle. Still, given that a potential deal that would have sent Thomas to the Broncos for a bevy of draft picks reportedly fell through at last year’s trade deadline, it was fair to wonder if the club might attempt to deal Thomas again.
Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick To Begin Extension Talks Soon
After giving up just a sixth-round pick in order to acquire Ryan Fitzpatrick from the Texans prior to last season, the Jets were undoubtedly pleased with the veteran quarterback’s production as he lead the club to a 10-6 record. Appearing on WFAN Friday, general manager Mike Maccagnan said that the two sides are primed to enter contract discussions soon.
“We’re going to talk to Ryan’s people here in the very near future,” said Maccagnan, per Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. “We have time, obviously, before free agency, and we really would like to get Ryan back in the fold. [Head coach] Todd [Bowles] has said that. Obviously, myself and the rest of the organization feel very strongly about this.
“I think it’s a good situation for all of us, and we just have to go through this process, and hopefully we can come to an agreement where it’s fair and everybody’s happy with it going forward.”
As Maccagnan expressed, Bowles has stated a desire to retain Fitzpatrick, and confirmed that the 33-year-old would enter the 2016 season as the club’s starter if re-signed. Free agency doesn’t begun until March 15, and while the Jets can obviously negotiate with their own players up to and after that date, Albert Breer of NFL.com reported last month that New York would probably try to work on re-signing other free agents before Fitzpatrick, because each side has a good handle on the quarterback’s value.
In his first season in New York, Fitzpatrick posted the best season his career, passing for nearly 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns against just 15 interceptions. After earning just $3.25MM last season, the 11-year veteran should be in line for a healthy raise, and could garner $10-15MM per season.
Chris Culliver’s Remaining Guarantees Void
The four-year contract between Washington and cornerback Chris Culliver called for any remaining guaranteed money to void in the event that Culliver was suspended due to his March 2014 arrest, two sources tell Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Because Culliver was ultimately handed a one-game ban (forcing him to miss Week 2 of the 2015 season), Washington is off the hook for his previously guaranteed $8MM 2016 base salary.
[RELATED: Linebacker Junior Galette expects to re-sign with Washington]
The 27-year-old Culliver was placed on injured reserve in November after tearing his ACL, so between his injury status and the uncertainty regarding his contract, it’s unclear whether he’ll return to the nation’s capital in 2016. Washington could now release Culliver and be hit with just $3.75MM in dead money (as opposed to $11.75MM had Culliver not been suspended, or his contract not contained void language).
For now, Culliver’s 2016 cap charge sits $9.25MM, and while Boyer suggests that the two sides could work together to lower that figure, a source tells the Times scribe that no such discussions have occurred as of yet. Washington is among the bottom-10 in terms of 2016 projected cap space, so a reworking of Culliver’s deal could hep the club as it enters the upcoming offseason.
[Washington QB Kirk Cousins ranked third in PFR’s latest Free Agent Power Rankings]
In 2014, his final season with the 49ers, Culliver limited opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 50.7% and a 66.5 passer rating when they threw into his coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF’s grades placed Culliver as the 14th-best cornerback out of 108 qualified players. In 2015, Culliver started six games for Washington, tallying 16 tackles and one pass deflection.
For his part, Culliver appears confident that his ACL tear won’t limit his availability for next season. “You know I’m a worker and I’m going to continue to do what I do best,” Culliver told Boyer. “That’s not going to stop me. The progression, and me doing what I’m doing, is there. Things are ramping up for me. I’m walking pretty decently now, and you know, just light things doing on, and like I said, maybe not the OTAs — you might see me in and out — but definitely during the season.”