Front Office Notes: Jets, Giants, Titans, Lions
Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan filled his season-ending press conference with “generalities and overall nothingness,” writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Still, the executive did elaborate on several topics, including free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
“We’d like very much to get him back… We’ll see how this thing works out.”
“Bryce [Petty] has made a lot of progress. We’re kind of excited to have another offseason with him… With Geno [Smith], he’s under contract. We like the progress he’s made.”
Maccagnan also noted that “it’s not impossible” to keep all of their top defensive linemen, including Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Damon Harrison and Leonard Williams.
Let’s check out some more notes from the league’s front offices…
- Giants general manager Jerry Reese understands that it’s his job to improve the roster, and he said he puts it on himself if the team doesn’t perform well. “At the end of the day, it’s my responsibility,” he said (via Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News). “If somebody doesn’t get it right, if somebody doesn’t pan out, it’s the GM’s responsibility.”
- While candidates have been interviewing for the Titans head coach vacancy, ownership has made it clear that they have no desire to sell the team, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
- The Lions have fired senior personnel executive Scott McEwen, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The former Director of College Scouting was the longest tenured scout in the organization.
- According to Schefter (on Twitter), the Lions have hired Kyle O’Brien as their Director of Player Personnel.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/16/16
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters.
Minnesota Vikings
Coaching Notes: Buccaneers, Titans, Coughlin
Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers will hire Jon Hoke as their defensive backs coach. The 58-year-old has spent much of his career in the NCAA, where he was the defensive backs coach for Missouri, Florida, and South Carolina (among many others). Hoke also had a seven-year stint as the Texans DB coach, and he also spent five seasons with the Bears.
Let’s take a look at some more coaching notes from around the league…
- Dirk Koetter is overjoyed to be the Buccaneers new head coach, writes Rick Stroud of TampaBay.com. The 56-year-old has been coaching in the NFL since 2007, and he’s thrilled to finally get an opportunity to lead the entire operation. “First, you know, it’s emotional, a day like this. It’s one of the happiest days of my life but also one of the most humbling,” Koetter said. “It’s been a long time, a long time in the making. There’s 32 of these jobs in the world. I know I can do the job, even though I’m whimpering around a little bit up here today. I’m a little tougher than I’ve been coming across so far. I’m ready for it. Nothing that is said here today is going to affect us one bit in wins and losses. That all comes later. There’s a lot of work to be done.”
- Defensive coordinator Ray Horton is meeting with the Titans today, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that it will the organization’s last scheduled interview for their head coaching vacancy. The reporter notes that the position could be filled today, and he believes the job is “Mike Mularkey‘s to lose.” If the interim head coach does get the full-time position, Rapoport expects it to be on a short-term contract.
- Giants co-owner John Mara admitted that he didn’t want to see former head coach Tom Coughlin take the same gig with the Eagles. “I’m not going to lie, it would’ve bothered me a lot,” Mara said (via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). “It would’ve been like watching Bill Parcells walk out onto the field with a (Dallas) star on his shirt. That was tough to see at the time. That would’ve bothered me. I want him to be happy, but I certainly didn’t want to see him happy in green.”
Patriots Sign Keshawn Martin to Extension
10:05am: Volin tweets that the contract comes in at $2.975MM over the two seasons, with cap numbers of $1.275MM and $1.625MM.
8:25am: The Patriots have signed wideout Keshawn Martin to a two-year, $3MM extension, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). The impending free agent will stay in New England through at least 2017. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets that Martin will receive $850K next season and $1MM in 2017.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that the receiver will also get a $600K signing bonus, and he notes several other details of the extension. There are $25K workout bonuses for 2016 and 2017, and there are also $200K per-game roster bonuses. Martin will receive $100K roster bonus on the fifth days of the 2017 league year, $750K in reception incentives, and a $200K escalator that could boost his 2017 salary.
The 25-year-old was traded from the Texans to New England in September, and he ended up appearing in nine games (eight starts) for the Patriots, compiling 24 catches for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Over his four-year career, Martin has 62 receptions for 685 yards and five touchdowns.
As Reiss notes, Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola are all under contract for next season. However, LaFell’s sluggish 2015 season may put him on the chopping block, while Amendola’s $5MM salary could make him a cap casualty.
Browns To Fire OC John DeFilippo
The Browns have informed offensive coordinator John DeFilippo that he will be released from his contract, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). The reporter adds that head coach Hue Jackson will call the offensive plays in 2016, meaning he’ll presumably go without an offensive coordinator.
Jackson said yesterday that the Browns would likely go into next season without an OC. Jackson called plays the past two seasons with the Bengals, and he also had similar duties as head coach of the Raiders in 2011. Still, the new head coach is eyeing some big names for his coaching staff, having interviewed ex-Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton yesterday. Earlier today, ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweeted that Hamilton was considering the position of assistant head coach with Cleveland. The team has also reportedly been eyeing Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson.
DeFilippo has been coaching since 2000, when he spent several years on the staff for Fordham, Notre Dame and Columbia. He got his first NFL gig as the offensive quality control coordinator with the Giants in 2005, and he’d go on to be the quarterbacks coach for the Raiders (two tenures), the Jets, and San Jose State. In early 2015, DeFilippo was hired as the Browns offensive coordinator. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets that the coach still had two years left on his contract, which the Browns will be responsible for.
Packers Place Andrew Quarless On IR
FRIDAY, 9:45pm: To fill Quarless’ roster spot, the Packers promoted cornerback Robertson Daniel from their practice squad, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Even after the team ruled out Davante Adams for Saturday’s divisional-round game against the Cardinals, the Packers opted not to bring up one of the two receivers on their practice squad. They’ll go with just four vs. Arizona.
THURSDAY, 11:08pm: In advance of their divisional playoff game against the Cardinals, the Packers will be placing tight end Andrew Quarless on the injured reserve list, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Quarless himself alluded to the move on his Instagram account earlier today.
“Wanted to be the first to thank all my loyal fans who have supported me this past year,” Quarless wrote. “You all have been a blessings to my life. My season has come to an end not by choice but I will continue to trust God’s plan for my life.”
Quarless, 27, has already spent most of the season on injured reserve, though he was originally placed on IR with the designation to return. An MCL injury sidelined Quarless for about two and a half months, beginning in late September, limiting him to five games and just four receptions for 31 yards for the season.
A source tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com that the tight end recently underwent a procedure to drain fluid from his knee, and it seems the Packers had concerns about his health going forward. Once the team makes the move official, there will be an open spot for Green Bay to add a player to the 53-man roster — likely someone from the practice squad.
It’s been a rough year for Quarless, whose July arrest raised doubts about whether he’d even remain with the Packers. While Green Bay did keep him around, Quarless was on the shelf for most of the season as second-year tight end Richard Rodgers enjoyed a breakout campaign, hauling in 58 balls and racking up eight touchdowns.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Notes: Jones, Texans, Browns, Bengals
Despite not failing a drug test or being arrested, Chandler Jones could be subject to discipline under the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
Jones’ recent incident reportedly involving synthetic marijuana and a police report indicating a smell of burned marijuana in Jones’ apartment would be enough to place the Patriots defensive end in Stage 1 of the substance-abuse program, Florio notes.
Synthetic marijuana isn’t among the substances for which the NFL tests, but being placed in the program would open up Jones to tests for other substances, and potential advancement within the program would about subsequent discipline a subsequent test comes back positive.
Jones’ recent bizarre happening won’t result in a suspension, Florio reports, unless the fourth-year defender was already in an advanced stage of the program. Confidentiality limits that knowledge to a select few, but Jones is not believed to be among those in the substance-abuse program.
Here are some more notes from AFC as the divisional round nears.
- Ray Horton wants to be the Browns‘ defensive coordinator if he doesn’t receive a head-coaching opportunity, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. John Wooten of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization that promotes minority coaches, front office personnel and scouts, told Cabot Horton “would love to come back to the Browns.” Horton served as Cleveland’s DC in 2013 under Rob Chudzinski but wasn’t retained after Chudzinski was fired after one season.
- In addition to pursuing Kirby Wilson as their running-game coordinator, the Browns will attempt to land Packers assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari as their offensive line coach, with an aim to possibly give him more responsibilities, Cabot reports. The 60-year-old Solari’s most notable role came as Chiefs offensive coordinator in 2006-07 under Herm Edwards. Since, Solari served as the offensive line coach for the Seahawks (2008-09) and 49ers (2010-14) before joining the Packers’ staff.
- The Texans hired former Patriots linebacker Larry Izzo as their special teams coordinator, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. Izzo had previously served as the Giants’ assistant special teams coach. The 41-year-old Izzo played for three Patriots Super Bowl champion teams in the 2000s and is a Houston-area native.
- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has taken a lot of heat for deploying the likes of Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones this week, but other coaches and executives believe the responsibility falls more on the Bengals’ ownership, Albert Breer of NFL.com reports. “I don’t think Marvin and that staff are about that stuff. Ownership is. They look at value, and see a way to gain an advantage,” one head coach told La Canfora. An NFC personnel man echoed that, questioning Mike Brown‘s organization’s offseason choices. “People want Marvin to pay with his job, but what about the GM? They went through this period of time where they had a bunch of dirtbags in there, guys like Corey Dillon, and they’ve changed some. But it’s still there. The Brown family, I love and respect them. They’re as high character and have as much integrity as any owners I’ve met. Yet, sometimes, the player selections make you scratch your head.”
- Both Brock Osweiler and Malik Jackson will command contracts “well north” of $10MM per year, Mike Klis of 9News estimates. Both will be the Broncos‘ top priorities once Von Miller is likely franchise-tagged, Klis notes. The Broncos opted to let most of their departing talent walk the past two offseasons, save for Demaryius Thomas and Chris Harris, but today signed Derek Wolfe to a contract paying $9MM AAV. That figure sits seventh among 3-4 defensive ends, according to OverTheCap. The Broncos have $20MM+ worth of cap space heading into 2016, and that’s before factoring in Peyton Manning‘s likely departure, freeing up more than $20MM of additional dollars.
Colts Hire Joe Philbin As OL Coach
8:31pm: Philbin won’t be regressing from head coach to position coach entirely. Part of the Colts’ offer includes the title of assistant head coach, which may have been the reason the former Dolphins boss chose Indianapolis over the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
4:52pm: Former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has found a new home, and despite the rumors and speculation this week, he didn’t land in New York. The Colts announced today in a press release that they’ve hired Philbin as their offensive line coach.
[RELATED: Colts hire Rob Chudzinski as permanent offensive coordinator]
As recently as Thursday, following the hiring of Ben McAdoo as the Giants’ new head coach, multiple reports indicated that Philbin would likely land on McAdoo’s staff, possibly in the role of assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. However, it seems Philbin – and the Giants – are going in another direction. Mike Garafolo FOX Sports tweets that Philbin strongly considered the Giants before opting for the Colts.
Philbin, who was hired by the Dolphins as their head coach in 2012, led the team to a 24-28 record up until he was fired earlier this season. His tenure in Miami didn’t result in any postseason trips, but he enjoyed success in Green Bay before heading south, serving as the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that, Philbin coached the team’s offensive line.
In Indianapolis, Philbin will be tasked with coaching an offensive line that may need to be upgraded this winter. Anthony Castonzo and Jack Mewhort look like a solid pairing on the left side, and Joe Reitz played reasonably well this year, but the Colts will want the group of players responsible for keeping Andrew Luck upright and healthy in 2016 to be more than just passable.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Extend Derek Wolfe Through 2019
8:10pm: Wolfe will have a $500K game-day roster bonus annually, which comes to $31,250 for each game he’s on the 46-man game-day roster, Klis reports. He’ll make $4.5MM in base salary in 2016.
5:08pm: Wolfe’s four-year deal features $12MM in fully guaranteed money, in the form of a signing bonus and his 2016 salary, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS. An additional $5.5MM becomes guaranteed on the seventh day of the 2017 league year.
3:06pm: Just two days before their first postseason game of the year, the Broncos have locked up one of their top defenders, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed defensive end Derek Wolfe to a four-year contract extension. The deal will be worth $36.75MM, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Wolfe, who turns 26 next month, saw his 2015 campaign get off to a disappoint start when he was suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Considering he was entering a contract year, the suspension looked like it could have a negative impact on Wolfe’s stock, but he returned from the ban better than ever, enjoying perhaps his best seasons as a pro.
After seeing his sack totals decrease from six in his rookie year to four in 2013 to just 1.5 in 2014, Wolfe bounced back with 5.5 sacks in just 12 games this season. He also logged 50 total tackles, and was his reliable self against the run. Pro Football Focus graded Wolfe as the NFL’s 10th-best interior defender in 2015, ranking him fifth among that group as a run defender.
While Brock Osweiler and Von Miller have dominated the discussion when it comes to the Broncos’ potential free agents, Wolfe’s 2015 performance made him a potential marquee FA as well. The franchise tag wouldn’t have been an option for him, since the cost of 4-3 defensive ends bumps up the price on that tag and makes it unpalatable, so it makes sense that the Broncos worked out a new deal for Wolfe before March.
As a 3-4 defensive end, Wolfe won’t typically rack up the sort of eye-popping numbers that an edge defender like Miller does, so the $9MM+ annual average value on his new deal may seem pricey. But it falls in line with many other long-term contracts signed recently by players at his position — in fact, Wolfe likely would’ve landed an even larger deal on the open market.
As Over the Cap’s data shows, Cameron Heyward (Steelers), Corey Liuget (Chargers), and Mike Daniels (Packers) have all recently signed four- or five-year extensions with per-year salaries that exceed $10MM. The fully guaranteed money on those contracts ranged from $12-16MM, so I’d expect Wolfe to get something in that range, perhaps an amount on the lower end.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates (via Twitter) that the pact features $17.5MM in guaranteed money. However, typically those initial reports include salary that’s guaranteed for injury only, so we’ll have to wait to hear how much of that is fully guaranteed.
Meanwhile, it’s unclear what this deal means for the Broncos’ other defensive end, Malik Jackson, whose rookie contract is also set to expire this year. Jackson matched Wolfe’s 5.5 sacks in 2015, and was graded a top-20 interior defender by PFF, so he should be in line for a similar deal. After investing in Wolfe though, the Broncos may not be the team to sign him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Rumors: Frazier, Cullen, Front Office
Leslie Frazier will join the Ravens’ coaching staff as the team’s secondary coach, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun reports (Twitter links).
The former Vikings head coach was dismissed recently, when the Buccaneers opted to not pick up his option to remain on staff as their defensive coordinator.
Frazier and the Ravens do not have a contract in place yet, but a verbal agreement’s been established, per Zreibec (on Twitter).
Although Frazier, the Vikings’ head coach from 2011-13, coached the Colts’ defensive backs during their Super Bowl campaign in 2006, his title was assistant head coach. A defensive coordinator or head coach since the Bengals hired him in 2003 to run their defense, the 56-year-old Frazier hasn’t been purely a position coach since presiding over the Eagles’ secondary from 1999-2002.
The Bucs’ defense ranked 25th and 23rd the past two seasons, respectively.
Here are some more items regarding the Ravens’ coaching staff and front office.
- Joe Cullen will move alongside Frazier from the Bucs to the Ravens, joining John Harbaugh‘s staff as defensive line coach, per Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. Cullen coached the Bucs’ defensive line last season and guided the Jaguars’ defensive line from 2010-12. He was arrested in 2006 as a member of the Lions’ coaching staff for driving through a Wendy’s drive-thru naked. The Ravens’ previous defensive line coach, Clarence Brooks, will serve as a senior defensive assistant, per Zreibec (on Twitter). Brooks will undergo surgery in January or February for esophageal cancer but is expected to be ready for the 2016 season.
- Chris Hewitt will assist Frazier in coaching the Ravens’ secondary after being in charge of the group this season, Zreibec tweets. The 41-year-old Hewitt also served in this capacity in 2014.
- Matt Weiss will transition from cornerback coach to a job working with the linebackers under Don Martindale, who’s been the Ravens’ inside linebacker coach since 2012, Zreibec tweets. Outside linebacker coach Ted Monachino recently signed on as the Colts’ defensive coordinator.
- Lastly, the Ravens retained and promoted Scott Cohen, who the Browns sought for a front office position, according to Zreibec (via Twtter). He’ll remain in Baltimore and work with opponent analysis.