Pigskin Links: Packers, Kelly, Titans
Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.
We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.
Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere in our New Year’s Day edition of Pigskin Links:
- NFL Spin Zone looked at five WRs that could help the Packers.
- Total Sports Live reacted to the Chip Kelly firing.
- Nuts & Bolts says the Titans should hire Kelly.
- Wayniac Nation wonders who the NFL’s worst team is.
- Brad Hegland previewed Week 17.
Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.
AFC South Notes: Texans, Grigson, Titans
A look around the AFC South:
- Rick Smith has been the Texans’ general manager since 2006, but his role might change sometime during the offseason – perhaps after the draft – tweets Neil Stratton of Inside the League. According to Stratton, Smith could get a promotion (possibly to team president), thus elevating director of player personnel Brian Gaine to GM.
- Speaking of AFC South GMs, Mike Wells of ESPN.com took a look at whether Ryan Grigson deserves to continue running the Colts. The reasons to fire Grigson exist in greater quantity than the ones to keep him, Wells writes. One excuse to let Grigson go: a 2013 trade that went horribly awry. Back then, Grigson sent a 2014 first-rounder to Cleveland for running back Trent Richardson, who spent two unproductive seasons in Indy and is now out of the NFL. Further, the imperious Grigson has meddled in the affairs of head coach Chuck Pagano – who’s also a candidate for the chopping block.
- Titans interim head coach Mike Mularkey has a supporter in tight end Delanie Walker, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Walker, who easily leads the Titans in receptions (85), yards (994) and touchdowns (six), thinks Mularkey is capable of fixing the team’s problems if he is promoted to the full-time head coaching role. That seems unlikely, however, especially given Mularkey’s lack of results as a head coach. He’s just 18-37 in three-plus seasons with the Bills, Jaguars and Titans.
- If the Titans do move on from Mularkey, Bob Brookover of Philly.com offers his version of the perfect replacement: erstwhile Eagles coach Chip Kelly. Of course, Kelly and Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota were together previously at Oregon and helped the Ducks to a 12-1 record and second overall ranking in 2012. Brookover thinks a Kelly-Mariota reunion should be too enticing for Tennesee to let go by the wayside.
Coaching Rumors: Giants, Browns, Dolphins, Eagles
If the Giants go the expected route and fire longtime head coach Tom Coughlin in the coming days, his act will be a tough one to follow in New York. Coughlin’s 12-year run with the Giants has been fruitful, likely Hall of Fame-worthy, with the 69-year-old having helped the franchise to 102 regular-season victories and a pair of Super Bowl titles. The Giants’ next coach should be someone capable of that type of success, someone to enliven a disenchanted fan base, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano suggests Giants owner John Mara should take a swing-for-the-fences approach and target either Saints coach Sean Payton or Alabama’s Nick Saban to succeed Coughlin.
Vacchiano doesn’t believe the Giants are in position to hire a neophyte as their next coach, though he acknowledges that neither Payton nor Saban will be easy to land. Payton is still under contract with the Saints for two more years and makes over $8MM per annum, but it’s possible he’ll seek another opportunity this offseason. If so, the team that hires Payton will need to give him a similar contract in terms of value and send compensation to New Orleans in the form of one or more draft picks. Saban is similarly paid at $7MM a year. A large price tag shouldn’t stand in the way of hiring either for the big-market Giants, Vacchiano opines.
Elsewhere on the coaching landscape. . .
- Browns head coach Mike Pettine‘s short tenure with the team is likely to end after Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh, Rand Getlin of NFL.com reports (Twitter link).
- If the Browns do fire Pettine, they could replace him with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Cleveland has done its homework on Gase, as have the Dolphins, according to La Canfora. The Eagles are another possibility for his services.
- Speaking of the Eagles, Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is an under-the-radar candidate for Chip Kelly‘s former job, per Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link). Guenther, 48, is a native Pennsylvanian whose defense leads the league in points per game allowed (17.5).
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/16
Let’s take a look at a New Year’s Day edition of the league’s latest minor moves:
- The Rams have promoted receiver Nick Toon to their active roster, according to Woodbery (Twitter link), placing cornerback Eric Patterson on injured reserve to create a roster spot (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). Toon, a former fourth-round pick, has 21 career receptions, all with the Saints.
- The Jaguars also made a practice squad promotion, signing defensive tackle Richard Ash to the active roster while placing defensive end Abry Jones on injured reserve, tweets Wilson. Ash has spent the entire season on Jacksonville’s taxi squad.
- The Chargers made a couple of procedural moves, per Wilson (Twitter link), who reports that San Diego has cut receiver Torrence Allen and guard Ben Beckwith from injured reserve.
Earlier updates:
- The Saints have placed running back Kendall Hunter on injured reserve, head coach Sean Payton told reporters, including Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (Twitter link). The 27-year-old former 49er, who has just one carry on the season, was apparently injured during practice this week.
- The Colts have waived receiver Griff Whalen off injured reserve, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. Whalen appeared in 14 games this season, catching 19 balls for 205 yards and one touchdown.
Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith Suffers Knee Injury
In what is a terrible start to 2016 for one potential top-10 draft pick, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly told reporters, including Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), that linebacker Jaylon Smith suffered a “significant knee injury” during his team’s bowl game against Ohio State today.
We’ll obviously have to wait for more details on the specific nature and severity of the injury, but the fact remains that this news will undoubtedly affect Smith’s draft stock. Smith, a junior, was expected to be drafted near the top end of the first round — Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, for example, had Smith rated as his No. 2 overall player. Because he is an underclassmen (and hasn’t yet officially declared for the draft), the possibility remains that he could return to school. But facing a major injury and recovery time, I’d guess Smith will want to get on an NFL roster and begin collecting a paycheck.
The most recent example of a top collegiate prospect suffering a knee injury is, of course, Todd Gurley, who was drafted with the 10th overall pick after tearing his ACL. Again, we don’t even know if that’s the same injury suffered by Smith, and there are differences here (Gurley suffered his injury in mid-November, not January, and was considered a generational talent). But the Gurely comparison might give some indication as to how far Smith can expect his stock to fall.
North Notes: Dalton, K. Long, Wolf, Steelers
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton will meet with a specialist on Monday to determine his progress since fracturing his right thumb on December 13, but according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Dalton doesn’t know exactly what to expect from the visit. He hasn’t ruled himself out for a potential wild card game next weekend, but he isn’t expressing much optimism, either. “It depends how it feels and what the doctor says,” Dalton said today. “It’s hard to tell exactly how it feels. It’s getting better. That’s what they’re saying.”
Let’s dive into some more notes from the NFL’s two North divisions:
- Kyle Long confirmed to reporters, including Patrick Finely of the Chicago Sun-Times, that he’ll be playing tackle for the Bears next season — but he still doesn’t know if he’ll man the right or left side. The former first-round pick slid out from guard to right tackle this season, and according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), didn’t fare all that well, grading as the league’s 40th-best tackle.
- Packers executive Eliot Wolf could have his “pick of jobs,” according to Neil Stratton of Inside the League (Twitter link), as both the Lions and the Browns could express interest. However, Wolf is also seen as the heir apparent to current Packers general manager Ted Thompson, so Wolf might not be too eager to jump ship just yet.
- Getting a head start on possible offseason futures deals, the Steelers brought in kicker Ty Long, receiver Levi Norwood, and quarterback Phillip Sims for workouts, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Buccaneers Place Chris Conte On IR
The Buccaneers will be without one of their starting safeties for the their regular season finale against the Panthers, as the club announced that they’ve placed Chris Conte on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, Tampa Bay has promoted Darius Eubanks from its practice squad.
The 26-year-old Conte reunited with former Bears head coach Lovie Smith in Tampa this season, inking a one-year, $1.5MM deal during the offseason. He made good on that investment, starting 14 games, posting 59 tackles, two interceptions, and grading as a top-30 safety according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Buccaneers figure to make improvements to their secondary during free agency and/or the draft, but it stands to reason that Conte could be re-signed given his familiarity with Smith’s scheme.
Eubanks, 24, has nine games of NFL experience, all with the Browns in 2013. Formerly an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Southern, Eubanks spent most of the this season on the Cowboys’ practice squad, before being signed to Tampa’s taxi squad 10 days ago.
Steelers Waive Jacoby Jones
Wide receiver/return man Jacoby Jones has now been cut for the second time this season, as Steelers PR man Burt Lauten announced (via Twitter) that the club has waived the veteran. To fill Jones’ roster spot, Pittsburgh has promoted safety Ross Ventrone off its practice squad.
The Steelers claimed Jones off waivers from the Chargers in early November, assuming the remainder of his $900K base salary. The 31-year-old was expected to provide a spark to Pittsburgh’s special teams unit, but he averaged just over three yards per return on punts and less than 25 yards per return on kickoffs. Notably, Jones botched two kicks in early December and hasnt’t seen any game action since those miscues.
Jones was due a non-guaranteed 2016 base salary of $3MM, so the Steelers have now cleared that total off next year’s books. (It never appeared remotely likely that Pittsburgh would keep Jones on its roster for the 2016 season, as its waiver claim looked to be a move for 2015 only). Jones is no longer a factor in clubs’ offensive game plans, and now that he’s struggled even in his special teams duties, he could struggle to find a deal next spring.
Ventrone, 29, is a career special-teamer with 22 career games to his name (including five this season with the Steelers). He’s bounced on and off Pittsburgh and New England’s practice squads this year, and he’ll look to provide some depth as the Steelers head into their regular season finale against the Browns.
NFC Notes: Reiff, Randle, Amukamara, Cutler
The Lions invested a first-round pick in Riley Reiff four years ago, but haven’t found a permanent home for him on the offensive line. He has played both tackle spots, but the team hasn’t decided where his long-term future will be.
Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter hasn’t made an officialy declaration, but he suggested the team was happy with how he locked up the left tackle position down the stretch this season, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I see him locking down our left tackle spot going forward,” said Cooter.
While Reiff finds a permanent home along the offensive line in Detroit, here are a few notes about players hoping to find permanent homes with their current teams this offseason:
- The Giants have Odell Beckham Jr. for two more years on his rookie deal, but they will need to make a decision on a different receiver this offseason, as Rueben Randle hits free agency. Whether or not the Giants prioritize keeping him, Randle says he wants to stay with the team, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Randle’s up and down play might discourage the team from pursuing him.
- Randle isn’t the only Giant who wants to come back, as cornerback Prince Amukamara has also expressed interest in returning to the team in 2016, writes James Kratch of NJ.com. Like Randle, Amukamara has had uneven play on the field, but the former first-round pick at cornerback has also struggled with injuries off the field.
- Jay Cutler has had to answer similar questions on whether he’ll be back with the Bears in 2016. Cutler isn’t a free agent, but his high cap number has made him a candidate for release. He does want to be back, according to Larry Hawley of WGNTV.com. “Why wouldn’t I be [back?,” said Cutler. “I definitely want to be here. I wanted to be here last year whenever things did go bad.”
Coaching Staff Notes: Browns, Lions, Jaguars
Mike Pettine isn’t giving up his position as Browns head coach without a fight, as he has already offered up the suggestion that he would make significant changes to his coaching staff if the ownership decided to retain him, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.
It is unusual for a head coach to be so willing to give up his staff in exchange for his job, which points towards the likelihood of him getting fired. However, owner Jimmy Haslam vowed not to blow up the franchise back in August, and might consider keeping Pettine for continuity’s sake.
Here are some more notes involving current coordinators and coaching staffs in the NFL:
- Despite offensive struggles this season, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has not lost any confidence in Scott Linehan’s ability to coordinate the offense, writes David Moore of DallasNews.com.
- Jim Caldwell may be on the hot seat in Detroit, but his coaching staff is even more uncertain. Many Lions’ coaches could be in the running for better jobs elsewhere, while others could decide to jump ship if any opportunity should arise, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- Of all the Lions’ staff, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is least likely to return, as he will be a top head coaching candidate around the league this hiring cycle, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.
- The Jaguars offensive took a big step forward this year, but defensive coordinator Bob Babich might not have done enough to keep his job into 2016, writes Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com.
- The Bears are expecting offensive coordinator Adam Gase to be offered a head coaching job this year, after interviewing with five teams a year ago, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains will be in consideration, as could Ken Whisenhunt and Pat Shurmur.
- Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan looked like a head coaching candidate during the team’s 5-0 start, but the disappointing finish put that status into question. Still, Shanahan is excited to be back with the team in 2016 to build on what the offense started, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.
- Despite completely turning the Seahawks offense around midseason, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell isn’t receiving much head coaching buzz this season, writes Sheil Kapadia of ESPN. He has been in the discussion the past two offseasons but has not been able to come away with a job. His 2015 performance might be the best offense he put on display, but he doesn’t seem to be as hot as other candidates.
- Some changes will be made on the 49ers coaching staff, but defensive coordinator Eric Mangini believes they won’t wait long to find out, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. For one, linebackers coach Clancy Pengergast is expected to leave to join USC’s coaching staff.