East Notes: Giants, Harrison, Eagles
The Giants were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night by virtue of Washington’s victory over the Eagles, which has led ESPN’s Dan Graziano to wonder where Big Blue goes from here. He lays out the three biggest questions facing the team this offseason, including, of course, the fates of head coach Tom Coughlin and former first-round draft picks Prince Amukamara and Jason Pierre-Paul. Although it has been widely reported that Coughlin would be fired if his team failed to reach the playoffs this season, Graziano writes that a decision on Coughlin’s future has not yet been made.
Let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s east divisions, beginning with more out of New York:
- Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News suggests that there will be pressure from within the Giants‘ organization to make a coaching change, but Vacchiano says it would be unwise to underestimate how much team president John Mara likes Coughlin, and if Mara wants to stick with the coach that has delivered two Super Bowl titles to his club, Vacchiano lays out five reasons that would justify such a decision.
- If the Giants do decide to part ways with Coughlin, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is highly thought of within the organization and would become a strong candidate to become the team’s next head coach.
- If he stays with the Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick could land a contract that will pay him between $10-12MM annually, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (citing a prominent NFL agent).
- Damon Harrison, one of the unsung heroes of the Jets defensive line, will be a free agent at year’s end, and during a recent Q&A with Steve Serby of The New York Post, Harrison expressed his desire to remain with the Jets for the foreseeable future.
- Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald looks back at the disastrous 2013 offseason that saw the Dolphins make enormous mistakes in both the draft and free agency, mistakes that will continue to haunt the team in 2016 and beyond.
- After the Eagles‘ loss to Washington last night, quarterback Sam Bradford said he would like to remain in Philadelphia going forward, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. Although Bradford has had an up-and-down season in his first year with the club, Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer believes the impending free agent did enough last night to prove to the Eagles that he is worthy of a new contract.
- As Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Daily News notes, the question of who will make the decision on Bradford’s future with the Eagles is still very much up in the air. Although Bowen still believes owner Jeffrey Lurie is “in too deep” with Chip Kelly to pull the plug on his embattled head coach so soon after handing him control of the team’s personnel decisions, the Eagles loss last night and the manner in which they lost may force Lurie’s hand.
Saints Notes: Brees, Payton, Benson
Let’s have a look at some Saints-related news that has come across the wire this morning, news that includes some of the biggest names in New Orleans:
- Drew Brees may be under contract through 2016, but according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Brees will not be back with the club next season unless he “takes a hometown discount.” As a result of the contract restructure that Brees and the Saints worked out in September, the veteran signal-caller will carry an exorbitant $30MM cap number in 2016–the highest in the league–so it was inevitable that the two sides would have to revisit Brees’ deal in the coming months. The team could reduce that cap number via an extension, but given the team’s uncertain future, a release or trade may be more likely options. As former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets, the term “hometown discount” is not in Brees’ agent Tom Condon’s vocabulary.
- Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that there is some frustration among the Saints brass that Brees “maximized his contract” when he inked a five-year, $100MM deal prior to the 2012 season, a contract that has limited the club’s roster flexibility. Needless to say, it is difficult to blame a player for accepting money that a team willingly offers him.
- Rapoport asked sources close to head coach Sean Payton whether Payton would leave New Orleans at the end of the season, and those sources told Rapoport “never say never” (Twitter link). Team executives believe Payton is searching for a potential landing spot in case his time with the Saints is, in fact, coming to an end, and Rapoport tweets that Payton himself has privately mentioned the Chargers as a possibility. Albert Breer of the NFL Network names the Colts and whatever team(s) that end up in Los Angeles as the most likely destinations (Twitter link).
- Meanwhile, if Payton does leave the Saints next year, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports believes Jaguars offensive line coach Doug Marrone could be the team’s top choice to replace him.
- Saints owner Tom Benson has announced that he has no intention of retiring or selling the Saints, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Benson has been involved in a bitter legal dispute with his estranged daughter and grandchildren since he announced plans in January to will control of the Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans to his third wife, Gayle Benson.
Bills GM Doug Whaley “On Very Solid Ground”
After a pair of reports last weekend suggested just the opposite, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Bills GM Doug Whaley is “on very solid ground” and that Whaley is more likely to receive an extension than be fired (Twitter link). Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that team ownership supports Whaley, and that the GM and head coach Rex Ryan work well together.
Reports from Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports last Sunday indicated that owner Terry Pegula had sought outside NFL consultation in an effort to address the problems that his club has faced in recent seasons, and those reports suggested that much of what Pegula heard was unfavorable to Whaley. Furthermore, Carucci and La Canfora suggested that Whaley and the Bills’ coaching staff did not see eye-to-eye, and La Canfora indicated that a “showdown” between Whaley and the team’s coaches could be coming at the end of the season.
Rapoport’s tweets, however, throws some cold water on all of that talk. And although Whaley has made a few missteps–blowing a first-round draft pick on EJ Manuel, for instance–he has also made some notable improvements to the roster during his time in Buffalo. Whaley, who served as the Steelers’ Coordinator of Pro Scouting for 11 years before being hired by the Bills as Assistant GM/Director of Pro Personnel in 2010, assembled a particularly strong rookie class in 2015, a class that has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing year. He also has a decent track record in free agency, and even though he should bear some of the blame for the Bills’ failure to qualify for the playoffs this year, he has certainly done enough to earn another chance in 2016. And despite the team’s recent attempts to lure Bill Polian to the front office–along with its continued consultation of Polian–Rapoport’s sources believe Whaley will get that chance.
Documentary Links Peyton Manning, Other NFLers To PEDs
9:50pm: Manning has issued a strongly worded denial through the Broncos (Twitter link via Albert Breer of NFL.com):
“The allegation that I would do something like that is complete garbage and is totally made up. It never happened. Never. I really can’t believe somebody would put something like this on the air. Whoever said this is making stuff up.”
9:04pm: In 2011, when Peyton Manning was recovering from a career-threatening neck injury, an Indianapolis anti-aging clinic supplied him and his wife with human growth hormone – which is on the NFL’s banned substances list – according to a pharmacist who worked at the clinic, Travis Waldron and Ryan Grim of The Huffington Post write.
Guyer Institute pharmacist Charlie Sly claims he was “part of a medical team that helped [Manning] recover.” Sly made that statement to Liam Collins, a British hurdler who went undercover for an Al Jazeera documentary, “The Dark Side,” centering on the global epidemic of performance-enhancing drugs in sports.
“All the time we would be sending Ashley Manning drugs,” says Sly on video, unaware that Collins was taping him. “Like growth hormone, all the time, everywhere, Florida. And it would never be under Peyton’s name, it would always be under her name.”
Sly also declares that Manning and his wife showed up at the clinic after normal business hours for intravenous treatments.
In response, Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, rejected Sly’s allegations to Al Jazeera and referred to them as “outrageous and wrong.”
“The treatment he received at the Guyer Institute was provided on the advice of his physician and with the knowledge of team doctors and trainers,” said Condon, who neither confirmed nor denied that growth hormones were sent to Manning’s wife.
“Any medical treatment received by Ashley is a private matter of hers, her doctor, and her family,” Condon said.
As noted by Waldron and Grim, the league banned HGH in 2011 but didn’t begin testing for it until 2014. No NFL player has ever tested positive for it.
In addition to Manning, Sly and fellow pharmacist Chad Robertson name Packers linebackers Mike Neal and Julius Peppers, Steelers LB James Harrison and ex-NFL tight end Dustin Keller as players they supplied with banned substances. Neal, Peppers, Harrison and Keller are all linked to hormone supplement Delta-2, which Sly says is designed to stay ahead of drug tests.
Further, Sly contends to have provided prescription painkiller Percocet to Packers LB Clay Matthews, whom Sly says also attempted to obtain Toradol – another painkiller. Toradol is banned in many countries, but not the United States.
Harrison issued a denial to Al Jazeera, while Neal, Peppers, Matthews and Keller didn’t respond to the network’s request for comment, per Waldron and Grim.
Extra Points: Murray, Job Openings, Jags
There have been various reports this month centering on running back DeMarco Murray‘s apparent discontent with being a member of the Eagles. One said an “obviously upset” Murray and team owner Jeffrey Lurie had a long conversation about his lack of playing time after an upset win over New England. However, Murray’s own words this week run contrary to the idea that he’s unhappy with his role, per The Associated Press.
“I’m not worried about how many plays I am getting,” said Murray, who received just two touches in a 40-17 loss to Arizona last week. “Whenever I get in, whenever I get an opportunity, I have to make the most of it.”
Murray hasn’t made the most of his opportunities this year, amassing just 606 yards and four touchdowns through 13 games. After signing a deal worth over $40MM last offseason, Murray has averaged a mere 3.4 yards per carry in his first season in Philadelphia.
In other NFL news. . .
- There will be teams looking for new head coaches and/or general managers in the coming weeks, but a dearth of enticing replacement options could preclude some clubs from making changes, according to The Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci. Even if teams are displeased with their current situations, then, they might continue with the status quo in 2016 because the market won’t exactly be packed with slam-dunk candidates next month.
- Earlier this week, an independent hearing officer jointly hired by both the league and NFL Players Association upheld the one-game suspension given to Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for a helmet-to-helmet in last Sunday’s loss to Carolina. The league and the union could eventually agree to handle off-field discipline the same way, reports Carucci. If so, it would remove power from commissioner Roger Goodell on violations of the league’s personal-conduct policy and give it to a neutral party.
- Last May at their rookie minicamp, the Jaguars lost first-round defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. for all of 2015 because of a torn ACL. With that in mind, they’re debating whether to even have a traditional rookie camp next spring, according to Ryan O’Halloran of Florida.com. “It’s something I’ve always thought didn’t make a lot of sense, and we’re going to take a real, long, hard look at how we approach it,” said GM Dave Caldwell.
NFC East Notes: Coughlin, Bradford
Here’s the latest from the NFC East, whose 2015 champion could be crowned tonight:
- As the end of the season draws nearer, Giants owner John Mara gets closer to having to make a decision on the future of two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Tom Coughlin. Although the Coughlin-led Giants are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year, their best move might be to give him another shot with a better roster, opines Newsday’s Bob Glauber – who doesn’t believe there are obvious signs that the 69-year-old is past his prime. Glauber doesn’t see any loss of passion from Coughlin or effort issues from his players, a sign they haven’t tuned him out. If the Giants disagree and do elect to fire Coughlin, anyone they hire to replace him wouldn’t be free of warts. They’d either be choosing a first-time head coach – which could work, Glauber concedes, but it’s a risky proposition – or someone who has failed at another stop.
- In his own piece centering on Coughlin, the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano offers five reasons why the Giants won’t fire their head coach. Among those reasons: The Giants might not want to force 35-year-old Eli Manning to learn a third new offense in a four-year span, especially given the fact that he was played so well under current coordinator Ben McAdoo. Speaking of which, Mara’s ideal scenario – a source told Vacchiano – is for McAdoo to get further seasoning as an assistant and then have Coughlin pass him the head coaching reins after a more successful season.
- Eagles quarterback and free agent-to-be Sam Bradford will have a chance over the next two weeks to show he can be a big-game player, Zach Berman of Philly.com writes. Bradford will play his first meaningful late-season game since 2010 tonight when the 6-8 Eagles take on NFC East-leading Washington (7-7). If the Eagles lose, they’re eliminated from playoff contention and Washington clinches the division. That’s likely to happen if Bradford turns in a similar performance to the last time he was in a must-win game at the end of a season. In Bradford’s rookie year, the former No. 1 overall pick and ex-Ram completed just 19 of 36 passes for a paltry 155 yards and an interception in a 16-6 loss to the Seahawks. That Week 17 defeat put the Seahawks in the playoffs and sent Bradford and the Rams home for a long offseason. Bradford is excited about the chance to atone for that showing. “It’s been a long time coming. This is why you play,” he said.
AFC Notes: Pagano, Manning, Jets
A look around the AFC:
- One of the reasons for the Colts’ offensive decline this season is head coach Chuck Pagano‘s mentality, a source told Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Pagano prefers a run-first, ball-control attack rather than a high-flying approach – a 180 in attitude for a team that led the NFL in passing yards in 2014. With Indianapolis having been without quarterback Andrew Luck for a large chunk of the year, it’s hard to fault Pagano for shying away from the passing game. However, his ground-and-pound method hasn’t worked, as Indy is tied for 30th in both rushing yards (1,211) and per-carry average (3.6). The Colts have also been dismal through the air, coming in at 31st in yards per attempt (6.4) and 29th in rating (77.6).
- Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak took in Peyton Manning‘s workout Saturday and subsequently offered some encouraging words on his injured quarterback. “It went really well,” Kubiak said, per Mike Klis of 9News. “He had a good week, worked really hard this morning. Well, he worked every morning, but worked out really hard this morning conditioning-wise and throwing-wise.” Manning, who hasn’t played since mid-November because of a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot, will miss the Broncos’ key game Monday against Cincinnati. There’s a small chance he could be healthy enough to play in Denver’s regular-season finale on Jan. 3. Of course, even if the 39-year-old is ready to come back by then or during the playoffs, there’s no guarantee he’ll take the starting job back from Brock Osweiler.
- The Jets will have important decisions to make over the next couple offseasons regarding three members of their dominant defensive line. Both Muhammad Wilkerson and Damon Harrison are free agents at the end of the season, and Sheldon Richardson‘s contract is up after the 2016 campaign. Don’t be surprised if all three are Jets for at least one more year, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Cimini expects Wilkerson to get the franchise tag, while he believes the team could lock up Harrison to a long-term deal worth roughly $4.5MM per annum. If the Jets enable Harrison to hit the open market, he’s likely to head elsewhere. Richardson has been mentioned in the past as a trade candidate, but the Jets are unlikely to move him because of his off-field legal issues. He could start next season suspended for as many as six games, which would significantly damage his trade value and deter the Jets from dealing him.
NFC Rumors: Packers, Falcons, Saints
With playoff seeds potentially set to be finalized across the NFC this weekend, let’s look at some news coming out of some of the conference’s locales.
- The Packers‘ decision to sign rookie long snapper Rick Lovato instead of a veteran special teams presence surprised some coaches, Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. “I want a veteran,” an NFC special teams coach told McGinn. “Try a rookie in camp, not on a playoff run.” Another coach called Lovato’s game tape “terrible” but saw marketed improvement at his pro day this past spring, and the rookie agreed with that assessment. Two AFC special teams coaches didn’t rank Lovato among their top four draft-eligible snappers, McGinn writes.
- Mason Crosby could command a deal that pays him $4MM per year and guarantees him $8MM this offseason, Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel writes. The Packers’ patience with Crosby after a 2012 season where he missed 12 field goals has paid off, with the ninth-year kicker missing just 14 over the past three seasons. “Obviously, I want to be a Packer. I love playing here. This is all I know. It’s home to me,” Crosby told media, including Silverstein. “It’s a special place. I would love nothing more than to just continue my career here.”Stephen Gostkowski is the only kicker who makes more than $4MM per year. Justin Tucker and Adam Vinatieri are a couple of the notable kickers that comprise the upcoming free agent class.
- Marques Colston, Jahri Evans and Zach Strief could be part of the next batch of Saints veterans cut for salary cap relief, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com writes. The Saints are again in cap turmoil, residing $4MM+ over the 2016 cap presently. Set to play on an $8.2MM cap number, and $7.1MM worth of dead money, Evans has the best chance of sticking around, Duncan notes, due to a potential release of the perennially durable guard netting the team barely $1MM in cap savings. Cutting Colston, who’s been usurped by Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead, would save $3.2MM. A Strief release, however, would save the Saints just $1.3MM.
- Embattled Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff‘s penchant for allowing his coaches significant input in key personnel decisions has led to some slip-ups in recent years, Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Mike Smith preferred the Falcons select Ra’Shede Hageman in the second round last year, and then-defensive coordinator Mike Nolan convinced the GM to build a 3-4 defensive front around Paul Soliai and first-round bust Tyson Jackson a year earlier, Schultz writes.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/26/15
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Saints promoted offensive lineman Ryan Seymour from their practice squad and cut cornerback Tony Carter to make room, Evan Woodberry of NOLA.com reports. A 2013 seventh-round pick of the Seahawks’, Seymour has played 11 games and started three of them at center, although none have come in 2015. The 25-year-old Seymour’s career encountered turbulence when the Browns cut him in August after the NFL suspended him four games for a PED offense. New Orleans placed the interior lineman on its practice squad Oct. 20. Carter, 29, spent the past four seasons with the Broncos as a reserve corner before the team cut him after training camp this summer.
- The Seahawks signed wide receiver Kasen Williams and placed tight end Anthony McCoy on injured reserve, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports. A former top recruit who latched on with the Seahawks after a rookie minicamp audition, Williams represents wide receiver depth due to Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse dealing with injuries, Condotta reports. Seattle lost wideout/quarterback B.J. Daniels to the Texans earlier this week. McCoy re-signed with the Seahawks, his employer from 2010-14, earlier this month after being cut by Washington in November. The 28-year-old tight end suffered a high-ankle sprain, warranting an IR stint.
- The Dolphins promoted cornerback Tyler Patmon from their practice squad and cut defensive end Jordan Williams, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports (on Twitter). A second-year UDFA, Patmon played in 11 games with the Cowboys last season and matched that amount, with two starts, this season. Dallas waived the 24-year-old corner last week.
Patriots Waive Leonard Hankerson
4:10pm: Chris Harper will again claim a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster, doing so in Hankerson’s stead, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets.
With Julian Edelman slapped with a doubtful designation again and Danny Amendola questionable after a Week 15 injury, the Patriots needed a receiver with better knowledge of their system than Hankerson currently possesses, Volin points out (on Twitter).
The 22-year-old wideout played in three games for the Pats in November, the latest of which featuring an ill-timed fumble that contributed to his release and eventual return to the practice squad.
10:15am: NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Hankerson is expected to rejoin the Patriots next week, assuming the wideout passes through waivers. Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com believes the Patriots may have just wanted a wideout who was a bit more familiar with the offensive system for this weekend’s contest against the Jets (Twitter link).
9:15am: Leonard Hankerson‘s stay in New England proved to be a short one, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that the Patriots will waive the wideout this afternoon. The five-year veteran joined the Patriots last week after being cut from the Falcons injured reserve list. The 26-year-old was active for the team’s victory over the Titans, but he didn’t earn a single target in the contest.
In eight games for the Falcons this season, Hankerson compiled 26 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns. The receiver’s best season came in 2012 with Washington, when he caught 38 passes for 543 yards and three touchdowns.
Hankerson will now be subject to waivers, just like he was last week. Since the Patriots managed to acquire the player despite being towards the end of the waiver order, Florio doesn’t expect the receiver to find another job this season.