NFC Notes: OBJ, Brees, Hawthorne, Megatron
The NFL has found no evidence that Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was on the receiving end of homophobic slurs and insults from Panthers players prior to last Sunday’s game, a league source tells Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
Reports earlier this week suggested Panthers players directed homophobic slurs at Beckham, but punter Brad Wing – who described Marcus Ball‘s pre-game actions – said that he didn’t hear any slurs, and they weren’t brought up during Beckham’s appeal hearing. As such, no Carolina players will be disciplined, assuming no new information surfaces.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Despite battling what he describes as a “Grade 2” tear of the plantar fascia tendon in his right heel, Saints quarterback Drew Brees is adamant that he’ll play this weekend, per Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Asked why he’s so intent on not sitting with the Saints out of playoff contention, Brees replied, “One reason only: I want to play for my guys. Bottom line.”
- Saints linebacker David Hawthorne has been inactive for the team’s last three games, and may be nearing the end of his time in New Orleans, Woodbery writes in a separate Times-Picayune article. Hawthorne, who has spent his last four years with the Saints, took a pay cut back in March, but given his decreased role, that may not be enough to save his roster spot this time around.
- Speaking of pay cuts, it’s possible that Calvin Johnson will have to take one to remain with the Lions. Kyle Meinke of MLive.com examines that possibility, including Megatron’s comments – or lack thereof – on the situation
Niners Notes: Boldin, A. Davis, Tomsula
San Francisco is 4-10 and on the way to a last-place finish in the NFC West, but that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of 49ers-related topics to discuss as the season winds down. Earlier today, we passed along some notes on Jarryd Hayne, Trent Baalke, and the Niners’ offensive line. Let’s round up a few more items now….
- Asked today is he wants to return to the 49ers next season, wide receiver Anquan Boldin said he “definitely” would like to be back, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Boldin indicated in November that he’s not considering retirement, so it’s no surprise that he wants to continue playing — but if he’s going to do so in San Francisco, he’ll have to sign a new contract, since his current deal voids this offseason.
- Veteran offensive tackle Anthony Davis announced earlier this year that he’d be stepping away from football for at least a season, but it sounds like he has interest in making a comeback with the Niners in 2016. Still, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, head coach Jim Tomsula isn’t ready to address that topic yet, telling reporters that he hasn’t been in contact with Davis and won’t consider the tackle’s situation until after the season.
- Of course, it’s not a lock yet that Tomsula will even keep his job as the 49ers’ head coach beyond this season. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News explores some potential coaches that could be candidates to replace Tomsula if the club decides to part ways with him.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/15
Here are Christmas Eve’s minor moves from around the league:
- The Saints have made a change at the back of their 53-man roster, elevating wide receiver Seantavius Jones from their practice squad and releasing fullback Toben Opurum, per Field Yates of ESPN.com, via ESPN’s Mike Triplett. Triplett speculates that Jones’ promotion might not bode well for the availability of Marques Colston, who hasn’t practiced this week due to a chest injury.
- The Bengals have promoted cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris from their practice squad, cutting cornerback Troy Hill to create a spot on the roster, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Earlier updates:
- The Giants signed wide receiver Ben Edwards to take Odell Beckham‘s roster spot for this week, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reports. A rookie out of Richmond, Edwards was originally waived by the Giants on July 31 after he injured his hamstring.
- The Colts signed quarterback Stephen Morris off the Eagles’ practice squad and cut cornerback D’Joun Smith to make room, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). A former UDFA from Miami, Morris spent some of 2014 with the Jaguars before being claimed by the Eagles in September. With Andrew Luck and Matt Hasselbeck ailing, Indianapolis remains in need of healthy signal-callers.
Breer’s Latest: GM Candidates, Dolphins, Cutler
Albert Breer’s usual Friday column at NFL.com has arrived one day early this week, in advance of Christmas Day. Breer’s Week 16 notebook focuses on general manager candidates around the league, with one current GM suggesting that the most important thing for a team is for its GM and coach to be on the same page.
“That is the most important thing,” the veteran GM said. “And it is for multiple reasons. The coach and GM have to share a vision. And once you start that relationship, you have to have clearly defined roles. If it’s that [the coach] is coaching and I’m bringing [players] in, once I start to veer and step over that line, everything becomes blurred and dysfunction follows.”
After detailing the importance of the rapport between a coach and GM, Breer identifies a number of potential candidates for jobs that will open up this offseason, examining front office executives who are on the rise and on the cusp of getting their first big shot (such as Chris Ballard of the Chiefs, Nick Caserio of the Patriots, and Brian Gaine of the Texans), as well as those that deserve a second chance at a GM position (like Mark Dominik, Jeff Ireland, and Scott Pioli).
Here are a few more highlights from Breer’s piece:
- The Dolphins have begun to vet possible candidates for their head coaching job, and the team is taking a closer look at the 2006 and 2009 coaching cycles to help identify important characteristics for those candidates. Those were the two years that former Jets executive Mike Tannenbaum hired new coaches – Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan – so the current Dolphins exec is very familiar with what he and his former team looked for at the time, and what they may have missed in other candidates. The overarching idea for Miami is to break away from the group-think mentality that may keep the club from considering a strong option.
- While it may have seemed unlikely a year ago, it now looks like a lock that the Bears will keep Jay Cutler on their roster for 2016, whether or not offensive coordinator Adam Gase remains in Chicago. Cutler’s partially guaranteed salary for next season will become fully guaranteed on St. Patrick’s Day, so the club figures to finalize its decision by then.
- A source tells Breer that the NFL expects to decide before the Super Bowl whether or not a 2016 regular season game will take place in Mexico. The league’s charge to make it happen has “slowed a bit,” according to Breer, who notes that there are several issues still to overcome to make Azteca Stadium game-ready.
- In Breer’s view, the Packers did well to lock up Mike Daniels to a four-year extension rather than having to consider using the franchise tag on him. As a defensive end in a 3-4 system, Daniels isn’t quite as valuable as elite 4-3 DE pass rushers, but his franchise salary would be the same as those players. Teams like the Jets (this year) and Eagles (next year) will face similar dilemmas for Muhammad Wilkerson and Fletcher Cox, respectively.
Latest On Los Angeles Relocation
Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf is exuding confidence as the league’s relocation vote nears, telling Raiders fans to “keep the faith” and noting that owner Mark Davis wants to stay in Oakland, according to a Bay Area News Group report.
The city and the Raiders have not generated a functional stadium plan yet, but Oakland will present its next proposal to the league on Dec. 29 or Dec. 30, the News Group’s report indicates. Although the league is not expecting a final proposal at that time.
The Raiders’ Los Angeles relocation proposal is expected to be heard by the NFL on Jan. 12 or Jan. 13.
Schaaf indicated she’s committed to keeping the Raiders in Oakland in a feasible way for taxpayers. While the mayor said the city won’t help the Raiders directly pay to build a new stadium, it will make payments for infrastructure enhancements on the 120-acre Coliseum site set to be publicly owned.
“We won’t put any public funds at risk,” Schaaf said. “… We have two things that no other city has: a fully entitled site and a team ownership that consistently says it wants to make it work in Oakland.”
Most current reports have the Raiders lagging behind the more financially sound Chargers and Rams in the Los Angeles pursuit, but a recent report listed the Raiders-Chargers Carson proposal as the preferred relocation plan of the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities — the six-owner coalition with the most sway on this matter.
Here are some more updates on the Western-division teams’ pursuit of an LA move.
- Oakland and the Raiders are engaging in frequent talks, but with nothing imminent, the city may be in need of the NFL voting down the Raiders’ relocation effort to create more substantive stadium negotiations, Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group reports. “We have to play this out,” Oakland Assistant City Administrator Claudia Cappio told Artz. “If the vote is not in their favor for Los Angeles, we come to the table with different leverage and needs, and I think we can begin to have talks in a different way.” The Rams are seen as having best plan from a funding standpoint, with the Chargers holding the most trust from the owners, Ohio University sports business professor Robert Boland told Artz. “Keeping the Raiders in Oakland is probably the least-difficult scenario for the NFL,” Boland said. Only four teams — the Packers, Bears, Saints and Bills — sport a stadium older than the Raiders’, which opened in 1966.
- San Diego runs a greater risk of losing its team and now is contending with millions being lost in the mere research for a potential stadium site, Jeff McDonald of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The city’s spent $1.6MM in research for the Mission Valley site. However, $2.35MM has been set aside for such expenditures, as the team prepares to potentially play its final two games as the San Diego Chargers. Should the Chargers leave for Los Angeles, the aforementioned research could be used to woo another team in the future. “Regardless of what ultimately happens with the NFL, this environmental impact report is valuable to taxpayers,” Craig Gustafson, a spokesman for mayor Kevin Faulconer, told McDonald. “The environmental studies and analysis in the report can be used for a new NFL stadium, demolishing the current stadium or other future projects on the site.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/24/15
Here are the practice squad signings and cuts from around the league on Christmas Eve.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Marion Grice (courtesy of Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic)
- Cut: RB Abou Toure
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T Bryan Witzmann (courtesy of Evan Woodberry of NOLA.com)
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Julian Talley (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com)
Free Agency Notes: Forte, Mack, Norman
Last night, we heard Matt Forte was aiming at a Bears return. But the running back’s sense of pragmatism’s also kicking in, with the eight-year veteran admitting he’s unsure if the Bears will make him an offer, according to an Associated Press report.
“I mean, I want to return,” Forte told media. “But if you’re saying am I hopeful that I do return? There’s not much to hope for right now because like I’ve said, I talked to (general manager Ryan Pace) earlier and they haven’t said anything back. So there’s nothing really to hope for.”
Forte envisioned the Bears breaking their silence regarding his future in Chicago after his strong start. But after a midseason knee injury, the 30-year-old runner is on pace for his worst statistical season.
Here’s some more news from around the league on Christmas Eve.
- Alex Mack will opt out of his unique Browns deal and seek to become the first center to earn $9MM+ per season, CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry tweets. That price seems logical for Mack, with the salary cap rising next season. Mike Pouncey and Rodney Hudson hover at $8.9MM+ per season after signing their deals this spring.
- Yahoo’s Charles Robinson categorizes the upcoming free agent class and placed Brock Osweiler and Kirk Cousins in a high-risk sector, given the quarterbacks’ high-variance futures. Robinson anticipates the Broncos paying the fourth-year quarterback, however. Robinson also places Eric Berry and Olivier Vernon in his “bank-breakers” category, given their impressive contract-year showings. In terms of unlikely paydays, the Yahoo reporter lists Broncos defensive ends Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe, along with Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, as those who will surprise with their second contracts.
- The Panthers‘ locking up Josh Norman will create a logjam atop their roster, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap and the Sporting News writes. Should Norman re-sign, Carolina will have five players making more than $9MM next season as of now prior to any releases or restructuring. Fitzgerald expects Norman to push to become the NFL’s highest-paid corner and potentially aim for a $16MM-per-year accord. Darrelle Revis, Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman are the league’s only $14MM-per-year corners. No. 1 on Pro Football Focus’ metrics almost all season long, Norman’s dropped to 12th, however.
- In an expansive analysis of players’ actual 2015 earnings, Corry concludes Philip Rivers was this year’s highest-paid player when factoring in deferrals and state taxes. Eli Manning and Marcell Dareus, with New York’s sub-9% state income tax rate, rank second and third behind Rivers’ $15.39MM post-taxes total.
- Fitzgerald expects a substantial amount of high-profile performers being released or forced to restructure their contracts this offseason due to the failure to justify their salaries. In being a top-tier wage-earner at their position, the OTC analyst lists 43 players who are signed to upper-echelon contracts but didn’t make either the Pro Bowl or Pro Football Focus’ Pro Bowl team. DeMarco Murray, Demaryius Thomas, Mario Williams and Joe Haden are among the numerous recognizable names on Fitzgerald’s list of underwhelming performances-per-contract value.
South Rumors: Payton, Coleman, Blackmon, Colts
Sean Payton decided again to squash any potential move to another team next season, per ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett.
“It’s come up every, I’m going to say, two to three years. And I guess … listen, it comes with the territory,” the Saints coach told media. “This is where I call home. I just finished building a home here. I’m close enough to my son back in Dallas where I’m pretty much back there once a week or he’s over here; my daughter is off in college now. So, I see myself coaching this team long past this season.”
Payton made similar comments in October after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Dolphins, and possibly other teams, would make a play for his services after this season. The 10th-year coach has two years remaining on his contract, so such a move would require compensation.
Drew Brees‘ coach for each of his Saints campaigns, Payton also anticipates the 15th-year quarterback to stay in New Orleans next season, when he’ll be 37 and occupy an untenable $30MM salary cap number.
“I understand (the question). It’s the business we’re in. And yet he’s playing at a very high level,” Payton told media. “His mechanics, his arm strength has been outstanding. Two weeks ago in Tampa Bay, he made a throw down the sideline and into the wind in Cover 2 that was unbelievable. So, yes, to answer your question, I do (expect him back).”
Here is some more news emerging from the Southern divisions.
- Tevin Coleman slipped in the shower at the Falcons‘ facility and entered the concussion protocol as a result, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports. The rookie runner who began the season as Atlanta’s starter has 392 yards on 87 carries this season.
- The Jaguars recouped an undisclosed amount of Justin Blackmon‘s bonus money despite the embattled receiver going on his second full-season absence from the league, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports. Previous reports indicated the Jaguars were keeping the former top-10 pick on their roster to recoup as much as $4MM of Blackmon’s signing bonus, instead of cutting him and not reacquiring any money. O’Halloran estimates, with Blackmon accruing another DUI this month, the receiver’s suspension has no end in sight and the Jags could conceivably keep him on their roster for years, with it not costing any cap space to do so.
- After T.Y. Hilton criticized the Colts‘ game plan for a lack of deep shots, offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski indicated the team’s tenuous situation has limited the number of downfield strikes he’s willing to attempt, according to an Associated Press report. This isn’t the first time in-house criticism of play-calling’s surfaced, with since-deposed OC Pep Hamilton receiving his share previously this season.
- Including Chuck Pagano only being offered a one-year extension and Ryan Grigson‘s failure to upgrade the Colts’ offensive line, the Indianapolis Star’s Zak Keefer examines the main components that led to the Colts’ tumble this season.
NFC West Notes: Mathieu, Rams, 49ers, Lynch
Tyrann Mathieu‘s season-ending ACL tear did come with some positive news. Bruce Arians informed media the standout defender’s tear is “clean,” unlike the ACL and LCL tear the Cardinals‘ third-year dynamo suffered in Dec. 2013, NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling reports.
Arians hopes Mathieu will be ready for OTAs, as Carson Palmer was following his late-season tear in 2014.
The former LSU star boasted a brace on his right knee and was instructing Arizona defensive backs on the practice field Wednesday.
Here is some more from the NFC West.
- Rams starters Robert Quinn and T.J. McDonald went on injured reserve just before Mathieu, and both St. Louis defenders underwent successful surgeries this week, Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Both Quinn (back) and McDonald (shoulder) should be back for OTAs in April, Lyons adds. “From a timing standpoint, we needed to do it, just so we could get (McDonald) in the offseason program. Both of them will be fine early in the offseason,” Jeff Fisher told media, including Lyons.
- Although Fisher noted Stedman Bailey‘s injuries were severe enough to end his NFL career, the third-year Rams wideout returned home from the hospital a month after suffering multiple gunshot wounds to the head, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reports.
- Marshawn Lynch will return to an altered Seahawks offense now that Russell Wilson‘s taken his game to a higher level. A faster Seahawks tempo will be an adjustment for the Pro Bowl running back, offensive line coach Tom Cable told media (including Pro Football Talk’s Curtis Crabtree). “We’re counting on him to get healthy whenever that is and then once that happens, it’s for him to come back in and be able to adapt to this football team and the way it acts and the way it’s moving right now collectively,” Cable said. “That will be his challenge, but right now his number one thing is getting healthy.” Pete Carroll remains iffy on when the 29-year-old bruiser will return, noting there’s “a chance” he’s back by the time Seattle plays its wild card game in just more than two weeks. PFT’s Mike Florio continues to opine that Lynch, due to occupy an $11.5MM cap number in 2016, will not be back with the Seahawks next season.
- 49ers GM Trent Baalke has been out on the practice field instructing defenders, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, despite his only coaching experience coming as the defensive line/strength and conditioning coach at South Dakota in the early 1990s. Although it’s unlikely 49ers defensive coordinator Eric Mangini would tell one of his bosses to step off here, the former Jets head coach said Baalke hasn’t been shy about helping out on the field. “I haven’t been everywhere, but there are some GMs who might not be as present and maybe that works for their style,” Mangini told media. “For these guys it’s a little bit different and Trent has always been on the field at different points.”
- The 49ers’ No. 1 need going into 2016 will be on their offensive front, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. Although Barrows offers recently retired right tackle Anthony Davis could well return for his age-26 season, the Northern California scribe obviously notes the team cannot count on him. Both starting guards, Alex Boone and Andrew Tiller, are due to be free agents.
- Jarryd Hayne remains in the 49ers’ plans going forward despite being passed over for a late-season promotion onto the active roster, 49ers OC Geep Chryst told media (including Maiocco). The former rugby star not being as likely to be active on game day as newly signed DuJuan Harris led to the 49ers leaving Hayne on the practice squad.
Bills Rumors: Polian, Taylor, Whaley, Williams
After declining to re-join the Bills’ front office in January, Bill Polian has volunteered his services to the current Bills’ hierarchy as a consultant, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reports.
The Bills’ general manager from 1986-1992 and 2015 Hall of Fame inductee, Polian told Carucci he will only provide consulting services for the Bills.
“Listen, I owe this franchise virtually everything I have in the National Football League,” Polian said. “A good reason why a yellow jacket’s on my shoulder is because of the Buffalo Bills. The bottom line is, I want this team to succeed.”
Although the 73-year-old Polian turned down an offer to be the Bills’ football czar, his being inducted into the Hall of Fame in August could help his chances at departing ESPN and reuniting with his former team, Carucci writes.
Here are some more Polian- and Bills-related items on Christmas Eve.
- Among the stances Polian offered to owner Terry Pegula in recent months was that semi-breakout quarterback Tyrod Taylor is not the team’s long-term answer under center. “You can win with Tyrod if the other pieces are good,” Polian told Carucci. “If there are six or seven Pro Bowlers at other positions, you can win with Tyrod. But he’s not the quarterback of the future. He’s not Jim Kelly, and, although he doesn’t have the same track record, he’s probably comparable to Frank Reich. But he’s not 6-feet-4 like Frank Reich. He’s small and he’s going to get hurt, and he did. Now, you have to find his backup and the quarterback of the future.”
- Polian also would likely cut EJ Manuel if brought in as a consultant after recommending the sputtering ex-first-rounder’s release to Pegula in a recent phone conversation. Manuel has one year left on his rookie contract and represented a source of friction between current GM Doug Whaley and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Carucci notes. The latter wanted Buffalo to retain Matt Cassel as Taylor’s backup, while Whaley, who played a key role in bringing Manuel to Buffalo at No. 16 overall in 2013, preferred the cheaper Manuel stay. Whaley has one year left on his contract, and per the Buffalo News, hasn’t had extension discussions.
- Polian referred to the current Bills offensive line as “aging and unathletic,” a take that confused Buffalo News reporter Tyler Dunne, given that only Richie Incognito is over 29 among the current nucleus up front. Dunne also does not like the potential for coordination between Polian, Whaley and Rex Ryan, with Polian being critical of both recently.
- Mario Williams‘ spree of assessments on the shortcomings of the Bills’ 21st-ranked defense continued, with the veteran insisting the current personnel does not fit Ryan’s scheme, per an Associated Press report. The 30-year-old edge presence also acknowledges his days with the Bills could very well be over soon. “Of course there’ll be changes,” Williams told media. “I mean, that’s obvious. You just wait and see if my number’s called.” Williams’ 2016 cap number of $19.9MM would be by far the most on the Bills.