HEADLINES

Colts Preparing Mega-Deal For Luck

January 18th, 2015 at 1:24pm CST by Rory Parks

The Colts have already begun working on the parameters of a “blockbuster mega deal” for quarterback Andrew Luck, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Luck, whose excellent regular season has his team positioned to fight for a Super Bowl berth this afternoon, has more than lived up to the hype surrounding him when he entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick three years ago. He now appears set to cash in on that success.

Under the terms of the 2011 contractual bargaining agreement, players are extension eligible following the conclusion of their third season — with the regular season now several weeks in the rear-view mirror, Indianapolis has the freedom to begin negotiating with Luck. After being drafted in 2012, Luck signed a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth about $22.1MM. In 2014, his base salary amounted roughly $2.4MM, and combined with his signing bonus proration, he counted a little more than $6MM against the Colts’ salary cap. In 2015, his base salary rises to ~$3.4MM, and his salary cap hit increases to approximately $7MM. He’ll remain under contract in 2016 due to his fifth-year option, which the Colts will assuredly exercise.

Due to Schefter’s phrasing, it’s fair to assume that Luck’s new deal will approach the value of some of the larger quarterback contracts in the NFL. Currently, Aaron Rodgers constitutes his own among QB pacts — the total value of his deal is $122MM, $54MM of which is guaranteed. The next sub-set of deals are similar, as Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Peyton Manning, Colin Kaepernick, Jay Cutler, and Tony Romo‘s contracts all have an average annual value between $18MM and $20MM, though the guarantees vary. Luck should top that second bucket of signal-callers, and his representatives will no doubt target Rodgers’ total value, AAV, and guarantees when discussing a fresh pact — whether he’s able to match the Green Bay quarterback should be one of the more fascinating plot lines of the talks.

Another interesting factor in the negotiations will be how the Seahawks progress with regards to extending Russell Wilson, another 2012 draftee who is also up for an extension. As a third-round pick, Wilson’s rookie contract is more modest than Luck’s — the Seattle QB earned less than $700K in base salary in 2014. However, a recent report indicated that the Seahawks plan to make Wilson the highest-paid QB in the league, which isn’t surprising given that Seattle tends to hand out contracts that redefine positional markets (Earl Thomas, Percy Harvin, Richard Sherman). Additionally, Wilson boasts a Super Bowl on his resume, something Luck has yet to attain, and it remains to be seen how that level of postseason success will affect negotiations.

Coordinator Updates: Kiffin, Gase, Musgrave

January 18th, 2015 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at a few notes regarding various coordinator vacancies:

  • ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has emerged as the favorite to land the 49ers offensive coordinator opening, with Colts special assistant Rob Chudzinski also under consideration.
  • Citing ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson tweets that Eagles QB coach Bill Musgrave has become a “hot contender” for the Raiders‘ offensive coordinator position.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Jim Schwartz will be very selective in choosing his next job, as he has two contract years left. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora adds (via Twitter) that he would not be surprised if Schwartz sat out the 2015 season altogether, though things may have been different if the Cowboys‘ defensive coordinator job had become available.
  • Rapoport tweets that Adam Gase is interviewing with the Jaguars today regarding their offensive coordinator vacancy, but he reiterates that the Raiders, Rams, Falcons, and Bears all have permission to talk to Gase. La Canfora, though, tweets that he would be surprised to see Gase land with Chicago or Oakland, where he would be reunited with former Denver coaches.
  • The Falcons are impressed with Gase, whom Teryl Austin would bring with him if Austin were hired as Atlanta’s head coach, according to a tweet from La Canfora. Although we heard earlier today that Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has established himself as the presumptive favorite for the Falcons’ head coaching vacancy, La Canfora tweets that, if Seattle wins today, Atlanta will have to weigh the risks of waiting two weeks to hire Quinn and possibly missing out on top coaching candidates like Gase.

East Notes: Fangio, Foles, Rolle

January 18th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Rory Parks

After dining with Washington brass last night, Vic Fangio will have a lengthy, official interview today for the team’s vacant defensive coordinator post, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Fangio, who also met with the Bears regarding their defensive coordinator vacancy, is widely regarded as Washington’s top choice.

Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Although a new GM and new defensive coordinator could change things, John Keim of ESPN.com appears convinced that Brian Orakpo will not return to Washington next year.
  • They have some in-house matters to take care of first, but Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com writes that the Eagles, although not flush with cash, will have enough money to be players in the free agent market. McManus suggests if the team makes a big splash, it will come at the corner or safety positions.
  • In the midst of rumors that Nick Foles may not be the Eagles‘ long-term solution at quarterback, star running back LeSean McCoy defended his signal caller, McManus writes. “I like Nick,” said McCoy. “The person and the player that everybody thought he was, he is. There were a lot of injuries this year — Nick obviously got injured. He gets all the blame and he shouldn’t. I think Nick is a good quarterback, he is the leader of this team, and things just didn’t work out for him this year due to injury. But we’ve got his back.”
  • Jordan Raanan of NJ.com does not believe Antrel Rolle will return to the Giants next year, and he looks at how that will affect the team’s free safety position. Raanan also looks at a few possible cap casualties.
  • Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News writes that, even if his hires of Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan turn out poorly, owner Woody Johnson should at least get credit for taking the right approach in making those hires.
  • Brian Costello of the New York Post provides a behind-the-scenes look at those Jets hires from Charley Casserly, who served as Johnson’s adviser during the hiring process.

Tampering Charges Filed Against Jets

January 18th, 2015 at 11:53am CST by Rory Parks

At a press conference last month, during which he discussed the firing of Rex Ryan and John Idzik, Jets owner Woody Johnson also touched on former Jet and current Patriot Darrelle Revis. Johnson said simply, “I’d love for Darrelle to come back.” Since that statement was made about a player currently under contract with another club, and since the league maintains that “Any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club’s player to that player’s agent or representative, or to a member of the news media, is a violation of the Anti-Tampering Policy,” tampering charges have been filed against the Jets, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

As Schefter writes, “the league is trying to determine whether there was a violation and if there was, how severe of a fine should be levied against Johnson and the Jets.” Of course, New England is likely to decline Revis’ $20MM option for 2015, which would make him a free agent and which would allow the Jets to talk to him without fear of repercussions.

Falcons To Interview Dan Quinn Again

January 18th, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Rory Parks

It appears increasingly likely that Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will become the next head coach of the Falcons. PFR’s Luke Adams wrote several days ago that Quinn was expected to get a second interview with Atlanta this week, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the interview will happen tomorrow.

If the Seahawks lose today’s NFC Championship Game against Green Bay, Quinn could be announced as the Falcons’ head coach by the middle of the week. But even if Seattle advances to the Super Bowl, the interview can still take place and an informal agreement could emerge during that interview. Even though Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is ostensibly still in the running for Atlanta’s top job, it seems as though he will return to Detroit to further bolster his head coaching candidacy.

Hensley On Ravens: Thomas, Torrey Smith, Hill

January 18th, 2015 at 10:45am CST by Rory Parks

ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley’s latest mailbag includes his take on a number of issues facing the Ravens this offseason. Let’s dive in:

  • Hensley was asked what the most surprising development of the Ravens’ offseason would be, and he responded with his prediction that Baltimore will pursue a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver in free agency. Such a move would represent a significant departure from the Ravens’ typically low-key approach to free agency, and the team currently does not have enough cap room to make such a splash, but Baltimore needs a big-bodied, athletic receiver to continue the offensive momentum it established under Gary Kubiak in 2014. Quarterback Joe Flacco has never had such a weapon at his disposal, and Hensley believes the time is right to bring in a player like Demaryius Thomas.
  • Of course, if the Ravens do make such a move, they may part ways with Torrey Smith and Marlon Brown may see a much-deserved increased role in the offense.
  • Hensley believes the Ravens should give extensions to starting guards Kelechi Osemele and Marshal Yanda, and that John Urschel will probably take Jeremy Zuttah‘s job as the starting center in 2016.
  • Echoing Conor Orr of NFL.com, Hensley writes that the Ravens are factoring restricted free agent Will Hill into their 2015 plans, and they hope he will win the starting free safety job. However,given the mediocre play of Matt Elam and Darian Stewart, strong safety is still a big question mark.
  • Even if Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb can remain healthy in 2015–a very big “if” considering their injury histories–Hensley believes the team’s biggest weakness is at cornerback, and he believes the Ravens should draft a corner in the first three rounds of this year’s draft.
  • Hensley does not see the team using the franchise tag this year.

West Notes: Manning, Trestman, Lynch

January 18th, 2015 at 10:18am CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier this morning that current Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will accept the Broncos‘ head coaching job if and when it is offered to him, and there are a number of items related to the Broncos’ head coaching search to pass on, along with several notes from other clubs in the league’s west divisions. Let’s take a look:

  • Citing colleague Ian Rapoport, NFL.com’s Conor Orr writes that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is still undecided about his future, and even though many believe his return to Denver is a foregone conclusion, Rapoport wonders if Denver’s recent activity has laid the foundation for the team to hit the reset button. After all, as Orr writes, “John Elway was concerned about the team’s toughness after a loss to St. Louis earlier in the season and wondered if his team had gotten as good as they possibly could with the current staff and roster.” Manning still has a month to make up his mind before taking a physical that will lock in his $19MM salary for next year.
  • Benjamin Hochman and Mike Klis of the Denver Post wonder if the Broncos would be better off if Manning were to hang up the spikes right now (spoiler alert: the answer is “no”).
  • Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com asked former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer how Kubiak and Manning will overcome the conflicts between Manning’s abilities and Kubiak’s style of play-calling, and Plummer describes how the two men could make it work.
  • Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few standouts from yesterday’s East-West Shrine Classic that could be of interest to the Chargers.
  • Citing Rapoport, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes that the Raiders, as expected, will interview Marc Trestman for their offensive coordinator vacancy within the next several days.
  • Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times believes the Seahawks should retain Marshawn Lynch for at least one more season.
  • Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that former Youngstown State head coach Eric Wolford is set to become the 49ers‘ assistant offensive line coach.

Gary Kubiak To Accept Broncos Job If Offered

January 18th, 2015 at 9:19am CST by Rory Parks

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will take the Broncos‘ head coaching job if it is offered to him, and all signs points towards GM John Elway making that offer. Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that Elway and Kubiak will spend this Sunday together watching the AFC and NFC Championship Games, and although there are some concerns with how Kubiak’s schemes will mesh with Peyton Manning‘s abilities–Kubiak’s passing game is largely predicated on play-action bootleg passes, which is not a great fit for the increasingly immobile Manning–Kubiak has been Elway’s top target for a long time.

As NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, other candidates for Denver’s top job who met with Elway were so convinced that Kubiak was Elway’s preference that they withdrew their names from consideration, and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that Kubiak’s move to Denver has been a foregone conclusion for several days now. Klis adds in his piece that a formal announcement will be made by Tuesday.

North Notes: Big Ben, Browns, Prater

January 18th, 2015 at 8:44am CST by Rory Parks

After the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs on Wildcard Weekend, one more year in Ben Roethlisberger‘s career had come and gone and Pittsburgh was no closer to its seventh Super Bowl victory than it was when Tim Tebow dispatched the Steelers in the first round of the 2011 playoffs. However, as Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, there is plenty of room for optimism in the Steel City.

Roethlisberger, who started every game in consecutive seasons for the first time, enjoyed the best statistical season of his career, which helped to dispel the notion that he would break down sooner than other quarterbacks. With the continued growth of Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton, and Le’Veon Bell, along with All-Pro wideout Antonio Brown, there is no reason to think Roethlisberger will not continue to thrive for at least another five years. Therefore, Bouchette believes the team should hammer out the much-discussed extension with Roethlisberger quickly, even though it will likely be a six-year pact worth about $120MM or so, with a $30MM signing bonus and even more in guaranteed money.

Now for some more links from around the league’s north divisions:

  • Even though the Steelers have been justly criticized for their poor salary cap management in recent years, Bouchette writes in a separate piece that the team is actually in pretty good shape for 2015, especially after it works out the extension for Roethlisberger and sheds the contracts of some aging veterans. Bouchette notes that the Steelers will not only have room to retain some of their own key free agents, but also to pursue players from other clubs.
  • Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com looks at a number of issues facing the Browns this offseason, including their offensive coordinator search, which has taken a disappointing turn thus far, their quarterback concerns, and what they will do about a kicker.
  • Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune writes that new Bears head coach John Fox is not a quarterback expert, but he handles them well, which will benefit the team regardless of whether it keeps Jay Cutler or moves in a different direction.
  • Lions kicker Matt Prater has reiterated that he would like to remain in Detroit next season, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. Prater is an unrestricted free agent and has not had talks with the Detroit front office, but he believes the team is aware of his desire to return.

2015 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker

January 17th, 2015 at 10:05pm CST by Luke Adams

While seven NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who will want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2014.

With reports about potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings circulating throughout January, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.

Here’s the latest:

Updated 2-12-15 (2:16pm CT)

Offensive coordinators

Defensive coordinators

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