PFR Originals - Pro Football Rumors

PFR Originals: Bowles, Ryan, Raiders

January 2nd, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Zachary Links

In case you missed it, here’s a look back at some of our recent originals:

On December 30, 2018, Jets fans were overjoyed when they learned head coach Todd Bowles had been fired. Fast forward three years, and fans have endured at least one head coaching failure. As our own Ben Levine writes, Jets fans may be questioning whether they should have kept Bowles after all.
Christmas Day tends to be pretty quiet in the NFL. But, on December 25th of last year, the Giants had quite the gift for Logan Ryan — a three-year, $30MM extension with $11.5MM fully guaranteed. The veteran defensive back dropped plenty of hints beforehand, waiting out most of the previous offseason as he pushed for a $10MM/year deal. At the time of signing, Ryan earned his shiny new contract with 83 tackles, one interception, one sack, three forced fumbles, and nine passes defensed through 14 games.
In another holiday firing, the Raiders sacked Jack Del Rio on NYE 2017. JDR, who amassed a 25-23 record, was quickly replaced by Jon Gruden. Since then, Del Rio went public with some unflattering comments about Derek Carr and his performance in cold weather games. Fortunately, that storyline has a happy ending as Del Rio and the quarterback recently hashed things out. “We had a good talk,” Carr said. “Obviously I wish it was better for me, but we just expressed our love for one another and how thankful we were for the times that we had.”

This Date In Transactions History: Raiders Fire Jack Del Rio

December 31st, 2021 at 8:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Four years ago today, the Raiders fired head coach Jack Del Rio. The decision came shortly after a lopsided loss to the Chargers in the season finale, capping the Raiders’ season at 6-10.

“[Raiders owner] Mark Davis told me he loved me and appreciated all that I did to get this program going to right direction,” said Del Rio. “But, [he also] that he felt he needed a change.”

Davis hired Del Rio in 2015 and saw the team improve from 3-13 to 7-9. That Raiders team didn’t necessarily set the world on fire, but they were at least in the playoff hunt, up until a Week 15 loss to the Packers. In 2016, it appeared that the Raiders were on the right track. With Del Rio at the helm and Derek Carr under center, the Raiders finished 12-4 to earn their first playoff spot since 2002.

Unfortunately, Carr didn’t make it to the postseason after suffering a broken fibula in Week 16. Then, when Matt McGloin suffered a shoulder injury the following week, rookie Connor Cook was thrust into action. Oakland’s long-awaited playoff appearance ended abruptly with a loss to the Texans. Had Carr been on the field, it’s possible that things could have gone differently for the Raiders and JDR.

So, after a cumulative 25-23 record, the Raiders dismissed Del Rio and immediately set their sights on Jon Gruden. Del Rio, meanwhile, spent the next few years away from football, up until 2020 when he became Washington’s defensive coordinator.

When Del Rio crossed paths with his old team a few weeks back, he had an opportunity to mend fences with Carr. Previously, Del Rio had some unflattering things to say about Carr’s ability to perform in cold weather. Fortunately, with 2021 drawing to a close, they were able to bury the hatchet.

“I talked to him afterward,” Carr said. “We had a good talk, obviously I wish it was better for me, but we just expressed our love for one another and how thankful we were for the times that we had.”

This Date In Transactions History: Jets Fire Todd Bowles

December 30th, 2021 at 8:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Careful what you wish for. On December 30, 2018, Jets fans were overjoyed when they learned head coach Todd Bowles was canned. Fast forward three years, and fans have endured at least one head coaching failure and may be questioning whether they should have kept Bowles after all.

Bowles made a name for himself as a defensive backs coach, and following a two-year stint as the Cardinals defensive coordinator, he was hired by the Jets to replace Rex Ryan in New York. The organization clearly had high hopes for their hire; they gave Bowles a four-year pact despite his lack of heading coaching experience (he had a brief stint as interim HC with the Dolphins in 2011).

The Jets new on-field leader was inheriting a team that had dropped to 4-12 in 2014 … their worst record in seven years. Thanks to a reinvigorated defense that emerged as one of the best in the NFL (and thanks in part to Geno Smith‘s broken jaw, which thrust veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick into the starting lineup), the Jets improved to 10-6 during Bowles’ first season at the helm. However, the entire squad took a major step back in 2016 when they finished 5-11, and Bowles was firmly on the hot seat heading into the 2017 campaign.

The Jets had an identical record in 2017, but the Josh McCown/Bryce Petty-led offense wasn’t completely incompetent and bought Bowles another year. There was some optimism with first-round QB Sam Darnold taking over under center in 2018, but the Jets finished with only four wins, the worse showing of Bowles’ tenure and the organization’s worst record since, well, Ryan was fired. So, on this date three years ago, the organization fired Bowles and began their search for their 19th coach.

“After carefully evaluating the situation, I have concluded that this is the right direction for the organization to take,” Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “I would like to wish Todd, Taneka and their family only the best.”

We all know how this worked out. The organization initially decided to hang on to general manager Mike Maccagnan, and the organization settled on Adam Gase to replace Bowles. After allowing their GM to hire a new head coach, run the draft, and deal with the early wave of free agency, the organization curiously fired Maccagnan before the offseason concluded. Gase managed to improve the squad to a 7-9 record in 2019, but following a 2020 season that saw the Jets win the second-fewest games in franchise history (two), Gase was fired.

While the Jets are still trying to land on their feet, Bowles has made out pretty well for himself. The coach was hired as Bruce Arians‘ defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay in 2019, and Bowles has helped turned the Buccaneers’ defensive line into one of the best in the NFL. The Bucs ranked first in rushing yards allowed in both 2019 and 2020 (they’re third in 2021), and the defense has been top-10 in points allowed since the beginning of the 2020 season. Of course, Bowles also helped guide a defense that won a Super Bowl championship last season.

Bowles was a hot name on the HC circuit last offseason, as he was connected to gigs with the Lions, Falcons, and Eagles. He ended up getting an extension from Tampa Bay last offseason, but there’s still a chance he moves on; Bowles will interview for the first vacancy that’s opened in the NFL in Jacksonville.

While Bowles has clearly rehabilitated his image following an ugly few years in the New York, it remains to be seen whether he’s actually a viable NFL head coach. Similarly, following a COVID-filled year that saw the Jets turn to a rookie QB and an ancient Joe Flacco at QB (at least Mike White was fun!), it’s difficult to make any determination on Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

Sure, it’s plenty easy to second guess the Jets for how everything unfolded. However, until Bowles emerges as a capable HC (or New York beats him to the punch by returning to the playoffs under Saleh or someone else), it’s hard to be too critical of the Jets.

This Date In Transactions History: Giants Sign Logan Ryan To Extension

December 25th, 2021 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

Christmas Day tends to be pretty quiet in the NFL. But, on December 25th of last year, the Giants gave Logan Ryan the biggest gift he could have possibly asked for. That morning, the veteran safety inked a three-year, $30MM extension with $11.5MM fully guaranteed at signing.

It was a solid step up for Ryan, who encountered an oddly quiet market just a few months prior. Despite several seasons as a high-level starter, Ryan was forced to settle for a one-year, $7.5MM contract with the Giants. It’s not like he had declined either — Ryan graded as one of the league’s top slot defenders in 2019, per Pro Football Focus, and led all NFL corners with 113 tackles. Finally, Ryan had the $10MM/year deal he was seeking all along.

It wasn’t a banner year for the Giants on the whole, but Ryan was playing well on an individual level. At the time of signing, the Rutgers product had 83 stops, one interception, one sack, three forced fumbles, and nine passes defensed through 14 games.

The Giants were happy to reward his performance, but he’ll have to prove himself all over again for a new regime after Dave Gettleman steps down as GM. Ryan, 31 in February, has slumped along with the rest of the G-Men this year. He currently ranks just 71st out of 91 qualified safeties, per PFF, with zero interceptions or sacks on the year. But, thanks to his extension, his spot is more or less secure for 2022. Slated to carry a $12.225MM cap hit, the Giants would save just $775K by releasing him.

PFR Originals: Wentz, Nagy, Bush

December 19th, 2021 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

In case you missed it, here’s a look back at some of our recent originals:

The Eagles couldn’t have asked for much more out of Carson Wentz in his rookie year. But, midway through 2017, everything changed when he tore his ACL. On the anniversary of his fateful injury, we reflected on how it changed everything for the quarterback and franchise alike.
After the Jaguars fired Urban Meyer, one can’t help but wonder which head coach might be next. Last week, our own Ely Allen asked readers to weigh in on whether Matt Nagy will coach the Bears in 2022. At last check, over 90% of PFR readers predicted that Nagy would be canned between now and next fall.
Reggie Bush compiled at least 30 receptions and 200 receiving yards during each of his first eight years in the league, including four seasons with at least 50 catches. But, by 2017, he was out of the league. Towards the end of the season, Bush officially retired from football.

This Date In Transactions History: Reggie Bush Retires From NFL

December 16th, 2021 at 8:30am CST by Zachary Links

Four years ago today, Reggie Bush announced that he would hang up his cleats. The veteran running back went unsigned for the 2017 season and he wasn’t about to start his search all over again for 2018.

“I’m done,” Bush said (via Edward Lewis of NFL.com). “Yeah, I’m done. I said it. It’s not breaking news. I’ve been saying it. I said it all season long, I said, ‘Listen, if I don’t play this year, I’m going to retire.’ Because I’m not going to spend a whole year off, come back, 33 years old, trying to get back in the league. Listen, once you get to a certain age as a running back, they just start to slowly weed you out.”

There wasn’t much interest in Bush following a subpar 2016 campaign with the Bills, when he totaled negative yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. Of course, those struggles didn’t negate Bush’s impressive eleven-year career. While the 2006 second-overall pick and (later forfeited) 2005 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t necessarily live up to the hype, he was still one of the most respected pass-catching backs in the league.

Bush compiled at least 30 receptions and 200 receiving yards during each of his first eight years in the league, including four seasons with at least 50 catches. The offensive weapon was also a dynamic returner, as he finished his career with four punt returns for touchdowns. The USC product spent time with the Saints, Dolphins, Lions, 49ers, and Bills. Even though his pro career didn’t go as planned, he’s widely regarded as one of the top NCAA running backs of all time.

Interestingly, even though Bush said he was done with football in 2017, he did leave the door slightly open for one pro team:

“Listen, the Saints know I’m coming home at some point. [If I play again,] I’m going to come home to retire as a Saint. But yeah, man, I’m done. For sure. I’m done.”

Will Matt Nagy Coach The Bears in 2022?

December 15th, 2021 at 3:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

Out of all the tenuous coaching situations throughout the NFL, the one in Chicago may be the most interesting. Matt Nagy has displayed enough during his tenure as head coach of the Bears that a case can be made either way for the team to keep him or move on at the end of the season.

After being hired in 2018, Nagy helped the team to an impressive 12-4 record, earning himself Coach of the Year honors. Back-to-back 8-8 seasons followed, however, including a six game losing streak in 2020. While the Bears made it to the playoffs that year — the second trip to the postseason in three campaigns under Nagy — things have not gone nearly as well in 2021. Another five-game skid has contributed to a 4-9 overall record, and uncertainty about his job security came to a head as recently as Thanksgiving.

Cause for optimism came in April in the form of Justin Fields being drafted 11th overall as the latest attempt to solidify the quarterback position. The former Buckeye represented not only a potential upgrade over Mitch Trubisky, but a lifeline for Nagy and GM Ryan Pace. With enough signs of franchise potential – if not results in the win-loss column along the way – there would be an argument to be made in favor of keeping the coach-quarterback relationship together at least one more year.

Things haven’t been stellar for Fields or the Bears in 2021, though. In and out of the lineup with injuries, and splitting the starting job with free agent signing Andy Dalton, Fields currently has a record of 2-7. While he has shown flashes with his legs in particular, posting 385 rushing yards and two touchdowns averaging just under six yards per attempt, he has struggled in the passing game. His completion percentage (57.6%), touchdown-to-interception ratio (six to 10) and 33 sacks taken are some of statistics that are evidence of a struggling offense, much of the blame for which has been laid at Nagy’s feet.

Have your say below regarding Nagy’s coaching future in Chicago (link for app users):

This Date In Transactions History: Eagles Place Carson Wentz On IR

December 13th, 2021 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles couldn’t have asked for much more out of the No. 2 overall pick in 2016 draft. Carson Wentz started all 16 games during his rookie season, played the second-most snaps in the NFL that year, and carried that momentum into the following year. Through 13 weeks, the Eagles were 11-2 as Wentz threw for an eye-popping 33 touchdowns.

Then, in their Week 14 win over the Rams, Wentz tore his ACL. So, on this date in 2017, the Eagles officially placed their young QB on the injured reserve list. We all know what happened next — backup Nick Foles took over under center and helped guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl LII victory over the Patriots. Things would never be the same again for the Birds or their one-time prodigy.

Wentz missed the first two games of 2018 as he recovered from knee surgery, only to suffer a back injury that would sideline him for the rest of the year. He managed to appear in all 16 games during the 2019 campaign, but a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jadeveon Clowney forced an early exit from his postseason debut. In 2020, he looked nothing like his old self. Wentz connected on a career-low 57.4% of his passes while leading the NFL in sacks taken (50) and interceptions (15 vs. just 16 touchdowns). Head coach Doug Pederson benched Wentz for rookie Jalen Hurts, setting the stage for their offseason divorce.

Following their Week 13 romp over the Texans, Wentz’s Colts are 7-6 with a clear path to the playoffs. His snap count also effectively solidified the Eagles’ haul from the blockbuster trade. With Wentz taking 75% of the snaps this year, Indy’s conditional second-rounder turns into a 2022 first-rounder for Philly. If the season ended today, the 6-7 Eagles would own the No. 10 (from the Dolphins), their original No. 11, and No. 21 from the Colts.

This Date In Transactions History: Rams Fire Jeff Fisher

December 12th, 2021 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 2016, the Rams moved on from Jeff Fisher. The decision came on the heels of a brutal loss to the Falcons, one that tied Fisher for the most losses of any NFL head coach in league history.

Fisher’s 165th L tied Dan Reeves for the all-time record, though Reeves had 190 career wins vs. Fisher’s 173. Across 22 years of coaching, Fisher made the playoffs just six times, and none of those postseason appearances came in St. Louis or Los Angeles.

“Making a decision such as this – especially during the season – is one of the most difficult in sports,” Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement. “I have great respect for Jeff as a coach, person, father and friend. He has worked tirelessly despite some challenging circumstances. He played an integral role in helping this team make history in returning the NFL to Los Angeles, and we always will be grateful for his commitment and dedication to our organization. However, this is the right time to make a change as our performance has not lived up to my or our fans’ expectations. We all are focused on improving as an organization and building a team that makes Los Angeles proud. Our mission is to celebrate a Super Bowl title with our fans in Los Angeles. Today is the first step to bringing us closer to that goal.”

The Rams installed special teams coordinator John Fassel as their interim head coach before installing Sean McVay — Washington’s young offensive coordinator — as their next HC. McVay’s Rams nearly achieved Kroenke’s mission in 2018, before falling to the Patriots in the championship game.

Despite the ups and downs over the last four years-and-change, the Rams are undeniably in a better place today. The Rams have reached the playoffs in three of the last four years and they’re currently on track to go 4-for-5 with a Wild Card berth.

PFR Originals: Browns, Goodell, Fisher

December 12th, 2021 at 1:02pm CST by Zachary Links

In case you missed it, here’s a look back at some of our recent originals:

You don’t usually see teams fire a GM and announce his replacement all in one day. But that’s exactly what the Browns did in 2017, swapping executive VP/de facto GM Sashi Brown for John Dorsey. Our own Ben Levine looked back on the Browns’ drastic overhaul and the ripple effect that’s still being felt in Cleveland to this day.
This may surprise you, but not everyone is a fan of Roger Goodell. In 2017, when Goodell was up for a lucrative extension, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was among his most vocal critics. Recently, we reflected on all the juicy drama that ensued before Goodell inked his new contract, worth up to $63MM per annum. For what it’s worth, Jones and Goodell are in a much better place today. Just recently, Jones deemed Goodell to be an “excellent commissioner.”
After five seasons at the helm, Jeff Fisher wasn’t able to shepherd the Rams to the playoffs. With three games left in 2016, owner Stan Kroenke decided that he couldn’t wait any longer. Hours after he tied the NFL’s all-time record for most losses by any head coach, Fisher got his pink slip. Five years later, the Rams are in a much better spot.

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