Sunday Roundup: Richard, Sanchez, Sherman, L.A.
Earlier today Rory Parks rounded up a few stories to pass along that came across the ticker. Here are a few more Sunday stories that are worth checking out:
- Sam Bradford has been anointed the presumed starter in Philadelphia, but his road to the job won’t come without competition. Mark Sanchez has made it clear that he wants to be the Eagles’ starter, and Phil Sheridan of ESPN believes he will have a chance to win it.
- Kris Richard is settling into his new role as Seahawks defensive coordinator, and he has made it clear that he is taking over Dan Quinn’s defense with a “if it’s not broke. don’t fix it” approach, according to the team’s official website. Working under Quinn, Gus Bradley, and Pete Carroll has given him a unique perspective on how to run a defense.
- Mike Sherman has left the NFL for the amatuer ranks, becoming the head coach at Nauset Regional High School in North Eastham, Massachusetts, reports Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Sherman, who has recently served as offensive coordinator for the Dolphins, and amassed a 59-37 record during his six years as head coach of the Packers from 2000 to 2005.
- Gil Brandt of NFL.com has a note for any fans in Los Angeles hoping for an NFL team, the Hollywood Park grandstand was demolished today (via Twitter). The proposed NFL stadium is planned to take its place. Austin Knoblauch of the Los Angeles Times has the full story of the demolition.
Extra Points: Thurmond, Bell, Bolden
This point in the offseason can be slow with big news that actually has on-the-field consequences. This past week only saw a few notable signings and one major training camp injury. However, a few camp notes include some players who are looking to step into new positions this coming NFL season:
- Walter Thurmond signed with the Eagles thinking he might have a chance to compete for a starting cornerback job, but now it looks like he could end up being the starter at safety, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Thurmond cited the defensive scheme allowing safeties to make plays on the football as the reason he was open to the switch. Thurmond, who previously played for the Seahawks and Giants, has only had experience as an outside cornerback and nickelback in his five-year career.
- Byron Bell struggled at left tackle for the Panthers in 2014, ranking 83rd out of 84 qualifying tackles who played at least 25% of offensive snaps for their respective teams, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Titans believe that moving Bell back to right tackle will be the catalyst for an uptick in his performance, writes John Glennon of the Tennesseean. Pro Football Focus didn’t grade him much better as a right tackle between 2011 and 2013, only getting as high as 53rd over those three years.
- Broncos return specialist Omar Bolden was electric on his ten kick returns in 2014, but he is looking to make a bigger impact next season. He hopes that in addition to winning full-time kick return duty, he would also like to return punts for the Broncos, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
NFC Notes: Raji, Alonso, D. Washington
Packers nose tackle B.J. Raji missed all of last season with a torn bicep and then re-signed with the team on a one-year deal earlier this offseason, but Green Bay wasn’t his only suitor in free agency.
“I actually, ironically, had more interest this time around than last year,” said Raji, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. “I’m talking about as far as the contending teams. I had two, three playoff teams.”
One of those teams was the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, per Wilde, but Raji simply couldn’t bring himself to leave Green Bay.
“I just wasn’t comfortable leaving this place in the shape that it was in, the perception about the defense, the perception of myself,” Raji said. “If I was going to leave this place, I wanted to be able to say, ‘Yeah, those guys really get it.’ I didn’t want to leave with questions. As a person, having a lot invested in this program, if it is ever time to leave, I want to leave on a good note.”
Here’s the latest on a couple of the Packers’ fellow NFC teams:
- Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso, whom the team acquired from Buffalo earlier this offseason, missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in July. There don’t seem to be any lingering effects from the injury, however, as the 24-year-old is ahead of schedule in his recovery, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I honestly didn’t think I’d be doing this much,” said Alonso, who participated in organized team activities this week without wearing a brace. “I’ve just been going on how I feel, and it’s feeling really good.”
- Speaking of the Eagles’ defense, the team revamped its secondary in the offseason by signing Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond, using a first-round pick on Eric Rowe, and parting ways with Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher, and Nate Allen. Despite all the noteworthy additions and subtractions, safety Malcolm Jenkins believes the most important move Philadelphia made with respect to its secondary was replacing previous defensive backs coach John Lovett with Cory Undlin, who coached Denver’s DBs from 2013-14. “Adding Cory Undlin is really probably the biggest addition we had when you talk about upgrading that (defensive backs) room,” said Jenkins, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. The Lovett-led Eagles finished 2014 second last in the NFL in pass defense and toward the bottom of the league in interceptions.
- The league suspended Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington for four games in 2013 and all of 2014 because of multiple substance-abuse violations, and he’s expected to miss time this year because of domestic-violence issues. Despite all that baggage, Washington’s teammates still want him back, head coach Bruce Arians told Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. “If he’s reinstated by the league, I know this – our players want him back in the locker room. That’s fine by me,” said Arians.
Chris Chester Visiting Falcons, Eagles
Having been released by Washington earlier this week, veteran guard Chris Chester is drawing interest from multiple teams already, and has visits lined up with the Falcons and Eagles, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
As I noted when he was cut on Wednesday, while Chester wasn’t consistently above-average at the right guard spot in Washington, he wasn’t a major liability either. In 2014, the 32-year-old played the eighth-most offensive snaps among guards (1,091), and ranked 33rd among 78 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required).
The Falcons currently have Harland Gunn, who has made one career start, penciled in as a potential starter at one of their guard spots following the departure of Justin Blalock, so it makes sense that they’d at least kick the tires on Chester. Atlanta’s offensive line wasn’t one of the team’s strong spots last year, and the club didn’t address the position in the draft until the seventh round.
As for the Eagles, their line is more impressive on paper, but Evan Mathis‘ status remains up in the air. As Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com writes, there’s no guarantee that the two-time Pro Bowler even starts the regular season on Philadelphia’s roster, given the discord between Mathis and the team. Former Eagles right guard Todd Herremans also must be replaced this season.
QB Notes: Tebow, Winston, McCown, Rivers
After being away from the game for the past two years, Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow is thrilled about his new opportunity. The former Heisman winner is behind Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley on the team’s depth chart, but the competition is far from Tebow’s mind.
“I think sometimes when things are taken away, then you don’t realize how much fun it is to come out here and play this game,” Tebow told Nate Davis of USA Today. “You can’t play it forever, so I’m going to enjoy it.”
Coach Chip Kelly had been thrilled with the 27-year-old’s performance in OTAs.
“I think he’s improved,” Kelly said. “He’s had a lot of time the last two years working at his game. (We) wanted to have a fourth quarterback here.”
Let’s check out some more notes regarding some of the league’s signal callers…
- First-overall pick Jameis Winston is impressing the Buccaneers coaching staff during OTAs. “We have to kind of tell him when to leave,” head coach Lovie Smith told ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas. “For him, there’s been a lot of individual work, but having a chance this week to go against our best defense and things like that [has been good]. We have a long ways to go. But we like where he is right now.”
- Browns quarterback Josh McCown has been “virtually anointed” the starting gig without a “hint” of competition, opines Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. While teammates and coaches have supported sophomore Johnny Manziel, Grossi says the former first-rounder is struggling after a rough offseason.
- Meanwhile, McCown says he wouldn’t have even considered visiting other teams (including the Bills and the Bears) if he had been aware of the talent on the Browns offensive line. “After being with them, 5-6 weeks, it’s like, had I known it was this good I wouldn’t even needed to take a visit (to Buffalo and Chicago),” McCown told Grossi.
- Considering Ben Roethlisberger‘s recent extension, Jason Fitzgerald (writing for the Sporting News) believes Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers‘ next contract could surpass the total of Aaron Rodgers‘ extension. Rivers has previously been paid more than Roethlisberger, who came close to topping Rodgers’ contract’s average annual value.
NFC East Notes: Kelly, Hardy, Barkley
Earlier this offseason, former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy accused Chip Kelly of racial bias, stating that he got rid of “the good black players.” Safety Malcolm Jenkins, still with the team, doesn’t see it that way, as John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com writes.
“Chip has been very, very transparent on what he’s evaluating us on,” Jenkins said. “That’s not only what we do on the field, but what we do in our assessments and how disciplined we are with our nutrition and all the sports science stuff. I haven’t seen him make a move outside of those parameters. I don’t think anybody in the locker room now thinks we have an issue with race. I don’t see that being a problem in the future. I don’t think there’s any need for Chip to address it.”
Here’s more from the NFC East..
- Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has not signed his franchise-tag tender but he did take part in a portion of Thursday’s OTAs, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Unless Bryant signs the tender, he is not obligated to show up for the minicamp, but it sounds like he wanted to get on the same page with his teammates. When and if Bryant signs his tender, he’ll be guaranteed a $12.823MM salary. The deadline to hammer out a long-term pact is July 15th.
- Greg Hardy‘s arbitration appeal of his 10-game suspension before arbitrator Harold Henderson has wrapped, according to Andrew Brandt (via Twitter). No date has been given for a decision on the Cowboys defensive end just yet.
- Matt Barkley‘s name was thrown about in trade rumors a bit this offseason, but if you ask the quarterback, there was nothing to them, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “I had intel on what was going on, and there was nothing going to happen,” said Barkley, who shares an agent with coach Chip Kelly.
- Kelly told reporters that Walter Thurmond was the first Eagles cornerback to get a crack at the safety position since he has experience as a nickel back and always seems to be around the ball, according to the Eagles’ Twitter account.
- The Eagles have moved quarterback G.J. Kinne over to wide receiver, according to the team’s official Twitter page.
East Notes: Hardy, Brady, Mathis
The appeal hearing for Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy will be conducted on Thursday morning with Harold Henderson in Washington D.C., according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hardy was hit with a 10-game suspension earlier this offseason for his role in a domestic violence incident that took place roughly one year ago. Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. Here’s a look at the AFC and NFC East..
- The only thing delaying the date for Tom Brady‘s appeal is finding a date that works for both the Patriots quarterback and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Werder tweets.
- Evan Mathis was a no-show for start of Eagles OTAs, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The workouts, much like the previous programs that Mathis missed, are all voluntary. Mandatory minicamp starts on June 16th.
- The Jets promoted Matt Bazirgan to become the new pro personnel director, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Bazirgan, who has been with Jets since 2004, was an area scout for eight years before being promoted to assistant pro personnel director in 2013. Bazirgan replaces Brendan Prophett, who spent nine seasons as the head of the Jets’ pro personnel department.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Schwartz, Peterson
Given what a pass-happy league the NFL has become, many linebackers are seeing the field less frequently, but that didn’t stop the Cowboys from loading up at the position this offseason, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. As executive vice president Stephen Jones explains, the focus on the position should give the Cowboys some depth in case some players with histories of injuries or off-field problems are forced out of action.
“We have some players there that have had issues in the past,” Jones said. “You want to make sure if something does happen that you have quality players there.”
Here’s more from around the NFL on this holiday Monday:
- Former Lions head coach and Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will serve as a consultant to the league’s officiating department during the 2015 season, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. According to Marvez, Schwartz will help provide a coach’s perspective with some decisions made by the NFL’s officiating office. While Schwartz drew interest after being replaced in Buffalo, he decided to be judicious about choosing his next job, and may returning to coaching in 2016.
- While agent Ben Dogra didn’t offer any specifics on Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and his apparent plan to skip OTAs, he told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) in a text message that his client “is very strong… he’s like [Darrelle] Revis.” As Cole notes, that may point toward an extended holdout for Peterson.
- A source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNBayArea.com that new Eagles scout Marty Barrett will patrol the West Coast as the club’s senior scout. Barrett’s move to Philadelphia, after 18 seasons with the Bears, was first reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Sunday Roundup: Garoppolo, Tebow, G. Smith
Let’s have a look at some links from around the league on this Sunday afternoon:
- One of the silver linings of Tom Brady‘s suspension, according to Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald, is that the Patriots will get the chance to see if second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is truly Brady’s heir apparent.
- Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer believes that not only will Tim Tebow make the Eagles‘ 53-man roster, he will suit up and he will play.
- Only Cincinnati has drafted more wide receivers than the Packers since 2005, which marked Ted Thompson‘s first year as Green Bay’s GM. Thompson has selected 16 wideouts during that time.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey did not undermine head coach Todd Bowles by proclaiming that Geno Smith would be the team’s starting quarterback, as Gailey was just reiterating what Bowles had said (in a less definitive manner) on prior occasions.
- Cimini does note that the Jets are bucking a historic trend by having Smith open the season as their starting signal-caller. Football Outsiders complied a list of 10 quarterbacks over the past 25 years who performed as poorly as Smith has in their first two seasons, and although most of them were named the starter going into their third year in the league, most were also first-round draft choices. Smith, of course, was a second-rounder. Out of the 10 players that Football Outsiders listed, only two, Jake Plummer and Trent Dilfer, experienced any sort of success in the league.
- Connor Hamlett, a tight end whom the Jaguars signed as an undrafted free agent earlier this month, indicated back in January that he was not going to pursue a professional football career. But Hamlett, per Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, says, “I just took some time off because I was banged up. I love the game of football, and I wanted to play. The whole [story] kind of got blown out of proportion.” Jacksonville had a “draft-worthy” grade on Hamlett, who has a good chance to make the club. O’Halloran says the Jags could keep as many as five tight ends on the roster.
- Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com says the Jaguars could release Toby Gerhart, but the ESPN scribe goes on to explain why he believes Gerhart will ultimately stay on the roster.
- Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune says the Buccaneers, who traded a fifth-round pick to Detroit last month in exchange for George Johnson–after signing Johnson to a three-year, $9MM offer sheet–fell in love with the defensive end while watching film of Lions games in preparation for last year’s matchup with Detroit. Had the Bucs not played the Lions in 2014, Johnson might not have found himself in Tampa Bay in 2015.
East Notes: Cameron, Shanahan, Patriots
As teams prepare for Phase 3 offseason workouts next week, here are some notes from various NFL destinations.
- Among the players who switched workplaces this offseason, Jordan Cameron is one whose skill set could reshape his new team’s capabilities, writes Matt Bowen of Bleacher Report. One of 2013’s breakout tight ends to change teams this year, along with Julius Thomas and Charles Clay, Cameron’s ability to line up in the slot or out wide and outwork second- and third-level defenders in the red zone could open up the Dolphins‘ playbook, Bowen opines. Of course, Cameron basically sat out in 2014 thanks to injury setbacks, creating a buyer-beware aura that gives this potential a notable caveat. Jets safety Calvin Pryor also appears on Bowen’s list, with the strong safety looming as a strong candidate to line up at linebacker in passing-down sets under new coach Todd Bowles.
- Former Washington coach Mike Shanahan remains steadfast in his pro-Kirk Cousins stance, going so far as to say the fourth-year quarterback “will be a big-time player for a lot of years,” per CSNWashington.com’s summation of Shanahan’s radio interview with 106.7 The Fan’s Grant and Danny Show. Cousins is just 2-7 in his career as a starter, including a 1-4 sample last season when the former fourth-round pick completed 61.5% of his passes.
- The ex-Broncos coach wasn’t as complimentary of free-falling former rookie of the year Robert Griffin III, however, seemingly calling the fourth-year quarterback’s work ethic into question — in adjusting to a pro-style offense — rather than his health record. “He’s got arm strength. He’s a very bright guy,” Shanahan said on WJFK in Washington (as summarized by NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling). “But he hasn’t done things that the NFL asks you to do, and it does take some growing pains to go through that.” Of course, as Wesseling points out, the former coach separating injuries from Griffin’s developmental struggles serves as a convenient explanation, considering Shanahan isn’t blameless regarding Griffin’s injury history.
- Longtime Patriots analyst Tom Curran of CSNNE.com continued his criticism of Roger Goodell‘s handling of Deflategate, labeling the investigation as one-dimensional without going into sufficient detail on the NFL’s procedures in this area.
- In his look at the state of the Eagles going into OTAs, the Philadelphia Enquirer’s Jeff McLane thinks it would be a shock if first-round pick Nelson Agholor didn’t become the team’s second-most-utilized receiver behind Jordan Matthews this season. The Philadelphia writer also predicts more positional versatility from the corps, with Matthews’ 92% slot usage set to fall, especially with Chip Kelly‘s assertion Agholor can handle inside and outside work after pigeon-holing departing Jeremy Maclin as strictly an outside target.