NFC Notes: 49ers, Bears, Giants, Eagles
Once Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers inevitably part ways at some point this week, the club will need to begin its search to find his replacement as head coach. Appearing on FOX Sports, Jay Glazer (Twitter link via his colleague, Mike Garafolo) listed several candidates that San Francisco will likely interview: Dan Quinn, Todd Bowles, Jim Tomsula, Teryl Austin, Adam Gase, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Shanahan, and interestingly, UCLA head coach Jim Mora. Mora, who’s held head coaching positions with both the Falcons and Seahawks, was also mentioned as an NCAA coach likely to jump to the NFL by Albert Breer of NFL.com on Daniel Jeremiah’s Move the Sticks podcast two weeks ago. Here’s more from the NFC…
- Bears assistant coaches believe they will believe they will be fired after today’s game, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who notes that “wholesale changes” could be coming to Chicago. In the same vein, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune examined what the future holds for the Bears, who are expected to fire head coach Marc Trestman and possibly GM Phil Emery.
- Tom Coughlin hasn’t been made aware of his status for 2015, but the expectation is that he will return to coach the Giants next year, per Rapoport (Twitter link).
- Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been unequivocal in explaining that he won’t give New York a deal when it a comes to negotiations, and today he offered an even stronger, and quotable, declaration of his feelings. “Do you give discounts?” he asked Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter link). “Do you get discounts when you go to Macy’s?”
- Eagles FB/TE James Casey is due $4MM next season, and Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter) doubts that he’ll return to Philly next season. Per Berman, Casey signed on with the Eagles in the hopes of getting extensive time on offense, but he’s become more of a special teams player.
- 49ers linebacker Dan Skuta is a free agent at season’s end, and Cam Inman of the Mercury News believes (Twitter link) that he’ll follow current San Francisco defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to his next stop.
Extra Points: Saints, Raiders, Jags, Eagles
After a disappointing season in New Orleans, Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan wasn’t interested in speculating about his job security. As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com details, Ryan vowed to do his best to right the ship if he gets the opportunity.
“If I get a chance, that’d be awesome. But, hey, the numbers are what they are. They don’t look good,” Ryan said. “But hell, it is what it is. This is a win business. And, hey, this is a ‘tough-people’ business, too. So I’ll be great with whatever happens.”
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Raiders have yet to interview a minority candidate for their head coaching job, so the team likely won’t be ready to make a quick offer to anyone at season’s end, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
- If the first year of the David Caldwell/Gus Bradley era in Jacksonville was about survival and the second was about discovery, the third will be about winning, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, who expects the Jaguars to be very active this offseason as the team reaches the point in its rebuild where contending is a priority.
- Jaguars defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, a former first-round pick, is eligible for free agency this offseason, but is “excited about the future” in Jacksonville, and hopes to remain with the team, O’Halloran writes in a separate Times-Union piece.
- Expect the Eagles to make significant changes to their secondary this offseason, says Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle examines Vic Fangio‘s candidacy for a head coaching job, either with the 49ers or another club.
Eagles Notes: Jenkins, Smith, Sproles, Foles
Expect drastic changes to the Eagles’ secondary next season, writes Paul Domowitch of the Daily News. There’s a good possibility safety Malcolm Jenkins will be the only returnee from a starting secondary that has given up the league’s fourth-most touchdown passes (29) and the second-most pass plays of 30 yards or more (25). Cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Kareem Jackson and safeties such as Devin McCourty could conceivably be on the open market and available for the Eagles, but that is far from guaranteed. More out of the NFC East..
- The Eagles’ 2014 draft class has yet to shine, but the team is preaching patience when it comes to first-round pick Marcus Smith and others, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Sometimes after a year, it’s tough to evaluate an entire draft class just because of situations,” Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. “Guys come in and sometimes you look at a draft class and there are guys that are really good at the positions you already have. So, that doesn’t mean that guy’s not a good football player, it just means that you have some pretty good guys that are already on your roster at that spot.”
- Despite this season’s disappointments, the Eagles have much to be thankful for, including rookie Matthews and the trade that brought Darren Sproles to Philly, writes Marcus Hayes of the Daily News.
- The Eagles have quarterback questions heading into 2015, as Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press writes. Coach Chip Kelly continues to insist that he hasn’t made his mind up about anything. Nick Foles finds himself eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but his injury might have cost him a big payday in 2015.
NFC Links: Peppers, Long, McCoy
If you’ve been following our site, you’ll know that there’s been plenty of rumblings surrounding the future of 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Those rumors could certainly wear on a person, but the coach said that he’s ignored the constant whispers. He gave his strategy to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com:
“The interesting thing is if you don’t look at the Internet and you don’t watch TV, you really do not know that it’s going on. That has been exactly what I have done. Put the focus on the week of preparation, put the focus on the players and the coaches and what we are trying to get done here. It works if you really don’t pick up.
“On the way home, you don’t turn on the talk radio and you don’t look at the Internet, you can be completely unaware that anything is swirling. I walk by people and I see their faces. I know something is going on.”
Let’s take a look at some more rumbling from the NFC…
- While Packers general manager Ted Thompson usually is wary of aging players, Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette Media writes that the team shouldn’t move on from linebacker Julius Peppers. The Packers could cut the veteran without severe cap implications, but the writer believes Peppers has produced enough to stick around for at least another season.
- John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes that lineman Kyle Long‘s future position is likely offensive tackle (as opposed to his current guard position), but some of his Bears teammates resented that prediction. “Why would you move him to guard?” said Jay Ratliff . “He’s definitely one of the best. He comes off the ball hard pretty much every single snap and he knows how to make adjustments. A lot of guys come in and you can beat them with something over and over and over again…He adjusts automatically, realizes what he’s done wrong, and self-corrects, almost auto-corrects.”
- LeSean McCoy made another Pro Bowl this season, but as Philly.com’s Zach Berman points out, the Eagles running back’s regular season success has never translated to the playoffs. Is the running back worried that he’ll never taste postseason success while in his prime? “I’m only 26; I’m not really sure,” McCoy said. “I’ve got a lot of years left, I feel like, with the way I play. I have a lot of stuff I want to accomplish. Individual and team goals. At the end of my career, I want to one day hopefully put that jacket on – and win a Super Bowl.”
NFC Links: Bradford, Crabtree, Foster
A variety of factors will go into the offseason decision-making for the Rams, but with the defense clicking on all cylinders and the team playing themselves out of a high draft pick, the team’s best course of action may be to retain Sam Bradford, writes Joan Niesen of Sports Illustrated.
It would take too much for the Rams to trade for a quarterback or move up in the draft, and hoping for a healthy and consistent season from Bradford could be the best move for them if they hope to compete in the NFC West next season.
Here are some other links from around the NFC:
- The 49ers will have to make a decision on whether or not to keep Michael Crabtree with the team going forward, and the former first-round pick is excited to reach this offseason, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I can’t wait to see what’s next, the next chapter in my career,” said Crabtree. “I’m going to go hard every day. I’m going to go hard every year, try to get better. Try to maximize my talent.”
- Buccaneers‘ linebacker Mason Foster is also set to hit free agency, but is looking forward to remaining with the team in 2015 and beyond, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. “I definitely want to stay in Tampa,’’ Foster said. “Both my sons were born in Tampa. I’ve got a lot of ties down here, and I love Tampa. It would be great. It would be amazing to stay here. But football is a business so you know there’s a chance you won’t be here.’’
- The Lions will be without center Dominic Raiola this weekend against the Packers with the lineman suspended for the game, but the team is confident in backup Travis Swanson, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Raiola surely would love Swanson to play well as the Lions beat the Packers to win the division, but as an impending free agent, his leverage would be much better were Swanson to struggle to replace him.
- The Eagles are slated to be selecting around 20th in the 2015 NFL draft, and Jared Sherman of CSNPhilly.com has already taken a look at what players they could consider selecting in his first mock draft. Sherman has the team targeting a cornerback, going with Marcus Peters out of Washington. The way the Eagles have been burned by Dez Bryant and DeSean Jackson the past two weeks, it is no surprise Sherman sees corner as the team’s top priority.
Extra Points: Barkley, Raiders, Wagner
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Christmas Eve…
- As Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com points out, the Cowboys owe the Ravens a sixth round pick to complete the Rolando McClain trade. Since the linebacker played more than 50 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, the Cowboys will send off their pick and receive a seventh-rounder in return.
- Chip Kelly told reports that he believes quarterback Matt Barkley has a future with the Eagles, and Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that this would be a good weekend for the 24-year-old to prove his coach right.
- Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo could be a “strong candidate” to become the next offensive coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh, according to Fox Sports (via ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson).
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is among those questioning the 49ers for wanting to move on from Jim Harbaugh. “It’s very shocking to me,” Arians said (via Matt Maiocco CSNBayArea.com). “Jimmy’s done an unbelievable job. The fact that one bad season shouldn’t deter from what they’ve built there. And I think they have had pretty much everything you want culture-wise in place there. And the wins and losses speak for themselves.”
- Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner drew interest from the Rams during the 2012 draft, and the third-year pro revealed that he was expecting to call St. Louis home. “I remember everything was great,” Wagner said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). “I talked to them before I knew they were very interested and I felt like if I wasn’t going to be in Seattle or whoever had the pick before that I was going to end there. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I could definitely tell through the conversations that we were having and just the vibe that they really wanted me to be there. I actually got a text right before I got drafted by the Seahawks from the (Rams) linebackers coach, but I’m happy where I’m at.”
Trent Cole Wants To Retire With Eagles
Trent Cole wants to accomplish something notables like Reggie White, Brian Dawkins, and Donovan McNabb couldn’t – spend his entire career with the Eagles from beginning to end. Even though his contract could complicate matters, the veteran outside linebacker wants to retire with the Eagles, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com writes.
Cole will turn 32 next season, his salary doubles to $10MM, and the Eagles have already begun talks with backup outside linebacker Brandon Graham, who intends to start somewhere next season. All in all, it could be an uphill climb for Cole and Eagles to stay together in 2015 and beyond. Mosher suggests that if they can’t hammer out a deal with Graham and they’re unsure of whether struggling rookie Marcus Smith is ready for primetime, they could keep him around for at least one more year on a more palatable deal. But, when asked if he’d redo his deal, Cole said, “That’s something I can’t comment about.”
For his career, Cole’s 85.5 sacks rank second in franchise history, behind White’s 124.
Eagles Notes: Beckham Jr., Kelly, Foles
Here’s today’s look at the town where they booed Santa Claus..
- Eagles coach Chip Kelly had Odell Beckham Jr. rated as the best wide receiver in the draft, as Jordan Raanan of the Newark Star-Ledger writes. The LSU product has blossomed into a superstar for the Giants, and Kelly is not at all surprised. Beckham could give the Eagles fits this week as their secondary has struggled against No. 1 wide receivers as of late.
- The Eagles will evaluate quarterback Nick Foles this offseason, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. He refused to say that he will be the team’s quarterback for next season. “We’ll sit down and thoroughly evaluate everything,” Kelly said. “It’s no different than any other position. Tell us what we have available right now, we’ll talk a look at it, let’s detail it, let’s go through the film again, let’s put our heads together, let’s get everyone’s opinion on it and make valid decisions.”
- Mark Sanchez had a chance to cash in big this offseason, but he wasn’t able to keep his momentum going into the offseason, as John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News writes. Smallwood looks at the Eagles quarterback’s stock heading into free agency.
- Sanchez said he’d like to stay in Philly next year, but would not say if he would be willing to return as the Eagles’ backup, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News.
Examining Notable Pro Bowlers’ Contracts
The NFL announced its Pro Bowl rosters on Tuesday night, a collection of 42 offensive players, 36 defenders, and eight special teams players. The list features the usual suspects such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers, as well as new faces like Le’Veon Bell, T.Y. Hilton, and Chris Harris, and can be viewed in full right here (PDF link).
Among the 86 players initially selected to appear in the game, several have signed new contracts in 2014, many more will be eligible for new deals in 2015, and others will receive a bump in pay based on their Pro Bowl nods. Here’s a breakdown of the Pro Bowl players with notable contract situations:
Recently signed or extended:
- Jamaal Charles, RB (Chiefs): Signed two-year, $18MM extension in July.
- Vontae Davis, CB (Colts): Signed four-year, $36MM contract in March.
- Jimmy Graham, TE (Saints): Signed four-year, $40MM contract in July.
- Brent Grimes, CB (Dolphins): Signed four-year, $32MM contract in March.
- Joe Haden, CB (Browns): Signed five-year, $67.5MM extension in May.
- Chris Harris, CB (Broncos): Signed a five-year, $42.5MM extension in December.
- Devin Hester, KR (Falcons): Signed three-year, $9MM contract in March (changed teams).
- Jason Kelce, C (Eagles): Signed six-year, $37.5MM extension in February.
- John Kuhn, FB (Packers): Signed one-year, $1.03MM contract in April.
- Pat McAfee, P (Colts): Signed five-year, $14.5MM contract in March.
- Gerald McCoy, DT (Buccaneers): Signed seven-year, $95.2MM extension in October.
- Jordy Nelson, WR (Packers): Signed four-year, $39.05MM extension in July.
- Jason Peters, T (Eagles): Signed four-year, $38.3MM extension in February.
- Patrick Peterson, CB (Cardinals): Signed five-year, $70.05MM extension in July.
- Maurkice Pouncey, C (Steelers): Signed five-year, $44.14MM extension in June.
- Robert Quinn, DE (Rams): Signed four-year, $57MM extension in September.
- Darrelle Revis, CB (Patriots): Signed two-year, $32MM contract in March (changed teams).
- Richard Sherman, CB (Seahawks): Signed four-year, $56MM extension in May.
- Matt Slater, ST (Patriots): Signed two-year, $4MM extension in November.
- Tyron Smith, T (Cowboys): Signed eight-year, $97.6MM extension in July.
- Darren Sproles, PR (Eagles): Traded by Saints, then signed two-year, $7MM extension in March (changed teams).
- Joe Staley, T (49ers): Signed two-year, $19.6MM extension in July.
- Aqib Talib, CB (Broncos): Signed six-year, $57MM contract in March (changed teams).
- Earl Thomas, S (Seahawks): Signed four-year, $40MM extension in April.
- Adam Vinatieri, K (Colts): Signed two-year, $5MM contract in March.
- T.J. Ward, S (Broncos): Signed four-year, $22.5MM contract in March (changed teams).
- DeMarcus Ware, OLB (Broncos): Signed three-year, $30MM contract in March (changed teams).
- J.J. Watt, DE (Texans): Signed six-year, $100MM extension in September.
Eligible for free agency in 2015:
- Dez Bryant, WR (Cowboys)
- Tashaun Gipson, S (Browns), restricted
- Stephen Gostkowski, K (Patriots)
- Justin Houston, OLB (Chiefs)
- Mike Iupati, G (49ers)
- John Kuhn, FB (Packers)
- DeMarco Murray, RB (Cowboys)
- Ndamukong Suh, DT (Lions)
- Demaryius Thomas, WR (Broncos)
- Julius Thomas, TE (Broncos)
Received Pro Bowl bonuses:
(via Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap)
- Mario Williams, DE (Bills): $400K
- Matt Slater, ST (Patriots): $300K
- Pat McAfee, P (Colts): $250K
- Josh Sitton, G (Packers): $250K escalator
- Kyle Williams, DT (Bills): $150K
- Kam Chancellor, S (Seahawks): $100K
- Joe Haden, CB (Browns): $100K
- Marcel Reece, FB (Raiders): $100K
- Darren Sproles, PR (Eagles): $100K
Perhaps the most interesting – or at least unusual – takeaway from this data is the abundance of cornerbacks on the first list. In fact, all eight cornerbacks initially named as Pro Bowlers (Davis, Grimes, Haden, Harris, Peterson, Revis, Sherman, and Talib) have signed new contracts, either extensions or free agent deals, since March. Rival teams hoping to get their hands on a Pro Bowl corner this offseason will have to focus on Revis — he’s the only one of the eight who can reasonably be expected to become available within the next few months, due to the structure of his contract with the Pats.
Data from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Eagles Unlikely To Upgrade At Quarterback
The Eagles were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to Washington on Saturday night and the Cowboys’ blowout victory over the Colts on Sunday. Eagles’ quarterback Mark Sanchez struggled with turnovers after taking over for Nick Foles, and the team lost three in a row after starting the season 9-3.
Foles was not spectacular while he was playing either, showing alarming regression from an unsustainable 2013 season. Looking forward, head coach Chip Kelly will need to get better quarterback play in order to continue to succeed in the NFL. However, if he is unable to develop Foles, the organization may have to look outward for better quarterback play.
Still, finding an upgrade at quarterback will prove difficult for the team, writes Mike Sando of ESPN. Sando looks at some of their options if they do decide to add to their depth chart at the position.
Sitting at nine wins, even a loss in Week 17 will likely leave the Eagles out of the running for Kelly’s former superstar Marcus Mariota. The Oregon quarterback will not be likely to last to where the Eagles end up selecting. Sando also believes trading up for him would be unlikely. Even considering his familiarity with Kelly, the Eagles might be unwilling to pay the price to go up and get him near the top of the draft.
Among the most experienced and accomplished free agent quarterbacks, Sanchez remains at the top of that list. Matt Hasselbeck and Michael Vick are the best options in terms of stop-gap quarterbacks who have won in the NFL. Sando points out the team could target a young but failed quarterback in hopes of developing him. Among those are Jimmy Clausen, Christian Ponder, Colt McCoy, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, and Ryan Mallett. Those options probably don’t represent a better choice than sticking with Foles.
Sando does include a number of more veteran quarterbacks, but their chances of succeeding are uninspired at best. Not many will consider Matt Flynn, Jason Campbell, or Brian Hoyer as a legitimate quarterback to improve the Eagles’ situation.
The only other option outside of Foles and Sanchez is hoping that a quarterback becomes available. Jay Cutler is the biggest name as of right now, as his situation in Chicago is volatile at best as long as Marc Trestman is coaching the team. Robert Griffin III is less likely to become available, and it is unlikely that Washington would be willing to trade him to a divisional rival. A third option would be Matt Schaub, which would be uninspired after not being able to start a single game for the Raiders in 2014.
For these reasons, Sando believes that the Eagles are best off staying put with Foles, Sanchez, or both in 2015. The continuity will bring more advantages than any other question mark quarterback they could bring in, and if Kelly adjusts his offense to put less pressure on the quarterback, the Eagles could see more efficient and consistent quarterback play next year.