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West Notes: Osweiler, Reich, Kaepernick

December 4th, 2015 at 11:46am CST by Luke Adams

Although he has just two career starts under his belt, Brock Osweiler‘s success over the past couple weeks has prompted plenty of discussion about how he’ll fit into the Broncos‘ future plans. One high-ranking executive tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today that it’s a good problem for Denver to have, but cautions that “it’ll be very, very difficult to navigate on multiple fronts.”

“They’re the only ones who are going to know if he’s their guy or not,” another NFL exec said. “But if he lights it up, and he thinks he’s your future, and you’ve already been there with him — I won’t say you’re going to pay him top market (value), but you’re going to have to pay him.”

It’s hard to know how much the Broncos will be willing to invest in Osweiler, or how much value he’ll have, before seeing how he finishes the season. But if he plays well down the stretch, he could command in the neighborhood of $15MM per year, that first executive estimates. Considering they’ll want to avoid using the franchise tag on Osweiler instead of Von Miller, the Broncos will be under some pressure to get something done with the quarterback before free agency, assuming they want to extend him.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:

  • Within his column, Pelissero wonders if offensive coordinators will be popular targets for NFL head coaching vacancies this offseason, since many teams with potential openings have young quarterbacks under contract. One possible candidate is Chargers OC Frank Reich, who confirmed to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he interviewed with Maryland – his alma mater – about the school’s head coaching job before the Terps decided on D.J. Durkin. “With interviews, if they come and when they come, I want to be selective about those things,” Reich said. “But you never want to take them for granted.”
  • Matt Bowen and Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link) are the latest to break down potential landing spots for quarterback Colin Kaepernick, in the event that the 49ers part ways with him. Both Bowen and Sando identify the Rams as one possibility.
  • Former Browns general manager Phil Savage believes Kaepernick would probably draw the most interest around the league if Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III, and the 49ers quarterback all become available this offseason, as he tells Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
  • Center Drew Nowak spoke to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times about being waived by the Seahawks and then re-joining the team’s practice squad.

Latest On Los Angeles

December 3rd, 2015 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell does not sound optimistic about the Chargers staying in San Diego. When asked if the city appears to be out of time to put together a plan to keep the Bolts, Goodell didn’t hesitate in his response.

“It certainly appears that is the case, yes,” he said, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The league will hold meetings on Jan. 12-13 in Houston, Texas and at that time, they’ll be voting on which team — or two — among the Raiders, Chargers, and Rams will be allowed to move to Los Angeles. Multiple owners expressed confidence that the league will be bringing at least one team to L.A. with 49ers owner Jed York saying that the “momentum” is moving towards “a decision on one or two teams in L.A.”

Here’s more on the rush to Los Angeles:

  • The three cities that stand to lose teams must submit their latest plans to keep their franchises by Dec. 28, as Nate Davis of USA Today writes. “What are the home markets willing to do?” Goodell asked. “That has been a big focus of the committee.”
  • Colts owner Jim Irsay says that no team has the necessary support of three-fourths of the league’s owners at this time, as Michael David Smith of PFT writes. For his part, Irsay supports the idea of two teams moving to L.A. and he doesn’t feel that any owner is averse to moving two teams.
  • Raiders owner Mark Davis reiterated to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that he is not going to St. Louis or going to Santa Clara with the 49ers. It’s Oakland or L.A. for his Raiders, he says.
  • A source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that if the Rams are not allowed to relocate to L.A. and if they don’t like the St. Louis deal, the team could remain year-to-year at Edward Jones Dome and maintain their free agency each offseason.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/2/15

December 2nd, 2015 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from across the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: TE Dan Light (link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post)
  • Cut: TE Arthur Lynch

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

Oakland Raiders

San Diego Chargers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: WR Deshon Foxx, DT Justin Hamilton, C Drew Nowak (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
  • Cut: WR Douglas McNeil

Latest On Los Angeles Relocation

December 2nd, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

3:37pm: The word from today’s league meetings indicates that NFL owners will likely meet again in Houston on January 12th and 13th, perhaps voting on relocation at that time, says Jim Trotter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Chargers and Raiders would like a vote to happen sooner rather than later, and it appears their support for resolution is increasing, according to Trotter, who adds that there’s “zero chance” of a Kroenke/Spanos partnership at this time.

12:46pm: The NFL will set a date today for its special January meeting, but won’t set a date yet for the L.A. relocation vote, tweets Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. That vote may happen in January, but it may not.

11:21am: In a letter to the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities last week, the Rams proposed a 50/50 partnership with either the Chargers or the Raiders in Inglewood, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Acee, the Chargers are viewed as a more likely potential partner for the Rams, but “it could be the Raiders.”

Throughout the process, Rams owner Stan Kroenke has expressed a reluctance to enter an equal partnership with another team on the proposed Inglewood stadium, and the Chargers and Raiders haven’t had any interest in becoming a tenant at that stadium, preferring instead to pursue a stadium plan in Carson instead. The fact that Kroenke and the Rams are willing to propose a 50/50 partnership is a sign of progress.

Still, one issue with the Rams’ latest proposal is that it wouldn’t allow that second team to be involved in the “surrounding development, stadium design, and other points that would certainly be an issue,” writes Acee. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, the fact that Chargers owner Dean Spanos has already agreed to partner with Mark Davis and the Raiders could also create legal issues if Spanos wants to get out of that partnership. In Florio’s view, it may only work if Davis is given the money he needs to go toward the cost of a new stadium in Oakland.

In any case, the fact that the involved parties in potential Los Angeles relocation are considering new scenarios suggests they’re aware that decisions will have to be made soon. Here’s the latest on the L.A. situation:

  • Scott M. Reid of the Orange County Register has more on the Rams‘ willingness to take on a partner, writing that some of Kroenke’s “allies” have begun to lobby for a deal that would have the Chargers joining the Rams in Inglewood.
  • While there were some rumblings in recent weeks that a move to Los Angeles might get delayed until 2017, that possibility has “all but evaporated,” says Acee. “I just don’t see it,” one team owner tells Acee. “This is going to done.”
  • At least two members of the league’s Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities – Giants owner John Mara and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt – would like to see a relocation vote take place in January, per Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. According to the L.A. Times report, the date and locale of that January meeting is still being discussed — the NFL is considering January 12th in Dallas or January 19th in Houston.
  • Farmer suggests (via Twitter) that he expects a January meeting on relocation, followed by a February vote, and NFL.com’s Judy Battista (Twitter link) agrees with that assessment. Battista adds (in a series of tweets) that team owners would like to set a date for a January vote by the end of today, but wouldn’t necessarily enter that January meeting with a solution set in stone. As Battista outlines, that scenario would result in plenty of negotiations and side meetings before the vote, and potentially an attempt to broker a deal before that meeting.
  • Spanos and the Chargers will almost certainly have a stadium solution at the end of this process, whether it’s in Los Angeles or San Diego, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). That makes a Rams/Raiders partnership a long shot, since the league wouldn’t want three teams in Southern California (two in L.A., one in San Diego).

AFC Notes: M. Williams, Reich, Broncos, Jets

December 2nd, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

There are only 10 NFL players who will have higher cap hits than Mario Williams in 2016, and eight of those players are quarterbacks. As such, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com thinks it would be wise for the Bills to give serious consideration to moving on from the standout defensive end in the offseason. Buffalo could use the cap room, and simply releasing Williams would give the club much more flexibility than trying to restructure his contracts.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who received consideration for a couple NFL head coaching positions last winter, interviewed this week for the head coaching job at the University of Maryland, according to Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Even if Brock Osweiler continues to have success for the Broncos down the stretch, the quarterback could likely be signed on a multiyear deal worth about $10MM per year, Mike Klis of 9News suggests in his latest mailbag. In Klis’ view, there’s virtually no chance that Von Miller doesn’t get the franchise tag from the Broncos.
  • When Osweiler took over as the Broncos‘ starting quarterback, Troy Renck of the Denver Post thought the team may look to bring back James Casey as a fullback. However, he concedes that adding a fullback would be a luxury for Denver at this point.
  • With Brandon Marshall having emerged as the “go-to guy” for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes that the Jets‘ acquisition of the veteran receiver is looking like a steal for general manager Mike Maccagnan.
  • New Patriots slot wide receiver Damaris Johnson will probably factor into the mix in 2016 if things go well, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. Johnson inked a two-year deal with the Patriots on Tuesday and he’s ostensibly being brought aboard for his return skills.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: McCoy, Hue Jackson, CJ2K

November 30th, 2015 at 9:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers head coach Mike McCoy says he’s not concerned about job security, as ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes.

“I’m taking this job one day at a time like I do every day,” McCoy said. “I just keep plugging away every day and put great plans in, week in and week out. And I take it one day at a time here.”

The Chargers are 21-22 under McCoy, and 1-1 in the postseason. The Bolts have struggled of late, losing 11 of their past 15 dating back to last season. McCoy has one year left on his deal beyond 2015 and it’s far from a certainty that he’ll get to coach through the end of that contract.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

La Canfora’s Latest: McDermott, Lions, Kroenke

November 29th, 2015 at 10:50am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some of the latest notes and observations from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:

  • Both La Canfora and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com have delved into some of the most notable names who will be connected to head coaching vacancies this offseason. Rapoport mentions Bears OC Adam Gase, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, Jaguars offensive line coach Doug Marrone, and Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable as veterans of the head coaching interview circuit who will be generating plenty of buzz this offseason. Other less familiar candidates who have also piqued the interest of teams around the league include Panthers coordinators Mike Shula (offensive) and Sean McDermott (defensive), and Bills RB coach Anthony Lynn (all Twitter links). La Canfora explores the case for McDermott in more detail, noting that Carolina’s defense under McDermott’s watch has been among the league’s best for some time, but given the Panthers’ success this season, McDermott has been getting more attention around the league. La Canfora says it would not be a surprise if McDermott met with four to six teams during wildcard weekend, which is likely to be a bye week for the Panthers. Per La Canfora, a team that hires McDermott would do well to add current Chargers head coach Mike McCoy as its offensive coordinator. McCoy is rumored to be on his way out of San Diego at the end of the year, and he and McDermott share a “mutual admiration” for each other. The addition of McCoy would also help to alleviate concern regarding McDermott’s abilities on the offensive side of the ball.
  • La Canfora also has a look at potential candidates for the Lions GM job, noting that the team may have difficulty courting some of its top choices given the questions concerning team ownership and the fact that new team president Ron Wood is an unknown commodity in football circles. However, the Lions’ resurgence in recent weeks, the talent on the roster, and the fact that the club has a history of “unwavering loyalty” to its front office executives could allow the team to nab a prized candidate. Those candidates include names like Seahawks pro personnel director Trent Kirchner, Packers player personnel director Eliot Wolf, Patriots director of pro scouting Bob Quinn, and Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta. Of those names, Quinn may be the most likely option, considering that Wolf and DeCosta are both fairly comfortable in their roles as GM-in-waiting for their current clubs, and Kirchner will be the top candidate for a number of teams.
  • If Stan Kroenke‘s plan to move the Rams to Los Angeles falls though, La Canfora identifies several other options for the St. Louis owner. The league knows that if Kroenke loses out to the Chargers and Raiders in the race to LA, it would have to work actively to find other solutions for Kroenke, with London and Denver representing two such solutions. Kroenke–who remains focused on LA at the moment and has not actively considered any alternatives–has business interests in England and owns Premier League powerhouse Arsenal. Colorado, meanwhile, serves as Kroenke’s base, and his family owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. La Canfora’s sources indicate that Kroenke could purchase the Broncos at some point down the road–La Canfora writes that team ownership will be in flux when Pat Bowlen passes on–and sell the Rams to an investor looking to keep the team in St. Louis. However, Broncos Vice President of Public Relations Patrick Smyth took to Twitter shortly after La Canfora’s report, tweeting that the plan is to keep ownership of the Broncos in the Bowlen family.

 

Extra Points: Amukamara, Chargers, LA, Steelers

November 28th, 2015 at 9:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A quick look around the NFL as we draw closer to Sunday’s Week 12 action. . .

  • From a business standpoint, it would make a lot more sense for the Chargers to head to Los Angeles than stay in San Diego, writes Dan McSwain of the San Diego Union-Tribune. If the Chargers get a new stadium in San Diego, which doesn’t appear likely, projections indicate it would boost the team’s revenue by $50MM per annum. Conversely, the yearly revenue increase accompanying a new stadium in LA could be anywhere from $300MM to $500MM. Thus, the league’s relocation fee of $500MM to $600MM doesn’t look as if it should serve as much of a deterrent to either the Chargers or any other team eyeing LA.
  • Though Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara will be a free agent at season’s end, he’d like to stay where he is. “This is the organization that took a chance on me,” he told Steve Serby of the New York Post. “It’s a first-class organization.” Amukamara, who has missed 25 of 74 regular-season games since he was a first-round pick in 2011, added that he doesn’t “think the Giants would ever have to worry about the corner position again if I could stay on the field.”
  • Steelers offensive tackle Mike Adams has had a disappointing career since the team used a second-round selection on him in 2012, appearing in only 41 games (20 starts). Adams – who won’t play at all this year because of a back injury – will be a free agent after the season, but he might end up remaining with the Steelers, per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. As Kaboly notes, the Steelers have just two tackles signed next season (Marcus Gilbert and Alejandro Villaneuva), so it’s possible they’ll bring back Adams as a depth player on a team-friendly deal.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Dolphins, Chargers

November 28th, 2015 at 6:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos’ acquisition of tight end Vernon Davis at the trade deadline earlier this month didn’t pay dividends in the 10th-year man’s first two games with the team. The longtime 49er was on the receiving end of just five targets in those two games – both losses – and totaled a pair of catches for 19 yards. Davis’ role increased last Sunday, though, when quarterback Brock Osweiler made his first career start in place of an injured Peyton Manning. Osweiler was perfect when he targeted Davis, finding him on all six attempts for 68 yards, and the Broncos beat the Bears, 17-15. Not surprisingly, Davis praised Osweiler after the duo’s first game together.

“Sometimes it takes awhile to get on the same page and develop that chemistry with a quarterback. But with this guy, it’s like we connected from Day One,” said Davis, per Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post.

Davis also had kind words for head coach Gary Kubiak, saying, “I dreamed of being in a place like this, a system, a coach who understands talent.'”

As a free agent in a few months, Davis certainly isn’t a lock to remain in Denver beyond this season. But more performances like the one he turned in last week will increase the 31-year-old’s chances of continuing his career under Kubiak.

More from the AFC:

  • Edge defender Quinton Coples has practiced just three times for the Dolphins since being claimed off waivers from the Jets, but he appears poised to play this weekend against his old team, as James Walker of ESPN.com. As Coples himself observes, playing against the Jets after spending three and a half seasons with the team – and less than a week after they cut him – should be “quite interesting.”
  • Despite being well respected in NFL training circles, according to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, ex-Dolphins trainer Kevin O’Neill has been unable to find a job as a trainer since the team fired him in 2014 and the odds of getting another are slim. O’Neill believes he’s a scapegoat for Miami’s bullying scandal in 2013, one that mainly involved offensive linemen Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin. O’Neill, according to Martin, laughed as players hurled racially charged insults at Asian-American trainer Naoshisa Inoue. O’Neill downplayed the severity of the incidents, however. “They made fun at how he talked a little bit,” said O’Neill. “He laughed about it. I laughed about it, too. I didn’t laugh about anything that had to do with anybody’s mom or girlfriend, or somebody using a racial slur.”
  • At 2-8 and coming off a 30-point drubbing at the hands of the Chiefs, it’s fair to say there aren’t many players on the Chargers’ roster who deserve to be viewed as part of the solution going forward. One rarity is standout cornerback Jason Verrett, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Said head coach Mike McCoy, “He is out here every day, competing. That’s why he’s as good a player as he is: he loves to compete.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Breer’s Latest: Cousins, Jets, L.A., London

November 27th, 2015 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending some time looking back on the long-time Tom Brady/Peyton Manning rivalry, which won’t get another installment this weekend, Albert Breer of the NFL Network surveys the rest of the NFL, and passes along a handful of noteworthy nuggets. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

  • Sources tell Breer that Washington and Kirk Cousins‘ representatives have engaged in “very preliminary” extension talks. However, both sides have acknowledged that those discussions are unlikely to really get serious until after the season.
  • As Washington considers a long-term deal – or perhaps the franchise tag – for Cousins, the club needs to decide if he’s a franchise quarterback. Jay Gruden‘s assessment? “That’s what we need to find out,” the Washington head coach said. “The quarterback position, you gotta be consistent. And if there is a knock on Kirk, it’s that he played great here for a quarter or a half, and then he has a couple brain farts and throws a couple bad balls. He needs to be highly consistent over time. But arm talent-wise, leadership skill-wise, there’s no question he can be a very good quarterback for a long time. You just keep repping him, keep coaching him. Every week is different.”
  • The Jets are seeing “years of shaky drafting” catch up to them, so GM Mike Maccagnan will have to figure out how to restock the roster this winter. According to Breer, there’s a good chance that Maccagnan will try to accumulate draft capital on the trade market — Muhammad Wilkerson would be an interesting chip if the club decides to use its franchise tag on him.
  • With the Chargers, Rams, and Raiders – the three teams considering a move to Los Angeles – all struggling in recent weeks, it’s fair to wonder if one or more of those franchises will undergo overhauls this offseason, particularly if any relocate to Los Angeles. As Breer observes, there were four teams that relocated in the 1990s, and three of them fired their coaches at that time. Any club that moves to L.A. in 2016 would have to take a hard look at every aspect of its operation, particularly since the league as a whole “cannot afford to fail when it comes to Los Angeles,” as former Raiders exec Amy Trask tells Breer.
  • One of the three games scheduled to be played in London in 2016 features the Rams and an unknown NFC East opponent for now, as the league waits to see how the standings will line up. As Breer explains, the move is designed to test how the U.K. fan base will react when it only knows one of the two teams, since tickets are set to go on sale next week.
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