AFC Notes: Browns, Raiders, Chargers, Manning
Although Hue Jackson‘s recent comments have seemingly indicated a preference the Browns move on from Johnny Manziel, Jimmy Haslam knows the sides can mend their damaged relationship, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
The Browns’ owner admitted both his regime and the team’s previous power structure have made critical misjudgments in the draft, he does not like the idea of moving on from a No. 1 pick that’s contributed so little to the franchise.
“Oh, yeah, I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Haslam told media about being able to go forward with Manziel. “We talked to Johnny before he left [for the offseason]. I know a big deal was made that Hue hasn’t called Johnny yet. Well, we’ve got 53 players on the active [roster] and 10 more [on reserve/futures deals], and there were a couple of other real prominent players that he just talked to in the last day or two. So I’m sure he’ll get around to talking to him.”
Jackson hasn’t sounded too optimistic regarding Manziel, who entered rehab but endured several alcohol-related slip-ups during the season, with the new Cleveland coach saying Manziel’s alleged secret excursion to Las Vegas while in concussion protocol would have been a “non-starter” under his watch. In between, the 23-year-old Manziel started six games and completed 57% of his passes, throwing for seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
Here’s some more Browns- and AFC-related news.
- Haslam said there is no awkwardness between him and newly rehired DC Ray Horton, Ulrich tweets. The owner told media, including Ulrich, Horton did a good job as the Browns’ DC in his one-and-done stint in 2013. The Browns ranked ninth defensively under Horton that season. The Browns ranked 27th in 2015 and 23rd in 2014 in total defense.
- Should the Browns select Carson Wentz with their No. 2 overall pick, “they’ll be set for 15 years,” an NFL personnel man whose team does not need a quarterback told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “He’s the best quarterback in the draft. If I were picking at No. 2, I’d take him. It will solve all of their problems and they’d get that team turned around,” the personnel man said. Sources told Cabot the Browns’ interest in Wentz is real, and although most mock drafts don’t have the North Dakota State fifth-year senior going off the board that soon, Jackson has experience coaching a Division I-FCS first-rounder. He helped guide Joe Flacco, chosen out of Delaware in 2008, previously.
- New Dolphins DC Vance Joseph will allow Ndamukong Suh to provide input, and the new coach is trying to forge a relationship with the league’s highest-paid defender, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Suh, per a teammate, did not have much use for since-fired DC Kevin Coyle. Suh’s requested input regarding the Dolphins’ scheme, and Joseph said he’d listen.
- Miami’s also open to giving former top-five pick Dion Jordan another chance despite his rampant trouble with the league, Jackson reports. Jordan hasn’t played since participating in 10 games in 2014. The league suspended the former No. 3 overall pick for the entire 2015 season for violations of its substance-abuse policy. The Dolphins would allow a potential Jordan return to the team, providing he’s clean and if the league reinstates him in April, Jackson writes.
- With Raiders owner Mark Davis‘ planned trip to Las Vegas on Friday to possibly discuss the Raiders playing in a planned $1 billion domed stadium representing Thursday’s biggest news, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk cautions fans to slow down on any Las Vegas Raiders-themed discussions. Using Tony Romo‘s cancelled fantasy football convention at a Las Vegas Sands-owned, non-gambling facility last summer as an example, Florio does not believe the NFL will allow the Raiders to move to Vegas. The NFL previously said a Vegas-hosted Pro Bowl or merely a single game would not likely be sanctioned.
- The Chargers hired recently fired Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo as an offensive line assistant, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter). DeGuglielmo will work alongside Jeff Davidson with the Bolts’ linemen.
- Should Peyton Manning determine Super Bowl 50 isn’t his “last rodeo,” the Broncos would have a difficult choice on their hands, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. Should Manning return, he’s due to occupy an untenable $21.5MM cap hold next season. If Manning helps Denver win the Super Bowl, John Elway could be faced with a choice akin to what Ted Thompson encountered in 2008, when Brett Favre‘s backtracking forced an awkward trade. But Aaron Rodgers being under contract and Brock Osweiler not differentiates the scenarios. Corry argues the cleanest solution, albeit one that would put Elway in a complicated spot in terms of PR, would be to release Manning, sign Osweiler to a long-term deal and free up $19MM in cap space. If Manning decided he wanted to play again despite this, Corry cites the Rams and Texans as teams that would fit the soon-to-be-40-year-old quarterback’s needs, with their strong defenses and warm-weather or climate-controlled settings.
Latest On Rams/Chargers L.A. Talks
4:00pm: The Chargers have acquired land in Orange County, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (on Twitter), and he hears that it is for their headquarters and practice facility. The Bolts issued a statement on the matter (Twitter link via Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News) and explained that they are simply keeping their options open. Because of the red tape involved in doing such a project, the statement explained, it was necessary for the Chargers to get the ball rolling on that process in the event that they relocate to L.A.
11:44am: A report out of Southern California earlier this week suggested that talks between the Rams and Chargers on a potential stadium partnership had reached an impasse, with the Chargers likely to remain in San Diego for 2016. However, that’s not the case, according to Vincent Bonsignore of InsideSoCal.com, who reports that the Chargers are simply doing their due diligence and completing the number-crunching necessary to fully evaluate the proposal on the table for a potential move to L.A.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune hears that people around the league continue to believe that the Rams and Chargers will agree to a deal soon. The Chargers would like to have resolution by the end of this week, one source tells Acee, though it’s not clear yet if that goal will be met. Bonsignore heard on Wednesday that, depending on when the situation is resolved, the Rams and Chargers could postpone an announcement until after the Super Bowl, so as not to upstage the NFL’s main event (Twitter link).
Although an agreement looks likely to be reached, Acee cautions that even if the Rams and Chargers agree to a deal in principle, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Chargers will leave San Diego right away. Team and league sources tell Acee that a deal with the Rams is necessary for the Chargers if they intend to try to get a stadium built in San Diego, since it would give the franchise significant leverage.
The Chargers have until next January to officially make a decision on their long-term home, so the club could theoretically play in San Diego for one more season – with a Los Angeles deal in place – and then move to L.A. in 2017 if there’s still no viable San Diego stadium solution on the table by that point.
If the Chargers and Rams strike an agreement, it would be a limited partnership deal, according to Acee. The Rams would take on the majority of the risk, along with the majority of the revenue, while the Chargers would “still realize significant gains over what is available in San Diego.” One league source tells Acee that there’s no downside to the L.A. proposal for the Chargers, while another says it would be a “good-to-great” deal for the team.
Moving to Los Angeles along with the Rams may be more beneficial for the Chargers over the long term, but league sources are unconvinced that owner Dean Spanos is totally on board with the idea yet, with one source telling Acee, “I believe Dean will be very, very unhappy in Los Angeles.” So that’s worth keeping in mind as the Chargers move toward a decision.
Finally, if the Chargers end up in Los Angeles for the 2016 season, they’ll need someplace to play, and sharing the L.A. Coliseum with the Rams looks like the most logical solution to that dilemma. Per an Associated Press report, the Coliseum Commission is meeting today to consider amending USC’s current lease to allow a second NFL team to play at the stadium.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Notes: 49ers, Butler, Giants, Chargers
Adam Gase‘s coaching staff in Miami initially wasn’t expected to include more than a couple of the assistants who finished the 2015 season under Dan Campbell. However, the new Dolphins head coach ultimately decided to keep nine members of the team’s old coaching staff on board, as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. According to Dolphins football czar Mike Tannenbaum, it was Gase – not Tannenbaum or GM Chris Grier – that made the decision to retain those coaches.
“The coaching staff in particular reports to Adam and certainly Chris and I made some suggestions, but they [all] went through and were vetted through a pretty rigorous process,” Tannenbaum said. “They wouldn’t be on our staff if Adam didn’t feel good about them.”
Here are a few more coaching notes from around the NFL:
- Mike Vrabel wasn’t the only Texans assistant to interview for the 49ers‘ defensive coordinator job before Chip Kelly ultimately decided on Jim O’Neil. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco also spoke to Texans secondary coach John Butler about the position. “The 49ers like our coaching staff; we’ve got a really strong staff,” Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said. “John Butler is another guy that was sought after. Our staff is held in pretty high regard. I think that’s a credit to those guys and a credit to our players.”
- The Giants interviewed former Chargers assistant Don Johnson for their defensive line coach job, according to James Kratch of NJ Advance Media. Former Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni also met with the Giants recently about that role.
- In addition to hiring a defensive line coach, the Giants may also add an assistant defensive line coach to their staff, a league source tells Kratch. Tom Coughlin didn’t have that position on his staff, but it appears Ben McAdoo is considering it.
- Former Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, who was not retained by Bill Belichick after New England’s elimination from the postseason, is meeting with the Chargers about their assistant offensive line coach job, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
Draft Notes: Cowboys, Nkemdiche, Jets
This week, your Twitter timeline is probably chock full of news about teams meeting with top draft prospects. Of course, a team meeting with a prospect actually means very little, as Mike McCartney explained in a succinct tweet on Tuesday: “Senior Bowl Pet Peeve: EVERY player here meets with EVERY team.”
Here at Pro Football Rumors, we have opted against sharing every single meeting between NFL teams and draft prospects, opting instead to bring you only the most important and relevant draft news. With that in mind, here’s today’s look at the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft:
- Ole Miss defensive end Robert Nkemdiche had a weird incident in 2015 but teams are still evaluating him like he’s a top five pick, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Specifically, the Cowboys are taking a hard look at him and so are the Chargers. Nkemdiche boasts tremendous size and moves like a tight end, so it’s not hard for teams to overlook some off-the-field red flags. For his part, Miller sees him as a strong fit for Dallas but also feels that the Titans are a logical destination. However, that doesn’t mean that Tennessee will reach and take him No. 1 overall.
- The Jets spent a lot of time with Boise State safety Darian Thompson on Wednesday morning, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Thompson grades out as a second or third round prospect, per Pauline.
- Thompson, Temple defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis and OSU wide receiver Braxton Miller are drawing rave reviews from scouts, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- The Cowboys spent a great deal of time with Southern Utah defensive back Miles Killebrew, according to Pauline (link).
- A top NFL personnel exec at the Senior Bowl opined to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter) that the Browns should take quarterback Carson Wentz at No. 2. “They’d be set for 15 years,” the anonymous exec said.
Extra Points: Alonso, LA, Draft Prospects, Pats
Linebacker Kiko Alonso is coming off his first season with the Eagles, one in which the 2013 PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year was a non-factor. Alonso expects better things in 2016 with recently hired defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz at the helm, writes Paul Domowitch of Philly.com.
Alonso’s agent, Steve Karic, says the 25-year-old is “very excited” to play for Schwartz, who coordinated Buffalo’s defense to a fourth-place ranking in 2014. Alonso was also a Bill then, but he missed the season because of a torn ACL and didn’t play a down under Schwartz. Still, he’s familiar with Schwartz’s defense.
“He spent the offseason in Buffalo that year playing in this defense. He went through OTAs and minicamp in this defense. He was in the meeting rooms all season long,” Karic stated.
Karic then added that Alonso “definitely can play” the Mike (middle) or Will (weakside) LB role in Schwartz’s scheme. Prior to Alonso’s injury in 2014, Schwartz planned to use him as a Will ‘backer in Buffalo. Alonso played on the inside under former Eagles D-coordinator Billy Davis in 2015-16 and totaled just 43 tackles in 11 games, rating an ugly 92nd of 97 qualifying LBs by Pro Football Focus’ standards (subscription required).
Elsewhere around the NFL. . .
- Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News believes the Chargers will end up in LA next season (Twitter link). He also shot down the notion (via Twitter) that talks between the Chargers and Rams have stalled. This comes on the heels of a Monday night report from CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora that the two sides are “making progress.”
- North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz – who’s gaining steam as a possible first-round pick in the 2016 draft – has already met with nearly half of the league’s 32 teams at the Senior Bowl, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Two of those clubs are the Dolphins and Texans, Wentz told Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, respectively (Twitter links: 1, 2). With Ryan Tannehill in the fold, Beasley doesn’t expect the Dolphins to use the eighth overall pick on Wentz. However, if available, he could be a fit for QB-needy Houston at No. 22.
- Alabama MLB Reggie Ragland, one of Wentz’s fellow Senior Bowl participants, has spoken to the Ravens, Chiefs and Raiders so far, and he’ll also meet with the Packers (Twitter links via Wilson and Chase Goodbread of NFL.com). The probable first-rounder will play some OLB this week as a way to show off his versatility to prospective employers, reports Wilson (on Twitter).
- Foxborough, Mass., police arrested Patriots practice squad receiver J.J. Worton on Saturday and charged him with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 and over and one count of assault and battery, per ESPN.com. The Patriots didn’t comment on Worton’s arrest, tweets the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, who adds that the 24-year-old is unlikely to remain with the team. Worton, who signed with the Pats earlier this month, has an expiring contract.
West Notes: Mathieu, LA, Raiders
We learned Sunday that the Cardinals will try to lock up jack-of-all-trades defender Tyrann Mathieu this offseason. Now Mathieu, who has one year left on his rookie contract, says he hopes to stay in Arizona long term.
“Obviously, I love this team, I love this locker room, I love the coaching staff, upper management. I think this is the perfect place for me. I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life here,” the All-Pro safety stated Monday, per Darren Urban of the team’s website.
More from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Negotiations between the Rams and Chargers are “ongoing,” tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, as the Bolts continue in their efforts to partner with the Rams in Los Angeles. The two sides have been talking “for nearly a week straight” and are “making progress,” adds Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
- If the Chargers do end up in LA and the Raiders are unable to work something out with Oakland, they could view San Diego’s stadium situation as an upgrade – at least for the short term – according to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. In San Diego, the Raiders would have Qualcomm Stadium to themselves, which isn’t the case in Oakland. The Raiders and A’s both play at O.co Coliseum, and the Raiders “hate” sharing the stadium, Krasovic writes.
- Regardless of the disdain they have for their current stadium, the Raiders are likely to remain in Oakland next season, reports Bill Williamson of Fanrag Sports (Twitter link). The club has until March 31 to make a decision for 2016, but it might have to make a determination sooner, per Williamson. That could mean staying in Oakland for at least another year.
Coach Rumors: Ragone, Titans, Manusky, Giants
While the 49ers have been making the most news today in forming their new coaching staff under Chip Kelly, here is the latest from around the league, starting in Chicago.
- The Bears hired former Texans quarterback and Titans quarterback coach Dave Ragone as their new quarterback coach, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Bears wide receiver coach Mike Groh was also considered for the job, Rich Campbell of Chicago Tribune tweets. The 36-year-old Ragone worked with new Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, Chicago’s previous QBs coach who was promoted last week, with the Titans. Ragone coached the Titans’ quarterbacks in 2013 and instructed their wideouts during the previous two seasons. He spent this past season as an offensive quality control coach in Washington. Prior to that, he began his coaching career guiding Josh McCown with the Hartford Colonels of the now-defunct United Football League.
- Longtime offensive line coach Russ Grimm will head to Nashville to become the Titans‘ offensive line coach, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets. Grimm hasn’t coached since 2012, which was his final year of a six-season stay with the Cardinals. The 56-year-old Grimm, a Hall of Fame Washington guard, began his coaching career as Washington’s tight ends coach in 1992, a year after retiring before beginning as the team’s line coach in 1997. Grimm crossed paths with Titans HC Mike Mularkey during his time in Pittsburgh (2001-06), where Mularkey served as the offensive coordinator from 2001-03.
- New Browns DC Ray Horton planned to hire ex-Browns defensive lineman Nick Eason for his defensive staff, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports (on Twitter), but the Titans promoting him from assistant defensive line coach to defensive line coach convinced him to stay in Tennessee.
- The Giants hired former Eagles outside linebackers coach Bill McGovern to be their linebackers coach, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). McGovern spent 23 years coaching at various colleges in the northeast before teaching the outside backers with the Eagles under Kelly the past three seasons.
- Washington hired another former player and longtime coach to preside over its outside linebackers, adding Greg Manusky to its staff, Andrew Walker reports on the team’s website. Manusky began his career in Washington, but only coached there in 2001. The 49-year-old former linebacker served as defensive coordinator for the Colts from 2012-15 before being fired earlier this month. He was previously the DC for the 49ers and Chargers for a combined five seasons.
- Former Panthers and Bears safety Chris Harris will serve as the Chargers‘ assistant defensive backs coach, Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk reports. Harris worked as a quality control coach with the Bears in 2013-14 and played for the Panthers toward the end of current Chargers HC Mike McCoy‘s lengthy stay in Charlotte. Harris replaces Greg Williams, whom the Colts recently hired as their DBs coach.
West Notes: Modkins, 49ers, Chargers, LA
The 49ers are looking for a new offensive coordinator after firing Geep Chryst earlier tonight name to keep an eye on is Lions run game coordinator Curtis Modkins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Modkins does have OC experience — he worked under Chan Gailey with the Bills from 2010-12 — but he didn’t call plays during that time. With Chip Kelly leading the staff in San Francisco, Modkins wouldn’t call the 49ers’ plays, either.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Unsurprisingly, the Chargers have applied to trademark the phrases “Los Angeles Chargers” and “LA Chargers” in advance of their expected move to Inglewood, reports Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. Talks between the Chargers and the Rams reportedly began yesterday, and the NFL is apparently pushing Chargers management to accept the move to Los Angeles.
- The Chargers also worked out CFL receiver Eric Rogers, tweets Field Yates of ESPN. Rogers has now auditioned for or visited half the teams in the NFL, per Yates, so he should be able to find a contract heading into 2016.
- In a detailed piece for CBSSports.com, Joel Corry looks at what lies ahead for the recently-eliminated Seahawks. Not only will the club have to decide on the fate of running back Marshawn Lynch, but Seattle will need to negotiate its salary cap knowing full well that quarterback Russell Wilson‘s cap number is about to jump to than $18MM. With the team needing help along both the offensive and defensive lines, personnel changes could be coming to Seattle.
Cole’s Latest: Lynch, Carroll, Chargers, Lacy
In a series of videos today for Bleacher Report, Jason Cole tackled a handful of notable topics from around the NFL. Here’s the latest from Cole:
- The Seahawks would like to bring back running back Marshawn Lynch in 2016, since the team feels he’s still capable of big-time production. However, Seattle isn’t interested in retaining Beast Mode at his current $9MM base salary and $11.5MM cap hit, says Cole (video link). The club will explore the possibility of a pay cut – perhaps lowering Lynch’s base salary and adding incentives to his deal – but if the two sides aren’t making much progress, Seattle may eventually have to cut the standout running back.
- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is currently signed through 2016, but it’s unclear what his future holds after that. If Carroll wants to continue his coaching career, I’d expect Seattle to try to keep him around, but Cole suggests that the Rams – and the Chargers, if they move to L.A. – could make a play for the former USC head coach (video link).
- Speaking of those Chargers, they’re still a little apprehensive about dealing with Rams owner Stan Kroenke, but the NFL has been encouraging Dean Spanos‘s franchise to take advantage of the opportunity to move to Los Angeles, according to Cole (video link). The league believes that the basic deal it has outlined for the Chargers would allow the team to make more money in L.A. than it would if it remained in San Diego.
- Not that we needed to be told, but Cole cites Packers sources who say running back Eddie Lacy looked “sluggish” during his 61-yard run against Arizona, adding that the team was disappointed with Lacy’s lack of development and fitness level this season. There’s major uncertainty surrounding Lacy’s future with the franchise, says Cole (video link).
Chargers, Rams Begin Talks On L.A. Union
7:24pm: A deal for the Chargers and Rams to become partners in Inglewood exists, although it won’t be as promising as the one that would’ve unfolded if the Chargers and Raiders’ Carson project won the owners’ vote, Bonsignore reports.
“The Chargers have to decide what exactly they want,” a source told Bonsignore. “There is a deal to be made. One that will help the Chargers moving forward. But it might not be exactly what they envisioned when they set out on this journey. They have to decide if it’s the one they want to pursue moving forward.”
Sources indicated to Bonsignore the Rams are open to being friendly partners with the Chargers, even if the latter wound up in second place in this derby.
6:48pm: A Rams-Chargers union in Inglewood, Calif., could be coming within the week. Staffers from the two sides started talks Monday morning and are working to finalize a deal, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
The NFL is monitoring this situation, according to La Canfora (on Twitter), and will mediate if necessary.
La Canfora expects this matter to be resolved this week. Expediency on the Chargers’ part seems to be the mission, with the Rams already beginning to re-brand themselves in Los Angeles.
The teams announced a meeting did occur but aren’t disclosing any details on it or subsequent summits, per 10News’ Ben Higgins (on Twitter).
Conversely, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News reports (on Twitter) today’s meeting was more of a “fact-finding” exercise as opposed to a negotiation on a Los Angeles partnership. The Los Angeles reporter also hears (Twitter link) no further talks are scheduled between the two franchises.
A Chargers decision on where they’ll play in 2016 isn’t due until March 23, but the sides are expected to reach an agreement soon. Though it will take a few days to hash out, as Bonsignore notes (on Twitter), since the sides are just now meeting face to face about this seminal matter.
Most owners expect the Chargers to opt to be the second team in Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood stadium instead of going back to San Diego.
The Raiders could still play into this, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointing out Kroenke probably will see what kind of terms Mark Davis would agree to before reaching an accord with Dean Spanos. The PFT reporter argues against reported expediency projections, noting the Jan. 2017 deadline on the Chargers’ ultimate decision on whether they’ll relocate doesn’t provide much incentive for these current talks to progress.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images