NFL Workout Updates: 1/3/19
Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Chicago Bears
- T Dakoda Shepley; G Ethan Cooper; LB Sam Eguavoen; K Ty Long
Detroit Lions
- DEs Avery Ellis, Tony Nelson; LB Sam Eguavoen
Green Bay Packers
- WR Devin Smith
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
- QBs Jon Jennings, Bo Levi Mitchell; WRs Sammie Coates, Greg Ward, Taj Williams; T Dakoda Shepley; LBs Sam Eguavoen, Jameer Thurman
Kansas City Chiefs
- DTs Henry Mondeaux, Cavon Walker; CB DeAndre Elliott
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Alex Singleton; LS Tanner Carew; K Ty Long; P Shane Tripucka
New England Patriots
- WR Jordan Williams-Lambert
New Orleans Saints
- DE Geneo Grissom; LB Lorenzo Mauldin
New York Jets
- WR Stacy Coley; DE Charles Tapper
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RBs Terry Swanson, Malik Williams; WR Diontae Spencer
Seattle Seahawks
49ers Eyeing Grigson For Front Office Role
Since being fired by the Colts from their general manager post, Ryan Grigson has spent the past two years with two different teams. He served in both the Browns’ and Seahawks’ front offices.
The 49ers are now interested in bringing the veteran executive to the Bay Area, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
While John Lynch is entering his third offseason as 49ers GM, he has former Lions GM Martin Mayhew working in the front office as well. Grigson, 46, would add a third exec with experience as a team’s top personnel man.
The Browns let Grigson go just after the 2017 season ended. He caught on with the Seahawks in June of last year, now serving in the role of senior football consultant.
Grigson ran the Colts for five years. His first draft brought Colt cornerstones Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton, but the team struggled to build a roster around Luck as the years progressed.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/2/19
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad decisions:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Dexter McCoil
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Henry Mondeaux
- Cut: QB J.T. Barrett
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Marwin Evans
Seahawks Place S Delano Hill On IR
The Seahawks will be down one of their top backups the rest of the way. They placed safety Delano Hill on IR on Tuesday.
Hill started two games in relief of Tedric Thompson, with Seattle shifting Bradley McDougald from strong to free safety in those contests. Hill suffered a non-displaced fracture in his hip during the Seahawks’ Week 17 win over the Cardinals.
Seattle entered the season with a quartet of Earl Thomas, McDougald, Thompson and Hill at safety. Going into the team’s trip to Dallas, it is now down to the McDougald-Thompson tandem. Trade acquisition Shalom Luani and Maurice Alexander are the other safeties on Seattle’s roster.
A third-round pick in 2017, Hill played 321 snaps this season. He made 24 tackles. The Seahawks promoted wide receiver Malik Turner from their practice squad to fill the roster spot.
Seahawks Notes: Sweezy, Stephen
- The Seahawks clinched a playoff berth with their huge win over the Chiefs last Sunday night, and got even more good news this week. Starting guard J.R. Sweezy suffered what initially appeared to be a serious foot injury, but coach Pete Carroll said he thinks Sweezy will be able to play in the first round of the playoffs (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN). Sweezy has started every game this year for Seattle’s reborn offensive line, and while Carroll is notoriously overly optimistic when diagnosing injuries, this is still good news.
- Speaking of the Seahawks, their defensive tackle Shamar Stephen “is closing in on a significant incentive bonus”, according to Henderson. Stephen is due a $500K bonus if he plays between 45 and 49.99 percent of Seattle’s defensive snaps, or $700K if he plays between 50-54.99 percent. Stephen is currently playing 50.16% of their defensive snaps entering their Week 17 game, so he’s on track to hit it. Considering Stephen’s base salary this year was only $800K, this would be a massive bonus for him to reach.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/25/18
Today’s workouts, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Green Bay Packers
- TE: Evan Bayliss
Houston Texans
- LB: Cory James
San Francisco 49ers
- DE: Damontre Moore
Seattle Seahawks
- CB: Quinten Rollins; SS’s: Keith Tandy, Shamarko Thomas
Tennessee Titans
- DEs: Christian LaCouture, Kendall Vickers; DT: Dee Liner
Washington Redskins
- TE: Jace Amaro; Ts: Isaiah Battle, Cyrus Kouandjio, Darius James; DL: Kwaku Boateng (EDM CFL); QBs: Max Browne, Joe Callahan; LBs: Marquis Flowers, Hau’oli Kikaha, Corey Nelson, John Timu; WRs: Carlos Henderson, ArDarius Stewart, Tre McBride, Devin Smith.
Latest On Seahawks' Ownership
- The Seahawks franchise is expected to be sold, but for the time being, Paul Allen‘s sister, Jody, is running the team. Allen confidant Bert Kolde is taking an expanded role during this time, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes, adding that the status quo appears to be working at this point. Pete Carroll said Monday he was excited about the team’s current ownership situation, and Condotta adds indications point to Jody Allen continuing to serve as the team’s chairperson for a while.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/25/18
Multiple teams reorganized their practice squads on Christmas.
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: S Fish Smithson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Malik Turner
Carroll Plans To Coach At Least Five More Years
- Carroll got an extension from the Seahawks this past week, and is committed to Seattle for the long haul. Carroll spoke glowingly of the organization, and said he plans on coaching at least another five years, according to Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. His new deal is reportedly paying him around $11MM per year, so it’s no surprise he’s in no rush to get going. The three year extension will take Carroll through his age 70 season.
Seahawks Sign Pete Carroll To Extension
The day after Pete Carroll steered the Seahawks to another NFC playoff bracket, he signed an extension to stay with the team long-term.
The Seahawks announced they now have their head coach under contract through 2021. This deal will be worth more than $11MM per year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), keeping Carroll among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches.
Carroll’s previous Seahawks contract, signed in 2016, ran through next season. Both Carroll and GM John Schneider are now locked up through 2021. Contract talks began last week, Carroll said (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, on Twitter) and obviously progressed quickly.
The most successful coach in Seahawks history, Carroll has now piloted teams to the playoffs in seven of his nine Seattle seasons. Given the expectations going into this season, this latest berth may be the veteran coach’s most impressive work. Viewed as a rebuilding team after jettisoning many Super Bowl-era cornerstones, the Seahawks are 9-6 and likely set for the NFC’s No. 5 seed. Seattle has defeated other playoff-qualifying teams, its best win coming Sunday night against likely AFC No. 1 seed Kansas City.
The oldest active NFL head coach at 67, Carroll said at the end of last season he was not considering retirement. Carroll retooled his coaching staff, replacing coordinators Darrell Bevell and Kris Richard with Brian Schottenheimer and Ken Norton Jr., and helped oversee significant roster turnover. The Seahawks have quickly moved into a Russell Wilson-centric era — playing 2018 without the likes of Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Kam Chancellor and, for the most part, Earl Thomas — and may be a dangerous underdog next month.
Formerly the Jets’ and Patriots’ HC, Carroll has now passed Mike Holmgren as the Seahawks’ winningest coach. He is 88-54-1 running the Seahawks after going 33-31 in four combined 1990s seasons in the AFC East. In between, Carroll revitalized the USC program, winning two national championships.
With more than $63MM in projected 2019 cap space, the swiftly reloaded Seahawks could be an interesting team this offseason. And their longtime Schneider-Carroll power structure will oversee matters for the foreseeable future.