Workout Notes: 12/30/15
Here are Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL:
- The Jets worked out defensive lineman Devon Still, receivers Marcus Thigpen and Eric Rogers, linebacker Willie Jefferson and defensive end/LB Tristan Okpalaugo (Twitter links via ESPN’s Rich Cimini).
- The Cardinals tried out center Taylor Boggs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Bills worked out defensive end/linebacker Xzavier Dickson, Wilson tweeted. Dickson ended up joining Atlanta’s practice squad.
- The Bengals worked out quarterback Mike Kafka and tight end John Peters, per Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Browns tried out quarterback Dustin Vaughan, running back Timothy Flanders, receivers Eric Rogers, Ricky Collins and Levi Norwood, and safety Jordan Kovacs (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Quarterback Ryan Lindley, defensive linemen Warren Herring and Eze Obiora, and linebacker Ryan Mueller worked out for the Colts, according to Wilson (Twitter link). They signed Lindley afterward.
- The Giants worked out linebackers Cole Farrand and Glenn Carson – the latter of whom they signed to their practice squad – quarterback Pete Thomas, safety Ty Zimmerman, punter Spencer Roth and kicker Quinn Sharp (Twitter link via Wilson).
- The Steelers tried out two safeties, Ray Vinopal and Jake Hagen, and linebacker Marquis Spruill (via Wilson on Twitter).
- The Chargers worked out receiver Jeff Fuller, defensive end DeAngelo Tyson and linebacker Dexter McCoil, Wilson tweeted.
- The Titans worked out receiver Kenny Stafford, defensive end Freddie Bishop, defensive backs Aaron Grymes, Steven Clarke and Emanuel Davis, long snapper Dax Dellenbach and kicker Swayze Waters (Twitter link via Wilson).
Coaching Rumors: Meyer, Kelly, Saban, Coughlin
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer told reporters Wednesday that he recently spurned an NFL team’s advances, Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk writes.
Asked if the team was the Browns, Meyer said, “I’m not going there. I’ll just say [a team] reached out.”
Meyer added that he’s content at the college level and expressed wariness toward making the jump to the pros.
“The NFL, Chip Kelly is one of my closest friends, Greg Schiano is one of my closest friends. A lot of times they say college coaches don’t make it very well. I don’t know who makes it well. People are getting fired left and right. Pete Carroll has done very well.”
In other coaching news. . .
- Although Kelly’s career in Philadelphia is over, he could end up with another head coaching job in the league in the coming weeks. With that in mind, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined some possible landing spots for Kelly. The Titans, Browns, 49ers, Dolphins or Colts could all be his next stop.
- With coaching searches fast approaching, Albert Breer of NFL.com lists the candidates most likely to draw interest. Kelly is one of them. Interestingly, so is Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The Mara family is fond of him, per Breer, which might make the Giants a fit. The Colts are also a possibility, as they could offer Saban control over their roster – not to mention they have a 26-year-old franchise quarterback in place.
- For Saban to end up with the Giants, they’ll first have to fire two-time Super Bowl winner Tom Coughlin. That appears likely to happen, as a source told the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano that plenty in the team’s front office want to move on from Coughlin. It’s believed that one of those people is co-owner Steve Tisch.
Cole’s Latest: Chip Kelly, Los Angeles, Colts
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has provided updates on a handful of notable stories, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights from his latest video reports….
- Chip Kelly has interest in the Titans‘ head coaching job and believes he should have opportunities around the league, possibly in Tennessee, Cleveland, or Miami, sources tells Cole (video link).
- About half of the NFL’s team owners – members of the Los Angeles committee, the finance committee, and the stadium committee – are scheduled to meet next week at the league’s New York offices to discuss possible relocation to L.A., according to Cole (video link). The Bleacher Report scribe hears that there’s a consensus building among owners that the Chargers are the favorite to get approval to relocate, but those owners remain unsure about what to do with the Rams and Raiders.
- With the Colts potentially preparing to move on from head coach Chuck Pagano, there are those in the organization who wonder whether Andrew Luck will have a strong opinion on who the team’s next head coach will be, says Cole (video link). Luck is entering the final year of his contract with the club, so as he considers signing a long-term extension with Indianapolis, it makes sense that he’d want to have some input on who will be coaching him.
Details, Fallout On Eagles’ Firing Of Chip Kelly
The Eagles’ decision to part ways with head coach – and de facto GM – Chip Kelly was Tuesday’s biggest piece of news, so it’s no surprise that reports since then have been adding new details to the story, exploring the fallout, and looking ahead to the next steps for both Kelly and the Eagles. We’ve got plenty of Kelly-related material to get to, so let’s dive right in…
Details:
- Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie “apparently” spoke to some players before making the decision to fire Kelly, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). However, both McLane and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) talked to several Eagles players who said they had no idea the move was coming.
- When running back DeMarco Murray spoke to Lurie recently, he expressed a lack of confidence in Kelly, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link) notes that Lurie already knew that the locker room wasn’t thrilled with Kelly and his methods, so that was nothing new, but the situation reached a breaking point.
- According to McLane (Twitter link), Lurie and Kelly had a meeting today that didn’t go well, with the decision to fire the head coach coming shortly thereafter. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio has heard something similar, reporting that Kelly balked at the idea of ceding personnel control in a recent meeting with Lurie (link via Pro Football Talk).
- However, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter links) says he wasn’t able to confirm the rumor that the Eagles wanted to strip Kelly’s personnel power, and Garafolo (Twitter link) adds that word out of Philadelphia suggests the team didn’t make Kelly an offer to remain as head coach without that personnel power.
- James Harris, Kelly’s “chief of staff,” was also let go by the Eagles today, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link).
Fallout:
- Kelly insists he wants to remain in the NFL, rather than go back to college, and says that at his next stop he just wants to coach, rather than overseeing personnel decisions as well, reports Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Of course, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com observes (via Twitter), Kelly said he wasn’t interested in making personnel calls when he joined the Eagles as well.
- The Dolphins are a team that will be in the market for a head coach this winter, so James Walker of ESPN.com and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explore whether or not the team should pursue Kelly. Neither scribe views him as a great fit for Miami.
- Rapoport (Twitter link) heard from a high-ranking Titans source several weeks ago that Kelly wasn’t on the team’s list of head coaching candidates since he was under contract. Now that that’s no longer the case, perhaps Kelly will be added to Tennessee’s list of possible targets, though Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com is unconvinced he’d be the answer for the Titans.
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links) offer of a couple of potential Eagles head coaching targets, with Breer naming Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and Mosher identifying Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
AFC South Notes: Pagano, Colts, Titans
Head coach Chuck Pagano turned down a one-year extension from Colts owner Jim Irsay in the offseason that included a modest raise but he says that he has no regrets about that, as Amanda Rakes of CBS4 writes.
Pagano has had a rough year with Andrew Luck sidelined for a good portion of the season, but his ground-and-pound method hasn’t worked either, as Indianapolis is tied for 30th in both rushing yards (1,211) and per-carry average (3.6). The Colts have also been dismal through the air, coming in at 31st in yards per attempt (6.4) and 29th in rating (77.6).
Here’s more from out of the AFC South:
- It’s hard to pin down what Irsay’s offseason plans are for the Colts, but fans shouldn’t necessarily bet on general manager Ryan Grigson being let go, says Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
- A general manager change could be in the works in Tennessee, so Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com identifies some potential GM candidates the Titans could consider if they move on from Ruston Webster.
- Veteran safety Michael Griffin has spent nine years and 140 games with the Titans, but with his cap hit set to increase to $8.3MM in 2016, the second-highest charge on the team, he knows that his future in Tennessee is uncertain. Griffin spoke to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com about his situation, acknowledging that “there’s never a guarantee for next year.”
- If the Titans don’t re-sign Byron Bell, they could decide to select a tackle with their first overall pick, speculates Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Tennessee can secure the No. 1 pick with a Week 17 loss.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eagles Part Ways With Chip Kelly
6:52pm: While the Eagles didn’t announce it publicly, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) believes Roseman will return to the head of the team’s personnel department.
6:19pm: With one week left in the regular season, the Eagles have announced in a press release that they’re parting ways with head coach Chip Kelly. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will serve as the club’s interim head coach in Week 17.
“I have made a decision to release Chip Kelly this evening,” owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “I spent the last three seasons evaluating the many factors involved in our performance as a team. As I watched this season unfold, I determined that it was time to make a change. As we move forward, the search for a new head coach will begin and will be led by myself, Don Smolenski and Howie Roseman. To the extent that we are able, we will try to keep you informed as we go through this process.”
The move comes as a surprise, particularly given the timing, since teams making head coaching changes typically wait until after their season ends to announce them. Since Kelly also served as Philadelphia’s de facto general manager, overseeing the construction of the 90-man roster in the offseason, the team figures to be making several new hires in the coming weeks.
One executive that has already been replaced is vice president of player personnel Ed Marynowitz, who has been let go along with Kelly. When the club re-assigned Roseman earlier this year, Kelly was tasked with picking a new personnel executive, and ultimately decided on Marynowitz, who received a promotion within the organization. Former NFL GM Tom Donahoe, who had been serving as a senior football advisor for the Eagles since 2012, will take over Marynowitz’s old role, at least for now.
In addition to the changes coming to the Eagles’ front office and coaching staff, the roster figures to be retooled this offseason, after Kelly’s overhauled it and brought in his own players. It was Kelly, of course, who orchestrated this year’s trade for Sam Bradford, so with the former first overall pick eligible for free agency this winter, it’ll be interesting to see if Philadelphia’s new decision-makers attempt to lock up Bradford, via the franchise tag or a longer-term deal.
During his three seasons as Eagles head coach, Kelly had a solid 26-21 record. However, after consecutive 10-6 seasons, the wheels came off a little this year, as the new-look roster, which was supposedly tailored to Kelly’s vision, struggled to produce on the field.
Although Kelly only took over final say of Philadelphia’s roster moves from Roseman a year ago, he influenced the team’s moves before then as well, and many talented players left town after not always seeing eye to eye with the head coach. DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, and Evan Mathis are a few of the players that have departed within the last couple years.
As Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets, Kelly still had two years and at least $12MM left on his contract, so he doesn’t necessarily have to rush into any decisions on a new job this offseason. But it’s worth keeping an eye on the Titans, who will be in the market for a new head coach, and have Kelly’s old Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota on the roster. With Mariota and possibly the No. 1 overall pick this spring in play, the Tennessee position could definitely be of interest to Kelly, though it’s not clear yet if the Titans would reciprocate that interest.
The Eagles, meanwhile, join the Dolphins and Titans as teams that will definitely be hunting for a new head coach this offseason, with the Lions, Giants, Saints, Browns, 49ers, and Rams among the teams that could potentially join them.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans GM Ruston Webster On Expiring Contract
The contract between the Titans and GM Ruston Webster expires after the 2015 season, multiple sources tell Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. That means that the Titans won’t have to fire Webster if they choose to move on from him – they can simply let his contract lapse without owing him any additional salary.
CEO/team president Steve Underwood gave Webster a vote of confidence last month, but that might not mean much this offseason. In four seasons with Webster as general manager, the Titans are 18-45, tied with the Raiders for the second worst mark in the league over that stretch. A report earlier this month indicated that Webster is “far from safe” in Tennessee.
Webster has served as the Titans’ GM since 2012 and has been with the organization since 2010. Since that time, the team has canned two coaches and has failed to make the playoffs. Some of that, of course, is not entirely Webster’s fault. For instance, the two coaches that were sacked – Mike Munchak and Ken Whisenhunt – were forced on Webster by ownership. That proved to be problematic as Webster drafted players for a 4-3 defense only to see the team’s coaching staff switch to a 3-4 scheme.
On the other hand, Webster’s track record in free agency has left much to be desired and his draft history has been spotty too. Even though Webster tapped Marcus Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick last May, he also drafted underachieving players like Jake Locker, Justin Hunter, and Bishop Sankey.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Patriots announced that they have released running back Joey Iosefa. Iosefa lasted only two weeks on the club’s active roster. He saw 14 carries against the Titans in Week 15 and ran for only 51 yards. His spot has ostensibly been usurped by the recently-added Steven Jackson.
- The Giants announced that they have placed 2014 fifth-rounder Devon Kennard on injured reserve. Kennard, who also missed four games last season, has 58 tackles to his credit for Big Blue.
- The Steelers placed fullback Roosevelt Nix on injured reserve, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Steelers also announced that they have promoted linebacker L.J. Fort to the active roster.
- The Bills placed Marcus Easley on IR, as Wilson tweets. Back in March of 2015, the special teamer inked a four-year pact worth $7MM with the Bills. A sizable chunk of that money – $2.2MM – was guaranteed.
- Texans cornerback Charles James will be placed on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending foot injury, Wilson tweets.
- The Chargers announced that they have claimed tight end Asante Cleveland off waivers from the Patriots.
Updated Projections For 2016 Draft Order
Last week, we examined what the NFL’s projected draft order for the top 10 picks of 2016 would look like, with the Titans in the lead for the number one overall pick. Tennessee’s blowout loss to the Texans on Sunday kept the Titans firmly in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 pick, and the club could clinch that top selection with a loss next weekend against the Colts.
While the outlook at the top of the projected 2016 draft order remains the same, with the Browns right behind the Titans for that first overall pick, there were a few other changes to the top 10 based on this weekend’s results. The Ravens’ win over Pittsburgh dropped Baltimore from No. 3 to No. 8, while victories by the Saints and Bears removed those teams from the top 10 for now, with the Buccaneers and Giants taking over their spots.
Here’s the current projected order for the top 10 picks of the 2016 NFL draft, with just one week left in the regular season. Teams are sorted by worst record, with strength of schedule serving as the tiebreaker — the weaker a team’s schedule, the higher its draft pick.
- Tennessee Titans: 3-12 (.493)
- Cleveland Browns: 3-12 (.532)
- San Diego Chargers: 4-11 (.511)
- Dallas Cowboys: 4-11 (.529)
- San Francisco 49ers: 4-11 (.558)
- Miami Dolphins: 5-10 (.453)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-10 (.467)
- Baltimore Ravens: 5-10 (.489)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-9 (.453)
- New York Giants: 6-9 (.498)
While a loss by the Titans would lock them into the first overall pick, the door remains open for the Browns, and given all the ties on this list, it’s possible the top 10 could shuffle around significantly by next Monday, so stay tuned.
South Notes: Saints, Colts, Hoyer, Wright
Some inside the Saints organization view Drew Brees‘ contract as an albatross that’s hampered their ability to progress, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Conor Orr of NFL.com).
The Saints are over the cap going into the offseason for the second straight year and may have to part with more veterans as a result. Brees will be due a $30MM cap hold in 2016, a number that will likely be renegotiated if the soon-to-be-16th-year quarterback is to return for an 11th season in New Orleans.
The 36-year-old Brees enters the final year of the five-year, $100MM deal he inked in 2012.
Here are some more items from the Southern divisions during Week 16’s penultimate game.
- NFL executives aren’t ruling out Sean Payton going back on his word on returning to New Orleans for an 11th season, per Rapoport. A path out of the Big Easy for Payton is a potential trip to Los Angeles. Payton’s daughter attends USC, and Rapoport believes a union with Philip Rivers would make sense if the Chargers move north and opt not to bring back Mike McCoy for a fourth year.
- The Colts‘ pair of middle-aged starters appear to be heading in divergent directions, with Adam Vinatieri looking set to come back for a 21st season and Matt Hasselbeck appearing prepared to retire after his 18th year, Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star writes. Hasselbeck left a game due to injury for the fourth straight week. Both are free agents after the season, but Colts punter Pat McAfee insists the 43-year-old Vinatieri will suit up next season.
- Hasselbeck does not sound optimistic when referring to his chances at making another start this season, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. With the Colts almost certainly out of the playoff picture, Charlie Whitehurst or Stephen Morris could get the call in Week 17.
- Despite Brandon Weeden‘s surprising work keeping the Texans in front in the division, Bill O’Brien will go back to Brian Hoyer once the veteran is able to return from the concussion he suffered, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- Kendall Wright appears likely to be shut down for the Titans‘ Week 17 game against the Colts after the fourth-year wide receiver reinjured his MCL, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports. Wright left Sunday’s game in the first half when doctors determined he could endure a further setback by continuing to play on the injury that cost him three games in November. Wright’s set to enter his fifth-year option season in 2016 and will do so coming off by far his worst year as a pro.