Uncategorized - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Links: Woodson, Titans, Pats, Skrine

February 7th, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s check out some assorted notes from around the AFC…

Following his tenure with the Packers, veteran cornerback Charles Woodson inked a contract with the Raiders. Woodson admitted that his agent had reached out to the Lions during the 2012 offseason, but there was little interest from the franchise. “I was kind of throwing some lines out there to see where the interest was,” Woodson said (via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein). “Most teams, coming out of Green Bay, everybody thought I was pretty much done. Washed up. Couldn’t run anymore. I heard all of the adjectives to describe me…They were one of those teams that probably thought that.”
Michael Oher was just one of many offseason additions that didn’t work out for the Titans in 2014, writes ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard lost his job to a rookie, running back Dexter McCluster made little impact offensively, defensive lineman Al Woods ultimately settled into a backup role and linebacker Shaun Phillips was cut in November.
In a series of tweets, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap partially attributes the Patriots cap-conscious approach to the team’s inability to keep running back Curtis Martin. The franchise’s lack of cap flexibility during the 1998 offseason had a lasting impact on the organization, and the team vowed to never be in that kind of situation again.
Count Browns defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil among those who’d like to see defensive back Buster Skrine back with the team next season. “Buster is one of my favorite guys on the defense,” O’Neil previously said (via Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com). “He embodies ‘Play Like a Brown.’ I don’t ever want to let good players walk out the door.”

Pro Football Rumors On Social Media, RSS

February 2nd, 2015 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s 2014/15 season is officially in the books, ending in dramatic fashion last night when the Patriots took advantage of a questionable Seahawks play-call to prevent a touchdown and secure a 28-24 victory. While the season’s last game has been played, that means the fun at Pro Football Rumors is just getting started, as we start counting down the days until free agency and the draft.

Over the next several weeks and months, there will be plenty of notable stories to track on PFR, and you don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to keep tabs on them. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.

You can like us on Facebook, and receive headlines and links for all our posts via your Facebook account. You can also follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. Meanwhile, our Google+ page is located here, and if you’d like to follow us using your RSS reader of choice, you can find our RSS feed right here.

If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.

Patriots Win Super Bowl XLIX

February 1st, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots overcame a national scandal and a ten point deficit in the fourth quarter to top the Seahawks 28-24 and capture yet another Vince Lombardi trophy. Tom Brady threw for four touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to Julian Edelman, to secure his fourth Super Bowl ring. The Seahawks nearly retook the game on a wild drive, assisted by Jermaine Kearse‘s unbelievably fortunate catch. However, at the 1 yard line, the Seahawks opted to throw and Pats corner Malcolm Butler came away with Russell Wilson‘s errant pass. The Seahawks bid to repeat came up just short while the Patriots made it clear that their dynasty is far from done.

When the Patriots are done washing off the champagne and sleeping off their hangovers, they’ll turn their attention to a most pivotal offseason. The Pats hold a whopping $20MM option on cornerback Darrelle Revis that would carry a $25MM cap hit, so they’ll likely try and work out a new long-term deal with him instead. Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and wide receiver Danny Amendola could become cap casualties in order to carve out significant cap room. Safety Devin McCourty is a possible franchise tag candidate and the Pats can also be expected to look into an extension for him.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, will start their offseason by finding a replacement for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is hours away from being named as the next head coach of the Falcons. Seattle has already made a “huge” extension offer to Marshawn Lynch that would allow him to plow through defenders as a member of the Seahawks for the rest of his career. Meanwhile, long-term extension talks with Wilson are expected to take place right away now that the Super Bowl is in the books. Wilson is expected to become the highest-paid player in NFL history, with Aaron Rodgers‘ $22MM AAV serving as the starting point in negotiations. Aside from those offensive stars, the Seahawks will have other high-priority players on the agenda, including cornerback Byron Maxwell, who is set to hit the open market.

After the completion of a most memorable Super Bowl, it is now officially the offseason for all 32 NFL teams. Let the madness begin.

Extra Points: Fitzgerald, Revis, Jets

February 1st, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Zachary Links

A look around the league, as the Seahawks look to protect their lead in the fourth quarter..

After winning the inaugural Art Rooney Award at the NFL Honors, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was asked if he would be playing in Super Bowl 50 next season with the Cardinals should they make it. “In terms of next year, I have no idea what’s going to happen,” Fitzgerald said, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “That’s still to come. But I love Arizona, I love playing for the Cardinals and I love working for the Bidwill family.” Fitzgerald is scheduled to earn $16.25MM next season, with $8MM coming as a roster bonus in early March. Fitzgerald’s cap number in 2015 will be $23.6MM, currently 16% of the Cardinals’ cap for next season.
A lot has changed in two years and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes the Jets are serious about bringing Darrelle Revis back. Owner Woody Johnson recently said that he’d love to bring the star cornerback back to New York and it was reported that they’re expected to pursue him if he hits the open market. Johnson, Cimini writes, has likely realized that fans are fed up with cautious offseasons and therefore is feeling pressure to make a splash.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has more details on the investigation into the Patriots‘ deflated footballs. Some of Rapoport’s information seems to vindicate Bill Belichick and Tom Brady of wrongdoing.

Sunday Roundup: Wilson, Manning, AFC North

February 1st, 2015 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from around the league on this Super Bowl Sunday:

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, negotiations on a long-term extension for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will begin “as soon as the Super Bowl ends.” As we have been hearing, Wilson is expected to become the highest-paid player in NFL history, with Aaron Rodgers‘ $22MM average annual salary serving as the starting point for negotiations with Wilson. Rapoport adds that everything Seattle has done this year, including its dealings with Percy Harvin, Cliff Avril, and K.J. Wright, was done with a Wilson deal in mind (Twitter link to NFL Media PR).
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is expected to play in 2015, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen writes that official confirmation could come from Manning this week.
Falcons star receiver Julio Jones is under contract through 2015, but an extension for Jones will be put on hold until incoming head coach Dan Quinn has had time to fully assess the roster, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Those sentiments come from team owner Arthur Blank, which suggests that Quinn will have a great deal of input into roster decisions and creates more questions about the role of GM Thomas Dimitroff.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the state of the Steelers‘ secondary, which looks to be a major area of concern heading into the offseason.
Ravens running back Justin Forsett spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk about a number of topics, including his impending free agency. The tailback made it known once again that he’d like to stay in purple and black. “I would like to stay in Baltimore, but it is a business and I’m looking for a commitment. However that comes, I just want to be able to take care of my family,” the veteran said. Florio also asked Forsett about the possibility of following former Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak to Denver. Forsett was complimentary of Kubiak but downplayed the likelihood of a reunion, noting that the Broncos have multiple tailbacks under contract, including C.J. Anderson. However, as Florio rightly noted, none of the Denver backs amassed 1,266 yards on the ground in 2014 like Forsett did.
There is a mechanism in the collective bargaining agreement by which the Browns could seek to recover a pro-rated portion of Gordon’s signing bonus because of games missed due to suspensions, as Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com writes. That pro-rated portion for 2015 is just over $564K, however, so it’s not clear if Cleveland will pursue that process.

Zach Links contributed to this post

Pro Football HOF Announces 2015 Class

January 31st, 2015 at 8:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced its 2015 class and eight exceptionally worthy men will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio this year. Linebacker Junior Seau was voted in along with running back Jerome Bettis, defensive end Charles Haley, guard Will Shields, and wide receiver Tim Brown, as Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes. Seniors nominee Mick Tingelhoff and contributor candidates Bill Polian and Ron Wolf will also be inducted this year.

The honor has been a long time coming for some such as Brown and Haley, who were in their sixth year as a finalists. Bettis, meanwhile, made the final 15 for five years while Shields was in that group for the fourth year. Seau, however, got in on the first try.

This year marked a tough decision for voters everyone in the final 15 had a strong case for the Hall. Coaches Don Coryell and Jimmy Johnson, kicker Morten Andersen, running back Terrell Davis, and safety John Lynch were the first group of five to miss the cut. After that, linebacker Kevin Greene, quarterback Kurt Warner, tackle Orlando Pace, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, and coach Tony Dungy were left on the chopping block. Many of those finalists (especially Pace) figure to get their turn in the not-too-distant future. Warner’s candidacy remains strong, but he could have a tough time getting the necessary votes in 2016 when Brett Favre becomes eligible.

AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Jaguars, Ravens, Bengals

January 31st, 2015 at 10:00am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags to answer questions from the readers. Let’s check out some notes from the AFC…

Adam Teicher believes Bryan Bulaga would make sense for the Chiefs, but he cautions that the team may need to back out if the bidding gets too high. As an alternative, the writer suggests the team could re-sign Ryan Harris to a much cheaper deal.
The Jaguars need to target a veteran wideout in free agency, writes Michael DiRocco. The teams young core of receivers, including Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee, played well in 2014, but the writer believes quarterback Blake Bortles would benefit from having a more seasoned target.
Jamison Hensley says there needs to be a “compromise” between the Ravens and cornerback Lardarius Webb. The organization won’t be able to pay the 29-year-old the $8MM he’d owed in 2015, and the team also wouldn’t have much of an incentive to cutting the player. Hensley notes that Webb could play “hardball” with the Ravens, but the writer believes they’ll ultimately restructure the contract.
Focusing on wide receivers, Hensley believes the Ravens best course would be re-signing Torrey Smith and drafting a wideout in the first two rounds. For running backs, the writer opines that Justin Forsett may be too pricey for the team. Instead, Hensley suggests former first-rounders Mark Ingram, Darren McFadden and Ryan Mathews as options.
The Bengals top concerns this offseason should be re-signing offensive guard Clint Boling and linebacker Rey Maualuga, according to Coley Harvey. Outside of the organization, the writer suggests the team could target Browns tight end Jordan Cameron.

Extra Points: Carroll, Rice, Manning

January 29th, 2015 at 10:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Vikings Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant hired Pete Carroll as the team’s defensive backs coach in 1985, a position he served in for five years. Way back then, he recognized that Carroll had something special writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. “I remember interviewing him, and he was enthusiastic, which he always is,” Grant said. “He knew a lot about football. He was primarily on defense, you know we talked about that, and he related good to the players.” Turns out, that Carroll kid turned out to be a pretty decent coach. More from around the NFL..

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith says that the union’s parallel report to the Mueller Report on the Ray Rice situation is done, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). The report on the former Ravens running back will be given to the executive committee later today.
Former NFL quarterback Archie Manning said Thursday that he expects his son, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, to decide on whether he plays in 2015 “maybe in the next week or two.” “He’s given a lot of thought to it,” Archie Manning said, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “My advice for him is to go through the process, get away a little bit, let your leg heal, give it a lot of throught and decide what you’re going to do … [I] think he’s taken a good evaluation of where he is physically.”
Former Colts wide receiver Austin Collie is heading to the CFL, but not to the team previously reported. Collie will join up with the BC Lions, according to Arash Madani of Sportsnet (on Twitter).
Executive director DeMaurice Smith says the NFLPA will issue its own salary cap projections for the first time, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). The purpose, he says, is to counter the “inaccurate” projections of the NFL.

Coach/Exec Notes: Nolan, Gamble, 49ers, Jets

January 29th, 2015 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Executives around the NFL are looking forward to seeing Josh McDaniels‘ game plan for the Patriots this Sunday against the Seahawks, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who says that a Pats win would boost McDaniels’ stock and make him one of the top head coaching candidates in the league a year from now. The New England offensive coordinator drew interest from teams seeking a head coach over the past month, though those clubs ultimately went in other directions.

Let’s check out a few more items from around the NFL relating to coaching staffs and front offices….

Former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan has joined the Chargers as the team’s linebackers coach, replacing Joe Barry, the team announced today in a press release. With Barry heading to Washington to take a defensive coordinator job, San Diego adds a coach in Nolan who has plenty of experience as a DC himself, including the last three seasons in Atlanta. If there was any lingering doubt that Dan Quinn would bring in his own coordinator when he takes over the Falcons‘ job, that doubt was dispelled with the Chargers’ announcement.
Mere weeks after he was let go by the Eagles, personnel executive Tom Gamble is returning to San Francisco. The 49ers announced today that their former director of player personnel is rejoining the organization as a senior personnel executive. The announcement of Gamble’s hiring comes on the same day the Eagles confirmed that they were promoting Ed Marynowitz to Gamble’s old position in Philadelphia.
The Jets made a pair of announcements today, naming ex-Bears scout Rex Hogan as their director of college scouting and formally hiring three more position coaches – Jimmie Johnson (TEs coach), Daylon McCutcheon (DBs assistant), and Ryan Slowik (DL assistant) – to Todd Bowles‘ staff.

Coach Notes: 49ers, Browns, Ravens, Broncos

January 28th, 2015 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers and former Bucs assistant Steve Logan have reached a two-year agreement that will make Logan the team’s new quarterbacks coach, according to Jeff Gravley of WRAL-TV (Twitter link). If that is indeed Logan’s new title, it could mean that Geep Chryst, who currently holds the QBs coach job, is in line for a promotion. Chryst has been cited as the most logical in-house candidate for San Francisco’s offensive coordinator vacancy, and with a number of other candidates either being denied permission to interview for the position or choosing not to pursue it, Chryst appears to be one of the few viable candidates left.

While we wait for updates on the 49ers’ coaching situation, let’s round up a few more updates on teams from around the NFL filling their staffs….

Former Jets quarterback Kevin O’Connell, who worked with Johnny Manziel before he was drafted last year, is interviewing for the Browns‘ quarterbacks coach job, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). If Cleveland decides to hire O’Connell, it would seem likely to give Manziel a leg up in the club’s QB competition for 2015.
Former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips is joining the Browns‘ staff as the club’s wide receivers coach, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Ravens have finalized their coaching staff for 2015, hiring and promoting several assistants, the team announced today in a press release.
One departing Ravens coach is Tony Coaxum, who is the latest assistant to head to Denver, according to Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated. Evans tweets that the Broncos have hired Coaxum as an assistant special teams coach.
Although Falcons running backs coach Gerald Brown interviewed with the Raiders, he won’t be heading to Oakland, and ESPN’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link) wouldn’t be surprised if Brown ended up returning to Atlanta.

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