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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.

Pro Football Rumors Features

January 28th, 2015 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Pro Football Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NFL player movement 365 days a year, but those aren’t the only updates you’ll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you’ll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here’s a rundown of a few of them:

  • Using your iOs and Android devices, you can use our app to follow the latest stories on PFR, MLB Trade Rumors, and Hoops Rumors. The Trade Rumors app is highly customizable, allowing you to add feeds for any of the 92 MLB, NBA, and NFL teams, as well as for any of the thousands of players in our archives.
  • With the offseason right around the corner, you can find the full breakdown of 2015 veteran free agents by position using our list, which will be updated throughout the winter and spring.
  • Since the regular season ended, seven teams have let go of their head coaches, and even more than that are making changes at offensive defensive coordinator. For a full breakdown of all the coaching changes within the last month, check out our trackers for head coaching searches and offensive/defensive coordinator searches.
  • Several players figure to receive contract extensions from their respective teams between now and the start of the 2015 free agent period, and we’ve identified a number of potential recipients in our Extension Candidate series, which profiles players eligible for extensions and assesses their value. As the list shows, many of the players we’ve profiled have since had their contracts extended.
  • The NFL isn’t known as a trade-happy league, but by our count, 50 trades were consummated by teams in 2014, and you can find them all on our recap of 2014 NFL trades. Meanwhile, you can keep tabs on traded draft picks for 2015 with our tracker.
  • The Pro Football Rumors glossary highlights a number of aspects of the NFL’s salary cap, free agency, and Collective Bargaining Agreement. Feel free to let us know if there’s a specific concept that you’d like us to discuss in a future Glossary piece.
  • We value your input at PFR, which is why we regularly publish polls and have a regular feature called Pigskin Links, in which we highlight a few interesting recent articles from football blogs. You can find our poll archives here and our Pigskin Links pieces right here.
  • While a handful of our notable articles can be found under the “Featured Posts” section on the right sidebar, the PFR Originals archive rounds up all the original posts from our staff. Recently, we posted the second edition of our 2015 free agent power rankings, looked ahead to 2015’s important offseason dates, and profiled Tamba Hali of the Chiefs as a candidate to be released.

Coach/Exec Notes: Washington, Jets, Raiders

January 27th, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will be joining one of New York’s division rivals, having accepted a job as Washington‘s defensive backs coach, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter). The 49ers also had an offer out to Fewell, and one other suitor may have been in the mix, but staying close to his family in New York was a major factor in the coach’s decision, tweets Dianna Marie Russini of NBC Washington.

Here are a few more Tuesday afternoon items on coaches and front office execs around the league:

  • Reports have suggested for some time that Rams scout Brian Heimerdinger would be joining the Jets‘ front office, and the team has now announced the hiring in a press release. According to the club, Heimerdinger will serve as the director of player personnel under new GM Mike Maccagnan, who previously worked with him in Houston.
  • The Raiders formally announced four new additions to their coaching staff, with three of the names – Bobby Johnson (TE coach), Rob Moore (WR coach), and Bernie Parmalee (RB coach) – having been previously reported. The new name on the list is Tracy Smith, who will be the club’s assistant special teams coach.
  • Asked at Media Day in Arizona if he’d like another shot at becoming a head coach, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said he’d “love to do it again” in the right situation, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes a look at the seven teams that made head coaching changes this offseason and attempts to predict how the new coaches could affect those clubs’ plans in free agency.

NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Suh, Rodgers, Giants

January 24th, 2015 at 11:53am CST by Ben Levine

We checked out ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now switch focus to the NFC…

  • David Newton still believes the Panthers could re-sign Byron Bell, even following the offensive lineman’s subpar season. Even if the 26-year-old proves that he can’t cut it as a starter, the writer believes the former undrafted free agent could still contribute as a depth piece.
  • Michael C. Wright would choose a safety in the first round if he was in charge of the Bears. However, the writer notes that general manager Ryan Pace believes in selecting the best player available, regardless of position.
  • If Ndamukong Suh ultimately leaves Detroit, Michael Rothstein thinks the Lions have the flexibility to move to a 3-4 defensive scheme. If the team decides to stick with a 4-3, then Rothstein suggests the team could look to sign Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton as Suh’s replacement.
  • It’s not necessary for Aaron Rodgers to restructure his contract, writes Rob Demovsky. With more than $18MM in projected cap room, the Packers shouldn’t have an issue retaining free agents such as Randall Cobb.
  • Dan Graziano explores potential cap casualties for the Giants. The writer points to defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka as the most likely to be released, while linebacker Jon Beason and center J.D. Walton are also candidates.
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