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NFC East Notes: Redskins, Eagles

February 8th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Rob DiRe

Redskins‘ new head coach Jay Gruden utilized multiple tight end sets with the Bengals, with both Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert providing big receiving threats for the offense. Last season, the Redskins found a potential star in Jordan Reed, and could benefit from another receiving threat to pair with him at the position, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Unfortunately, both Tandler and his colleague Tarik El-Bashir agree that it is unlikely that the Redskins can afford to invest either a high draft pick or a significant amount of their cap dollars to find a second tight end. Here are some other notes from the NFC East:

  • Safety will also be a big area of need for the Redskins, with Brandon Meriweather and Reed Doughty hitting free agency, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Without a backup in place that the team can be confident in, the Redskins may have to look to free agency to fill out the secondary. Chris Clemons (Dolphins) or Michael Mitchell (Panthers) could be cost effective solutions. Otherwise, Washington will have to look to the draft. Without a first round pick due to the Robert Griffin III trade, Keim believes they could target Jimmy Ward of Northern Illinois in the second or third round.
  • The Eagles are estimated to have approximately $20MM in cap space this offseason, leaving them in position to make a splash in free agency. Two intriguing options could be Jason Worilds (Steelers) and T.J. Ward (Browns), writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. He writes that if the Steelers keep LaMarr Woodley, then Worilds would most likely be available and could be a great fit for the Eagles across from Connor Barwin. According to Mosher, even with the cap space, Ward will probably be too expensive to bring in.
  • The Eagles are moving forward with a defensive line built around Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton, and Bennie Logan, and while Mosher doubts they would add a big name to their line, he would not rule it out completely. He does not think the Eagles would bring in a veteran player as a starter, but if the team thought a young lineman such as B.J. Raji could be a game-changer, they might be willing to spend some money to acquire him.

 

Coaching Notes: Browns, Vikings, Bills

February 6th, 2014 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of teams announced new coaches today, and while many of them had been previously reported, there were some new names in the bunch. Let’s dive in and check out the latest on three teams still looking for their first Super Bowl win….

  • Mike Pettine and the Browns officially announced 11 assistants who will part of the overhauled coaching staff in Cleveland for 2014, according to a team release. The Browns’ staff includes running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery and wide receivers coach Mike McDaniel, who came over from the Ravens and Redskins respectively.
  • The Vikings finalized their coaching staff for 2014, formally announcing the list of names on their website. While there are bigger names on the staff, including offensive coordinator Norv Turner, the presence of Mike Priefer is noteworthy. Priefer, who returns as the club’s special teams coordinator, was at the center of allegations made by Chris Kluwe, stemming from Kluwe’s release by the club.
  • Rob Moore has joined the Bills‘ coaching staff as the team’s wide receivers coach, the club announced in a press release. Moore will be entering the NFL coaching ranks for the first time after spending the last four years as the receivers coach at Syracuse.

AFC Notes: Texans, Chargers, Dolphins, Pats

February 5th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Texans‘ head coach Bill O’Brien has been very quiet since getting the top job in Houston, but has finally announced the 16 assistant coaches he has hired to fill out the coaching staff, according to HoustonTexans.com. The new hires are highlighted by his new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who held that same post with the Patriots during their three Super Bowls from 2001-2004, and new director of football research Jim Bernhardt, who was O’Brien’s special assistant to the head coach and director of player development at Penn State. The hires that were not made may have been just as important, as the team retained special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky, and notably O’Brien decided not to hire an offensive coordinator. Here are some other news items from across the AFC:

  • The Chargers have decided not to opt out of their lease with Qualcomm Stadium, reports Ricky Henne of Chargers.com. The team will play its home games there in 2014, while the organization continues to explore stadium solutions in San Diego.
  • It is no secret that the Dolphins plan to move on from the Richie Incognito–Jonathan Martin controversy, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. However, while Incognito is a free agent, Martin will not be as simple to let go. The Dolphins would like to trade him, but they know if they cannot find a deal that they will have to release him for nothing. Unfortunately, the rest of the league knows that as well, and other franchises might be content to wait until Martin is released.
  • The Patriots have exercised the franchise tag eight times since the 2002 offseason, writes Christopher Price of WEEI.com. The two impending free agents that would be most likely to receive the tag are Aqib Talib and Julian Edelman. However, placing the tag on either player would result in a one-year-deal worth over $11MM. The Patriots are more likely to either use it to keep the player from hitting free agency while they negotiate a long-term contract, or possibly not use it at all for the second consecutive year.

Ravens Notes: Draft, Coaches, Free Agency

February 5th, 2014 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

After some initial confusion, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley has received confirmation from the NFL that the Ravens are eligible to receive a compensatory pick in the 2014 draft after losing Ed Reed in free agency. Reed’s 10+ years of experience and the fact that the Texans released him during the season complicated the issue somewhat, but Baltimore can still land a pick for the veteran safety, albeit not one higher than a fifth-rounder. As Hensley writes, the Ravens could receive up to a league-maximum four compensatory picks when those selections are announced at the owner’s meetings next month.

Here’s more on the Ravens:

  • Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun provides the Ravens with a to-do list to complete before free agency begins. Zrebiec’s list for the Ravens includes finalizing the coaching staff, creating additional cap room, re-signing their own free agents, and perhaps using the franchise tag.
  • Speaking of finalizing the coaching staff, a report from CoachingSearch.com indicates that the team will hire Wisconsin running backs coach Thomas Hammock to coach its RBs. Meanwhile, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens are eyeing Pitt wide receivers coach Bobby Engram as a possible replacement for Jim Hostler. Wilson adds that in both cases, Baltimore has been primarily considering up-and-coming college coaches for the openings.
  • Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com explores whether the Ravens might turn to free agency to add a wide receiver this offseason.

Extra Points: Packers, Muamba, Polian

February 3rd, 2014 at 10:45pm CST by David Kipke

Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette thinks that the Packers will be forced to lean heavily on a cadre of young defensive lineman that will step into starting roles next season. Defensive linemen Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, and Jerel Worthy will likely replace departing free agents B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, and Johnny Jolly on the defensive front of the Packers’ base 3-4 defense. Defensive line coach Mike Trgovac expects Jones and Worthy to mimic Daniels’ 2013 campaign with breakout performances next year.

A few more Monday night notes:

NFC Notes: Lions, Bucs, Falcons, Eagles

February 3rd, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With Super Bowl XLVIII now comfortably in our rear-view mirrors, let’s round up a few Monday updates from around the NFC….

  • The Lions will have to clear significant money from their books over the next few weeks in order to get under the cap for 2014 and make room for draft picks, says Justin Rogers of MLive.com. In examining the team’s possible options, Rogers notes that Detroit could save about $5.5MM by releasing receiver Nate Burleson and another $5.5MM or so by cutting safety Louis Delmas.
  • A weekend report suggested that the Buccaneers are among the teams that will have interest in Michael Vick in free agency this offseason, but Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com isn’t convinced that signing Vick would be the right move for Tampa Bay.
  • In a pair of pieces for ESPN.com, Vaughn McClure examines the role that new assistant GM Scott Pioli will have in Atlanta this offseason, and looks into how the Falcons may try to replace Tony Gonzalez at tight end.
  • Tim McManus and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com discuss the Eagles‘ defensive line situation, disagreeing slightly on how strong a priority it should be this offseason.
  • Wide receiver, cornerback, and center figure to be areas of focus in the draft for the 49ers, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, who names a few potential targets at each of those positions.

Following Specific Players On PFR

February 3rd, 2014 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

As we’ve outlined before, there are a number of different ways to follow Pro Football Rumors via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and RSS. If you don’t want to follow all the site’s updates, you can subscribe to team-specific or transaction-only Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. Although we don’t have Facebook pages or Twitter feeds for specific players, it’s easy to follow all our updates on your favorite player.

If, for instance, you want to keep track of all the latest news and rumors on Eric Decker as he approaches free agency, you can visit this page. If you’re interested in keeping tabs on the latest trade rumors involving Kirk Cousins, you can find Cousins’ page right here. In addition to players, we also maintain archives for certain specific topics. For example, all our posts relating to the 2014 NFL draft can be found here.

Every player we’ve written about has his own rumors page, and each of those players also has his own RSS feed, making it even easier to follow the latest updates. Links to RSS feeds for specific players are all located on this page. You can also find links to RSS feeds for various miscellaneous categories there. For instance, if you only want to receive one update every Sunday recapping the week’s notable headlines, you can subscribe to our Week in Review RSS feed, right here.

Seahawks Notes: Wilson, Roster, Salary Cap

February 3rd, 2014 at 10:36am CST by Luke Adams

A day after securing the first championship in franchise history, the Seahawks opened as the odds-on favorites to win next year’s Super Bowl. According to website Bovada.lv, Seattle currently has 9/2 odds to repeat as NFL champions next season, while the 49ers rank second at 15/2 and the Broncos place third at 8/1. Here’s more on the champs:

  • Since Russell Wilson still has a cheap cap number for two more years, GM John Schneider is in a great spot to keep adding complementary players around him, or at least to keep the current core intact, writes ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. “Obviously, we feel like we have a really strong foundation,” Schneider said. “Every team’s looking for a great pass rush, a great quarterback and a strong runner like Marshawn [Lynch].”
  • Adam Schefter of ESPN.com agrees that the Seahawks have a bright future, suggesting that the club is “very well-positioned” to keep its important players under contract going forward.
  • In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Mike Sando takes a look at the keys for the Seahawks if they want this Super Bowl win to be the start of a dynasty. In Sando’s view, Seattle’s priorities should include developing the passing game, improving the offensive line, extending the right players, and keeping the draft pipeline open.
  • Taking into account tenders for restricted free agents and exclusive rights players, the Seahawks currently project to be about $4MM above the anticipated salary cap for 2014, according to cap expert Joel Corry (via Twitter). Teams have until March 11 to get under the cap for the ’14 season.

Potential QB Options For Browns

February 1st, 2014 at 3:39pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Browns’ 2013 season was highlighted by the rise of Josh Gordon and an improving defense, but with a 4-12 record, there is still plenty of work to be done with this roster. The most glaring problem was the lack of consistent quarterback play. The Browns, with two first round draft picks and a new coaching staff, are in a great position to explore a variety of options to improve the position in 2014.

On the Roster:
 Brandon Weeden‘s first two seasons have been considered a disappointment, considering he was a first-round-pick who will be 31 years old this season. Brian Hoyer showed some promise in two games before losing his season to a torn ACL, although after five years as mostly a backup, he has not done enough to warrant a long term commitment. Jason Campbell had some ups and downs given the chance to start, but at this point in his career he is more qualified to be a veteran backup than a starter on a rebuilding team. All three are under contract for 2014, but the organization has given the perception that they would like to move on from Weeden, and even if they decided to start the season with Hoyer (or even Campbell), it would be as a stopgap at best, unless proven otherwise.

In the Draft:
With three big names at quarterback being talked about as options at the top of the draft, the Browns hope to have a chance to draft a signal-caller with the fourth overall pick. The team is reportedly very high on Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel, with speculation that if he is on the board, Cleveland would most likely take him. Of course that depends on what happens in front of them, where the Texans and Jaguars are both also looking for quarterback help, and the Rams potentially willing to move out of the second overall pick, presumably for a team trying to jump up and potentially grab one of the star passers. Depending on how the draft unfolds, and the Browns’ assessment of the other big names at quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville and Blake Bortles of UCF, the future of the team could be decided on draft day.

The Browns also own the 26th overall pick, acquired from the Colts in the Trent Richardson trade. This only increases their options. It gives them the extra ammo to move up in front of the Jaguars if they target a quarterback they want. It also allows them to fill another position at the top of the draft, and look at the next tier of quarterbacks with their later pick. Options there would be Derek Carr of Fresno State, A.J. Macarron of Alabama, and Zach Mettenberger of LSU. If they wait until a later round, they will still have notable names such as Clemson’s Tajh Boyd, San Jose State’s David Fales or Georgia’s Aaron Murray, among others.

In Free Agency:
If the Browns are looking for a quick fix, they could pursue one of the likely cap casualties from around the league. Michael Vick is not likely to return to Philadelphia, but is committed to finding a new home as a starting quarterback. If the Texans proceed to draft a quarterback first overall, as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle believes (via Twitter), then Matt Schaub would also be an available option for the quarterback starved Browns. Also, with a large cap hit and the emergence of Geno Smith as the starter, Mark Sanchez may find himself looking for work this offseason. All three of these options would represent a lateral move for the Browns, but could give them time to develop a younger quarterback should they pass on the more highly touted options at the top of the draft.

Via Trade:
In a less likely scenario, the Browns could look to trade for a backup currently on another roster. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweeted a link to an article his old colleague Mike Lombardi wrote in 2012. In the article, Lombardi praised the job that Kyle Shanahan did with the Redskins in Robert Griffin III‘s first season, and how impressed he was that Shanahan got production out of not one but two rookie quarterbacks that season, saying that a team that hires Shanahan should look to pair him with Kirk Cousins. Now, Lombardi is the Browns’ general manager and the team just hired Shanahan as the offensive coordinator, making Cousins an intriguing option.

Falcons Need To Upgrade Right Guard

February 1st, 2014 at 1:54pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Falcons’ offensive line is in major need of an upgrade following a disappointing 2013 campaign, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. As a team, the Falcons allowed franchise quarterback Matt Ryan be sacked 44 times last season, which tied them for the tenth most in the NFL, according to NFL.com.

While the Falcons moved second year offensive lineman Peter Konz from center to guard due to his struggles, the team would prefer to move him back to his natural position of center. Garrett Reynolds and Harland Gunn also had time at right guard, though neither is set up to be the long term answer at the position.

McClure does provide a few options the Falcons could pursue in free agency that could sure up the unit in 2014:

  1. Zane Beadles – Beadles will be starting at guard in the Super Bowl tomorrow for the Broncos, but is set to hit free agency this offseason looking for a long term deal. The 27-year-old Pro Bowl talent has played left guard and right tackle in his NFL career, after playing left tackle in college at Utah. His versatility makes him a great fit on an offensive line that is rebuilding. While the Broncos are expected to try and re-sign him, if he hits the market at a reasonable price, McClure thinks the Falcons might make a run at him.
  2. Jon Asamoah – Asamoah was a big part of the Chiefs’ success this year, paving the way for Jamaal Charles big season. However, the cap-strapped Chiefs will have to make some difficult decisions on which of their free agents to retain. If the 25-year-old Asamoah reaches the market, Falcons’ general manager Scott Pioli (who drafted Asamoah in 2010) could make him a long term solution at guard.
  3. Willie Colon – While Colon is not necessarily a long term solution, if the Jets draft a guard they may release the 30-year-old lineman. McClure notes that new Falcons’ offensive line coach Mike Tice lobbied hard for Colon to join the Bears last season, before the former Steeler decided to join Rex Ryan and the Jets, but if Tice pushes for his services again it is possible that the Falcons use him as a stopgap on a short term contract.
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