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2021 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

By | at January 12, 2021 8:02 pm

This year’s NFL GM carousel figures to be more active than usual. The Falcons, Lions, Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars are all on the hunt for a new front office leader. And that’s only the official list. The real tally shows six clubs looking for a GM, since the Washington Football Team is expected to install a GM to work alongside head coach Ron Rivera. By mid-January, we could easily see a couple more jobs opening up — that’d put ~25% of the NFL on the market.

We’ll keep track of the GM candidates for each club here, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make general manager changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:

Updated 1-19-21 (7:02pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers 

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington Football Team

23 comments Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

WFT Requests Martin Mayhew GM Interview

By | at January 12, 2021 4:46 pm

With Washington having been eliminated, the franchise has moved to its GM interview process. The team has requested a meeting with 49ers VP of player personnel Martin Mayhew, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post tweets.

Mayhew played with Washington in the 1980s and ’90s and rose to a GM position in 2008, taking over the Lions after Matt Millen‘s dismissal. Mayhew held that job until 2015, when the Lions fired him. Mayhew has been with the 49ers since 2017 but was on the radar for the Washington GM job.

Washington has gone without a GM since hiring Ron Rivera a little more than a year ago. But Mayhew joined the likes of ex-Panthers GM Marty Hurney and ex-Texans GM Rick Smith as WFT candidates with GM experience. Smith was on Washington’s radar last year.

Titans VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden also received an interview summons from Washington, according to J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. Cowden also resided on Washington’s GM radar in a search that is now taking shape. Cowden has been with the Titans since 2016. While Cowden has spent the past several years in Tennessee, he worked with Rivera in Carolina as the Panthers’ assistant college scouting director. Both Cowden and Mayhew broke into the personnel ranks around the same time; Cowden became an NFL scout in 2000 and Mayhew joined the Lions as an exec in 2001.

Mayhew was with the Lions throughout Millen’s disastrous tenure, but after taking the GM reins amid the franchise’s 0-16 season, the ex-NFL cornerback helped elevate them back to respectability. Mayhew hired Jim Schwartz and drafted Matthew Stafford in 2009, and Detroit made the playoffs in 2011 and 2014 — coming close to a first-round win in Dallas during the ’14 season. The Lions were also in the 2016 playoffs behind Mayhew hire Jim Caldwell, though the since-fired Bob Quinn was running the team by that point.

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Ryan Kerrigan Wants To Start In 2021

By | at January 12, 2021 9:43 am

After ten years with WFT, Ryan Kerrigan is likely to play elsewhere. Where ever he lands, the veteran wants to be a first-stringer, as Sam Fortier of the Washington Post writes.

“I definitely want to be a starter,” Kerrigan said. “I mean, I think any player would say that. I don’t think anybody just wants to settle for being a role player or a reserve player…I’ve got to really be open-minded to several factors and open-minded to all teams, and that’s kind of what I plan to do. I definitely feel like I’ve still got a lot of ball in me, a lot of good productive years ahead.”

Kerrigan’s playing time went gone down considerably in 2020, ending the year with just 5.5 sacks in 38% of the team’s snaps. He’ll turn 33 in August, but he believes he has a year or two of good football left. It’s hard to see Kerrigan anointed as a starter for an otherwise healthy contender, but there are plenty of teams that could use his veteran guidance.

Kerrigan is Washington’s all-time leader in sacks, but he’ll be happy to get a fresh start. WFT couldn’t find a trade for him before the deadline — now, he’ll get to pick his own club.

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NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/11/21

By | at January 11, 2021 4:59 pm

A long list of reserve/futures contracts to pass along:

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

1 comment Chicago Bears Indianapolis Colts New York Giants Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/21

By | at January 11, 2021 4:36 pm

Today’s minor transactions:

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

0 comments Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transactions Washington Commanders

Washington To Start Taylor Heinicke

By | at January 9, 2021 3:45 pm

Hours after John Wolford‘s initial playoff start, Washington will opt to use its young backup in its postseason opener.

Taylor Heinicke will start for Washington in its home game against Tampa Bay tonight. Alex Smith will be inactive. Heinicke will be the fourth quarterback to start for Washington this season, following Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen and Smith.

With tonight’s game featuring a Heinicke-Tom Brady matchup, it will mark the biggest postseason experience disparity in NFL history. Brady has made 41 playoff starts; Heinicke has made one career regular-season start, doing so for the 2018 Panthers. He replaced an ineffective Haskins in Washington’s Week 16 loss to Carolina, completing 12 of 19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown.

Although Smith returned from a calf injury to start in Washington’s Week 17 game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes the 16th-year veteran struggled to loosen up the injured muscle this week in practice and did not make much progress (Twitter link). Not that anyone would question Smith’s desire to play after what he’s overcome to return to action, but Rapoport describes this as a functionality issue — rather than a pain-tolerance matter — that will keep Smith out tonight (Twitter link).

Smith is essentially a lock to earn Comeback Player of the Year honors. The 36-year-old passer is signed through 2022, though Washington can entertain the notion of moving on from the former No. 1 overall pick without significant cap implications for the first time this coming offseason.

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Minor NFL Transactions: 1/8/21

By | at January 8, 2021 2:47 pm

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves right here:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

1 comment Buffalo Bills COVID-19 Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Rams New Orleans Saints Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transactions Washington Commanders

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/6/21

By | at January 6, 2021 10:22 am

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Kansas City Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

3 comments Baltimore Ravens Kansas City Chiefs San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Transactions Washington Commanders

Alex Smith Expected To Start In Week 17

By | at January 2, 2021 2:53 pm

Washington’s prospects of securing its first playoff berth since 2015 are set to improve. The team is planning to start Alex Smith on Sunday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Smith managed two limited practices this week, but Rapoport notes the 16th-year quarterback is feeling fine going into Washington’s win-and-in Week 17 assignment. Ron Rivera said Smith was close to playing last week. That not coming to pass ended up inducing an organizational shakeup.

Dwayne Haskins is no longer with the franchise, with Washington dropping its Week 16 starter and 2019 first-round pick the morning after he was benched. Haskins is now a free agent. A Washington roster that housed Haskins, Case Keenum and an injured Smith last year is down to just Smith, who underwent 17 surgeries to repair a broken right leg and is attempting to surmount a right calf injury. Taylor Heinicke, who replaced Haskins last week, stands to be Smith’s backup Sunday.

Nearly a lock for Comeback Player of the Year acclaim, Smith has started five games this season. Washington is 4-1 in those contests and 2-8 with Haskins or Kyle Allen starting. Smith, 36, has thrown four touchdown passes and six interceptions while averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. He will, however, face an Eagles defense that will be missing Fletcher Cox and Derek Barnett. Now-eliminated Philly also ruled out Miles Sanders, Dallas Goedert and DeSean Jackson.

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Washington Extends C Chase Roullier

By | at January 2, 2021 1:27 pm

Ahead of the final game of Chase Roullier‘s rookie contract, Washington finalized a deal to keep its center long-term. Roullier is now signed through the 2024 season.

The team announced the fourth-year center’s four-year extension Saturday. He joins right tackle Morgan Moses as WFT blockers signed to veteran deals beyond 2021. Roullier’s deal is worth $40.5MM, $19.5MM of which being guaranteed at signing, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).

Moving into Washington’s starting lineup midway through his rookie season, Roullier took over for previous pivot Spencer Long. Washington found Long in Round 3; the franchise nabbed Roullier in the 2017 sixth round. Roullier has started 52 games, including 15 this season.

This season, Roullier took a step forward. Blocking for four quarterbacks, Roullier has graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 overall center — a noticeable jump from his previous work. This level jump certainly instilled faith in Washington’s new regime. Moses is signed through the 2022 slate. It will now be interesting to see how the Ron Rivera-led operation handles Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, who is finishing up a season on the franchise tag.

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