NFL News

[Mainevent]

Yeah playing bend but don’t break looks a lot better when the front four is destroying the OL and you have two LBs that can cover ground like White and David.

Bowles is usually way more aggressive with blitz schemes but he was absolutely determined not to let Hill and to a lesser extent Kielce beat them.

[froot loops]

Yeah playing bend but don’t break looks a lot better when the front four is destroying the OL and you have two LBs that can cover ground like White and David.

Bowles is usually way more aggressive with blitz schemes but he was absolutely determined not to let Hill and to a lesser extent Kielce beat them.

Yep, it's the kind of defense everyone wants to play but lacks the defensive line to do it. In a perfect world most defensive coordinators would not blitz very much . Every blitzer makes the defense less fundamentally sound.

[Futureshock]

Like Matt Patricia vs. the Falcons.

One big difference, that was consistent with his defense. And every year it got worse.

Since EB's now THE OC and not a clipboard holder that has Reid calling plays, let's recant that this wasn't how his unit usually performs. Nice dig but it's not nearly the same.

If as a HC he could get us to a SB that would be better hen... Let me think.... ANY HC we've ever had.

NE won in spite of FMP's presence.

[Futureshock]

I didn't realize he was signed by KC. He would have been a good player to bring in on the cheap. 😞

Chiefs sign Deandre Baker for 2021

Posted by Josh Alper on February 10, 2021, 6:24 AM EST

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Cornerback Deandre Baker didn’t have much time to show the Chiefs what he can do during the 2020 season, but he’ll get another chance this season.

Baker signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad a few days after armed robbery charges against him were dropped in November. He played seven special teams snaps in Week 15 and then started Week 17 with the Chiefs resting starters. He had five tackles and a sack before breaking his femur.

Despite the injury, the Chiefs signed Baker for the 2021 season on Tuesday. The 2019 Giants first-round pick was released last September after being charged with armed robbery.

“The injury that he had, it was ugly, but he’s gonna be okay,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said last week, via the New York Post. “The femur was fractured, believe it or not, but it was a clean one and it’s gonna heal fine. I kinda like his talent. It was hard to get to know him as a kid in that short of a period of time. I do like his talent. I’m hopeful we can get him back. I’d like to work with him.”

Tight end Evan Baylis, linebacker Omari Cobb, defensive end Austin Edwards, wide receiver Maurice Ffrench, wide receiver Joe Fortson, defensive end Demone Harris, linebacker Emmanuel Smith, center Darryl Williams, and guard Bryan Witzmann also re-signed with the team after time on the practice squad in 2020.

[Futureshock]

Brandon Marshall says Russell Wilson is “beyond frustrated” with Seahawks

Posted by Curtis Crabtree on February 9, 2021, 11:57 PM EST

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Former Seahawks wide receiver Brandon Marshall poured some more gasoline on the fire that has suddenly roared to life involving the Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson’s cohorts behind the scenes, and Wilson himself, have made it clear in recent days that they are not happy with aspects of the relationship with the team he quarterbacked for the last nine seasons. Wilson has said he’s tired of getting hit and sacked. He wants to be more involved in personnel decisions and wanted to have a hand in selecting the team’s new offensive coordinator as well. And Wilson has left open the door of possibility that if he’s not satisfied with the way things move going forward, he could end up elsewhere.

Marshall, meanwhile, indicated the rift between the two sides may be even more significant than Wilson is letting on. In an appearance on First Things First on FOX Sports, Marshall said that Wilson is not happy and, he believes, is trying to find a way to move on from Seattle.

“Russell Wilson is beyond frustrated. I think Russell Wilson is trying to figure out how to move on in a classy way. That’s what I truly believe.,” Marshall said. “… He’s trying to leave the legacy that he did things the right way so other guys can follow that same blueprint. So I think he struggles with how to move on in a classy way, in a way where people can look at him and say you know what, he still did it the right way. Because that’s important for Russ.”

Marshall spent seven games with Seattle in 2018. He caught 11 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown in the final stop of his 13-year career. While his time with the Seahawks was short, Marshall did strike up a relationship with Wilson that makes his comments notable. Marshall said there’s multiple issues at play.

“The problem, and everybody’s talking about it, you got Jason La Canfora talking about ‘Oh, they need to protect him,'” Marshall said. “Well they drafted one guy, one offensive lineman since they had Russell Wilson. They’re always trying to figure out who’s still out there in free agency or who’s the guy that, you know, should have a bounce back year, and they never really go out there and and solidify that offensive line. Now, a lot of people are like well Russell Wilson you’re holding on to the ball a little long. Well, Pete Carroll, the offense that you put in place is we’re going to run on first, we’re going to run on second, and if it’s third and manageable, we’re probably going to run on third down, and then we’re going to take shots. I was there. We had no quick game. There wasn’t an established game outside of Doug Baldwin, and then you had Tyler Lockett where it’s like you had an option route. You either break in, or you break out. That was it. So Russell Wilson, if the deep ball is not there, of course he’s going to hold on to the ball, definitely when you have that type of offensive line in front of you. So that is the problem.”

Marshall’s comments aren’t quite factually accurate when it comes to the offensive line. In the nine years of Wilson’s career, the Seahawks have drafted 15 offensive linemen. Five of those selections have come in the first three rounds of the draft and a second-round pick was included as part of the trade that brought Duane Brown to Seattle from the Houston Texans. And the Seahawks were far from a run-heavy team in 2020. They ran 1,022 offensive plays this season. Wilson had 558 passing attempts, 47 sacks, and 83 rushes. Since Wilson doesn’t have many designed runs anymore, most of those plays were scrambles on called pass plays. That leaves Seattle having about a 66-34 called pass-to-run ratio this season.

So while Marshall’s comments may not be perfectly on the money for what the situation has become in Seattle, if Wilson feels these are real issues that’s still important for the state of the relationship.

Marshall said he thinks the team still doesn’t fully trust Wilson.

“But at the end of the day, you need to decide if you believe in Russ to drop back and throw it 30-40 times, and I don’t think they believe in Russ. Well, actually, I know they don’t believe in Russ because I was there,” Marshall said.

“And I think Russ wants to stay there but he knows that Pete Carroll is going to continue to give him the runaround. You know, when it comes down to the offensive coordinator, did I really have a seat at the table? When it comes down to how we approach our offense, are you going to listen? When it comes to, you know, building around the best player on our team, me, are you going to draft an offensive lineman, a center? Are you going to do those things? And I just think it’s getting to a point where Russ just doesn’t believe.”

There certainly seems to be a fire burning when it comes to Wilson’s relationship to the Seahawks. And if that fire is sufficiently big enough to where it can’t be put out in 2021, it might end up razing the relationship to the ground.

“I think that’s what he needs to do here is tell Pete Carroll exactly what he needs and what he wants. And if the two can’t come to an agreement, then it’s time for Russ to move on,” Marshall said.

[Futureshock]

Reports: Raiders receiving trade interest in Marcus Mariota

Posted by Charean Williams on February 9, 2021, 9:42 PM EST

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A report from TheAthletic.com on Monday indicated the Raiders would rather trade Marcus Mariota than Derek Carr. That was followed by Ian Rapoport of NFL Media on Monday who reports the Raiders are receiving “legitimate and real” trade interest in Mariota.

Mariota has a $10.63 million salary-cap hit, which is what the Raiders can save — with no dead money — if they trade him.

Mariota, 27, played one game for the Raiders last season, a 30-27 loss to the Chargers in Week 15. He went 17-of-28 for 226 yards with a touchdown, while rushing for 88 yards and a score on nine carries in relief of the injured Carr.

The Titans made Mariota the No. 2 overall choice in 2015, and he played five seasons in Tennessee before losing his job to Ryan Tannehill last season. He went 29-32 as a starter, passing for 13,207 yards with 76 touchdowns and 44 interceptions with the Titans.

The Raiders also are getting calls about Carr, according to Rapoport, but Mariota seems the likelier trade candidate. “It didn’t sound like [the Raiders have] hung up the phone, but I don’t get the sense they want to deal [Carr], either,” Rapoport reports.

[Futureshock]

Chiefs place Britt Reid on administrative leave

Posted by Mike Florio on February 9, 2021, 8:04 PM EST

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The Kansas City Chiefs have placed outside linebackers coach Britt Reid on administrative leave.

Reid, the 35-year-old son of head coach Andy Reid, was involved in a Thursday night vehicular crash that injured Reid and two children, one seriously.

“We remain in the process of gathering information on the incident, and we will continue to assist local authorities as requested,” the Chiefs said in a statement, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “Our focus remains on [five-year-old] Ariel Young and her family. We have reached out to the family to offer our support and resources to them during this difficult time, and we will continue to pray for her recovery.”

Britt Reid told police that he had consumed two to three drinks, and that he had taken prescription Adderall. Police noticed a “moderate odor of alcoholic beverages” on Britt Reid, who has been hospitalized and who had surgery.

Because coaches are not protected by a union, both the team and the league can take action against Reid. Coaches have extremely limited rights in response to discipline imposed by the NFL or by their direct employer.

Earlier on Tuesday, police said that a report on the crash will be issued within the next 30 to 60 days. Other questions linger, including whether Britt Reid was drinking alcohol at the team facility, and whether the team knew or should have known about it.

[Futureshock]

Makes me even happier in how the MS trade went down...


The Eagles are quickly losing leverage in the effort to trade Carson Wentz

Posted by Mike Florio on February 9, 2021, 3:50 PM EST

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When trying to trade a player, the leverage for maximizing the return comes from one of two places: Having multiple teams pursuing the trade or persuading one or more teams that the current team will keep the player.

The Eagles seem to be quickly losing both types of leverage, if they ever had either.

The notion that the Bears and Colts are competing for Wentz hasn’t taken root. The rumor of Wentz and a draft pick to the Bears for quarterback Nick Foles, running back Tarik Cohen, and a first-round pick, which came from the Eagles’ sideline reporter for radio broadcasts, feels like an effort to get the Colts to offer more.

Really, why would the Bears want Wentz? More importantly, why would Wentz want the Bears? If Wentz fails in Chicago, he’ll hear it just as quickly and just as loudly as he’s heard it in Philly. And if Wentz fails in Chicago, everyone is getting fired. Wentz shouldn’t want to step into that kind of situation.

The Eagles, who reportedly are grousing that they haven’t gotten a fair offer for Wentz, will have a hard time making the Colts think that the Eagles will keep him. Wentz, by all appearances, wants out. The Eagles, by all appearances, realize that it’s time to move on.

And on the scale of Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff, Wentz lands far closer to Goff when it comes to the value of jettisoning his contract. The Eagles avoid the vesting of more than $40 million in fully-guaranteed pay by trading him in the middle of March. If they were determined to keep him, they would have said so long before momentum built toward a trade.

Reports emanating from the Wentz camp have contributed to that momentum. That keeps the Eagles from getting the most that they can for Wentz.

Two years ago, the Eagles floated the notion that they would tag and trade Nick Foles. When they realized that no one would trade for a franchise-tagged Nick Foles. The Eagles didn’t tag him. In this case, common sense suggests that the Eagles eventually will take what they can get for Wentz.

For now, the Eagles have one obvious suitor. Unless someone joins the Colts at the table, the Eagles will trade Wentz pursuant only to the terms that the Colts will offer.

Or the Eagles will keep him. And they’ll live with the consequences of committing that kind of money to a guy who doesn’t want to be there.

As to Foles, he could still end up back in Philly. Even if the Bears don’t trade for Wentz, they’ll likely try to move on from Foles. In the end, don’t be shocked if the Eagles ship Wentz to Indy, and bring Foles back to Philadelphia for the third time.

[Futureshock]

Russell Wilson on whether he’s available in trade: “That’s a Seahawks question”

Posted by Mike Florio on February 9, 2021, 11:51 AM EST

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Sixteen days ago, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers lit a fuse that, two days later, he scrambled (sort of) to extinguish. On Tuesday morning, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson took a match to a similar pyrotechnic initiating device.

Asked by Dan Patrick whether he’s available in trade, Wilson said this: “I’m not sure if I’m available or not. That’s a Seahawks question.”

At some point, it’s also a Russell Wilson question, because he has a no-trade clause. Still, before that question becomes relevant, the Seahawks have to be willing to move him. For now, that looks unlikely.

Wilson nevertheless believes that the phone has been ringing.

“I definitely believe they’ve gotten calls,” Wilson said regarding potential trade inquiries. “Any time you’re a player that tries to produce every week and has done it consistently, I think people are gonna call for sure. I think that’s part of the process.”

Another part of the process is winning. Wilson wants to do more of it.

“At the end of the day, you want to win,” Wilson said. “You play this game every day to wake up to win. You play this game to be the best in the world. You know what I hate? I hate sitting there watching other guys play the game.”

Wilson presumably prefers to win where he is. If he can’t and/or if the Seahawks won’t do enough to try, Wilson may eventually want to go somewhere else. Somewhere where his opinions on matters like personnel will be heeded.

Like in Tampa, where one of the guys he watched play the game on Sunday won the Super Bowl.

[Futureshock]

Patrick Peterson: Report of parting ways with Cardinals was a “dirty rumor”

Posted by Myles Simmons on February 9, 2021, 11:28 AM EST

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Patrick Peterson has spent the entirety of his 10-year career with the Cardinals, but he’s about to hit free agency for the first time in March.

On Monday morning, a report emerged that the Cardinals and Peterson would part ways “barring a significant change in stances.”

But in his “All Things Covered” podcast released on Tuesday, Peterson dismissed that as nothing more than a “dirty rumor.”

“Honestly, there’s no real update,” Peterson said. “Me and the team haven’t talked anything about contracts, haven’t talked about parting ways. So that’s just what it is, it’s a dirty rumor.”

Peterson has started 154 games for the Cardinals since they selected him at No. 5 overall in the 2011 draft. He has 28 career interceptions and 91 career passes defensed. At age 30 in 2020, he started all 16 games and recorded three interceptions and eight passes defensed.

[Futureshock]

Chad Wheeler’s victim speaks out

Posted by Mike Florio on February 9, 2021, 10:35 AM EST

USA TODAY Sports

Free-agent offensive lineman Chad Wheeler faces domestic violences charges, based on shocking accusations from his former girlfriend, Alleah Taylor.

Last week, Wheeler pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree domestic violence assault, domestic violence unlawful imprisonment and resisting arrest.

Taylor has spoken to CBS This Morning. The full interview debuts on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the show aired a clip of the conversation.

“I had touched my face, and I looked down and there was — there’s blood on my hand,” Taylor tells Jericka Duncan regarding the events after the assault. “And I remember getting up and running to the bathroom. Chad was standing by the bed, by the doorway, and he was sipping his smoothie. And he was, like, ‘Wow, you’re — you’re still alive.’ . . .

“I’m grateful he didn’t grab me in that moment. I was able to run to the bathroom. He went back into the living room to continue eating. I had texted his dad too, and told him that Chad was trying to kill me. And showed him a picture. Chad’s dad called him while he was eating. And while I was in the bathroom. And he answered. And he didn’t have any worry at all, and Chad was, like, ‘I’m just eating dinner. Nothing’s going on.’ And that terrified me.”

Although the Seahawks moved quickly to end their relationship with Wheeler, the league has taken no action. That has frustrated some players, who believe that the NFL should dispense swift, sudden, and decisive justice against Wheeler.

[Futureshock]

2021 NFL TRANSACTIONS TRACKER

Nick Mensio keeps track of every offseason move for all 32 teams.

DETROIT LIONS


Coaching/Front Office Moves: Hired GM Brad Holmes, coach Dan Campbell, OC Anthony Lynn, and DC Aaron Glenn.



Reserve/Future Contracts: WR Victor Bolden, OG Evan Brown, DB Jalen Elliott, DB Godwin Igwebuike, WR Tom Kennedy, DE Robert McCray, LB Anthony Pittman, TE Hunter Thedford, K Matthew Wright



1/30/2021: Acquired QB Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick, 2022 first-round pick, and 2023 first-round pick from the Rams in exchange for QB Matthew Stafford.

[Futureshock]

Extra Points: Murray, Njoku, Contracts


February 9th, 2021 at 1:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Before he was the first overall pick of the Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft, Kyler Murray was the ninth overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s. Then he went on to win the Heisman Trophy, causing him to rocket up NFL draft boards. Even after winning the Heisman Murray initially was reported to be pursuing baseball over football, but obviously that changed when it became clear just how high he’d be drafted. We haven’t heard a ton about his baseball passions since, but he made it clear he isn’t over the game in interviews this past week. “I would love to” play baseball again one day Murray said on The Pat McAfee Show, via Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic. “I think it’s still there because I’ve been doing it my whole life. It wasn’t like I have to turn this off to be elite at football.”

When asked if he could see himself playing football and baseball at the same time one day soon, Murray said “I hope so. I hope so. I mean, I would love to. I think that would be good for everybody … I think it is tough because I play quarterback.” He also added that walking away from Oakland was “definitely the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.” The Cardinals likely aren’t as enthused about the possibility, and it’s specifically in his contract that he’s not allowed to play baseball. Maybe when it comes time for Murray to get a contract extension from Arizona, he’ll look to negotiate a clause that allows him to try his hand at baseball? It’s certainly fun to think about, and I think every fan would be hoping he can become the next Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders.

Here’s more from around the league as we officially turn our attention toward the offseason:

• David Njoku had a rocky season with the Browns, even as the team had their most success in decades. The drafting of Harrison Bryant and signing of Austin Hooper reduced his role on offense, and Njoku demanded to be traded this past summer, then changed his mind on that demand, then apparently changed his mind once again and wanted to be traded in October. Obviously Cleveland didn’t want to deal him, and it looked like everything had more or less been worked out, but Njoku fanned the flames again this past week. “That’s a good question,” Njoku said recently on the Jim Rome Show when asked if he’s in the right spot, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m not going to answer that right now. I have no comment towards that at this moment,” Njoku said cryptically. The 29th overall pick of the 2017 draft added that everything would work itself out in the “near future.” Thanks to his fifth-year option the tight end is under contract for 2021 at a hair over $6MM, although that’s not guaranteed. If they choose to keep him at that number, it sounds like another trade request could be in the cards.
• Reserve/futures deals are non-guaranteed pacts to keep unheralded players a part of a team’s offseason 90-man roster, so they usually don’t come with any bonuses or guaranteed money. When they do, that makes them a lot more notable, and Field Yates of ESPN.com recently tweeted out this cycle’s biggest. Cornerback Grant Haley got $35.7K from the Saints, safety Marqui Christian and cornerback Xavier Crawford got $35K and $31.3K respectively from the Bears, long snapper Dan Godsil got $27.4K from the Bengals, and tight end Tyree Jackson got $25.2K from the Eagles while punter Arryn Siposs got $25K from Philly. All these guys would seem to have a better than normal chance of cracking next year’s 53. Haley saw a lot of run his first two years in the league with the Giants, and was up and down from New Orleans’ practice squad in 2020. If Cincy is giving a reserve/futures long snapper $25K, you’ve gotta figure they think there’s a good chance he’s their guy next year. Jackson is a notable name since he’s the former University of Buffalo star quarterback who has since transitioned to tight end.
• Speaking of relatively minor contracts, Yates also tweeted the details for the recent extensions for Raiders quarterback Nathan Peterman and 49ers long snapper Taybor Pepper. Peterman got a guaranteed $1MM base salary on his one-year deal, a $25K workout bonus, and a max value of $2.775MM with incentives. Pepper got two-years, $2.08MM with an $80K signing bonus and $220K of his $920K salary for 2021 guaranteed. It’s pretty eyebrow-raising to see Peterman get his $1MM guaranteed considering he’s thrown all of five passes the past two seasons, but Jon Gruden clearly loves the guy. This would suggest he’s got a good shot to hold the clipboard for Derek Carr, or whoever is the Raiders’ starter next year.

[-Deborah-]

Chad Wheeler’s victim speaks out

Posted by Mike Florio on February 9, 2021, 10:35 AM EST

USA TODAY Sports

Free-agent offensive lineman Chad Wheeler faces domestic violences charges, based on shocking accusations from his former girlfriend, Alleah Taylor.

Last week, Wheeler pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree domestic violence assault, domestic violence unlawful imprisonment and resisting arrest.

Taylor has spoken to CBS This Morning. The full interview debuts on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the show aired a clip of the conversation.

“I had touched my face, and I looked down and there was — there’s blood on my hand,” Taylor tells Jericka Duncan regarding the events after the assault. “And I remember getting up and running to the bathroom. Chad was standing by the bed, by the doorway, and he was sipping his smoothie. And he was, like, ‘Wow, you’re — you’re still alive.’ . . .

“I’m grateful he didn’t grab me in that moment. I was able to run to the bathroom. He went back into the living room to continue eating. I had texted his dad too, and told him that Chad was trying to kill me. And showed him a picture. Chad’s dad called him while he was eating. And while I was in the bathroom. And he answered. And he didn’t have any worry at all, and Chad was, like, ‘I’m just eating dinner. Nothing’s going on.’ And that terrified me.”

Although the Seahawks moved quickly to end their relationship with Wheeler, the league has taken no action. That has frustrated some players, who believe that the NFL should dispense swift, sudden, and decisive justice against Wheeler.

Wow.

[The King]

Pete Carroll is sort of the Jim Harbaugh of the NFL. I think the game has passed him by. They were rolling when Russ was cooking, then he decided to run the ball and it was like an instant tank.