NFL News

[Mainevent]

Well looks like the Texans are looking to hire . . . . Lovie Smith?!? Out of the NFL for 6 years and fresh off a 5 year stretch at Illinois that was not good. His run with the Bears was solid, with the one SB run, but that ended a decade ago. This has echoes of the Caldwell hire, trying to get a level of professional competence in the door. But just a weird choice with a guy out of the league for so long.

EDIT: My mistake, apparently he was with the Texans as DC last year - shows how much Texans football I watched.

[Nick Pappageorgio]

And part of any committee would include a discussion of the experience both qualitative and quantitatively.

This doesn’t mean HC experience is necessary required….but a committee would help focus what and owner is looking for. Xs and Os guy/manager, more/less HC experience, authoritarian/loose, communicator/cranky bastard….there can be a million different valid ways that you can evaluate/prioritize what you want. And that’s not to say attitudes can’t change as different guys interview….but it’s a discussion and above board.

What doesn’t get through the crack here is: “Let’s hire Josh McCown…I remember him, he’s a great guy”. Like Froot said…One of these things is not like the others.

And none of this is to say that McCown can’t/won’t be a great coach…backup QBs are like catchers….but he needs a more entry-level position.

[JGSpartan]

Making Illinois successful is certainly a very tall order so I'm not sure I'd hold that against him. Certainly a better candidate than McCown.

The lack of minority Coordinators to pick from is what they are trying to fix with the comp picks going to teams who lose a minority coach to a GM or HC job. My pessimism thinks it will fall short of the goal but I think it has a better chance at making an impact than the Rooney rule.

[edindetroit]

[Futureshock]

Ok. WTF was that yesterday? Touch???!!!! They might as well just take pictures and do a Madden Tournament. What a frickin disgrace. I'll never watch another. IDGAF if it is populated with all Lions players.

(I almost typed "populated with Lions... I would definitely watch that.)

[Futureshock]

OK


Kyler Murray unfollows Cardinals on social media

Posted by Charean Williams on February 7, 2022, 3:10 PM EST

Getty Images

Kyler Murray has not publicly expressed any displeasure with the Cardinals. Yet, the Pro Bowl quarterback unfollowed the Cardinals on Instagram and Twitter.

Johnny Venerable of PHNX Cardinals first pointed out the change to Murray’s social media accounts on Monday. Murray also deleted Cardinals’ related photos from his accounts.

Murray’s motivation is unclear.

He talked to a team beat reporter last week before the Pro Bowl about the need for the team, individually and collectively, to “just get better.”

Murray, who has made his second Pro Bowl, is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. The Cardinals have until May to decide whether to exercise the fifth-year option on his contract if they don’t sign him to an extension before then.

Murray always has baseball to use as leverage.

The Athletics gave him a $4.6 million deal after making him the ninth overall choice in the Major League Baseball draft. But after winning the Heisman Trophy and becoming a top NFL prospect his senior season, Murray opted to play football and returned the signing bonus after the Cardinals made him the No. 1 overall choice.

Murray has not won a playoff game in his three seasons.

The Cardinals were blown out by the Rams 34-11 in the wild card round of the 2021 postseason as Murray had the worst game of his career. He had a 40.9 passer rating in completing 19 of 34 passes for 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

[Futureshock]

Texans choose Lovie Smith as their next head coach

Posted by Michael David Smith on February 7, 2022, 3:06 PM EST

Getty Images

The Texans have their man: Lovie Smith.

Smith will officially become the head coach of the Texans today, PFT has confirmed.

The Texans’ coaching search has not reflected well on the team’s decision-making. After firing David Culley, they went through a process that appeared to be focused on handing the job to former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, who has never coached outside some volunteer work with high schoolers. When that didn’t pan out, various reports named several other coaches the Texans were supposedly showing interest in, but they ended up settling on Smith, who was Culley’s associate head coach and defensive coordinator last year.

Smith has had two previous stints as an NFL head coach, finding his greatest success in 2006 with the Bears, when he took them to the Super Bowl. But he never replicated that success and was fired after the 2012 season. He then had a two-year stint with the Buccaneers in which he won only eight games, and most recently spent five seasons as head coach at Illinois, never having a winning record.

The 63-year-old Smith has an uphill climb ahead of him on a struggling Texans franchise, but Houston hopes he can provide a steady hand in a rebuilding project.

[Futureshock]

He's "qualified" But there's coaches better IMO. I hope to heck they didn't glom to him as a AA candidate.

[Futureshock]

Outside of Lions' ex-HCs, ex-Patriots fall hard. Yikes!


Report: Raiders interested in Joe Judge for special teams coordinator

Posted by Myles Simmons on February 7, 2022, 1:55 PM EST

Getty Images

After hiring Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels may also add Graham’s former boss on his first Raiders staff.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Las Vegas has an interest in adding ex-Giants head coach Joe Judge as special teams coordinator.

Fowler adds that Judge is staying patient in evaluating his coaching opportunities, so it may not happen.

McDaniels and Judge worked alongside McDaniels in New England from 2012-2019. Judge was first a special teams assistant before he was promoted to special teams coordinator in 2015. He added wide receivers coach to his title in 2019, the year before he was hired as New York’s head coach.

Judge compiled a 10-23 record as the Giants head coach over the last two seasons. New York appeared prepared to keep Judge for 2022 but that changed in the last few weeks of the 2021 season.

[Futureshock]

He just becomes more and more likable...



Joe Burrow tells young athletes: Work hard in silence, don’t put it all on social media

Posted by Michael David Smith on February 7, 2022, 1:31 PM EST

Getty Images

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow wants young athletes to know that social media is not the way they should be spending their time.

Burrow was asked today what he would tell young players they should do if they want to be in the Super Bowl some day, and he said it’s about what you’re doing when no one else is watching, not what you’re trying to broadcast to the world.

“Focus on getting better,” Burrow said. “Don’t have a workout and post it on Instagram the next day and then go sit on your butt the next day and everyone thinks you’re working hard but you’re not. Work in silence. Don’t show anyone what you’re doing. Let your performance on Friday nights and Saturday nights and Sunday nights show all the hard work you put in. Don’t worry about all that social media stuff.”

Burrow isn’t opposed to social media altogether — he’ll post maybe once a week to his 2.4 million Instagram followers, but Burrow knows that what really counts is what he’s doing at all the times the fans don’t see.

[Futureshock]

106.7 The Fan got it right with its report regarding the Washington investigation

Posted by Mike Florio on February 7, 2022, 11:30 AM EST

Getty Images

Last March, a D.C. radio station dropped a bomb regarding the then-ongoing Washington Commanders workplace investigation. Given recent developments, it’s a report worth revisiting — and amplifying.

On March 5, 2021, the station’s long-time morning show, The Sports Junkies, reported that they had received a portion of a written report prepared by attorney Beth Wilkinson. The report included a recommendation that the league “force the owner to divest his ownership of the team.”

The NFL quickly mobilized, calling the report “absolutely false” and contending that the league has “received no such report.” That part was accurate; as we have since learned, the league never received a written report, because the league didn’t want a written report. In the end, Commissioner Roger Goodell received an oral report from Wilkinson.

The recommendation of a forced sale arose not just from the allegations made against Daniel Snyder, but also from the way he handled the investigation.

“She was recommending this to Goodell mainly because of the coverup and lack of integrity throughout the internal investigations,” Jason Bishop of 106.7 The Fan said at the time. “Apparently [Snyder] was trying to persuade or instruct other employees not to talk to Wilkinson’s firm about what they were investigating. So there was the coverup right there. And once she reported back to Goodell that this was happening, that’s why she’s recommending he needs to go, because of the coverup.”

The station ultimately issued a correction, explaining that the report it received had not yet been sent to the league. Again, the report was never sent to the league. The NFL didn’t want anything in writing to be sent to 345 Park Avenue. Once the league had such a document, it would have become nearly impossible for the league to continue to conceal it.

Still, there’s no reason to dispute the accuracy or authenticity of the document that was obtained by 106.7 The Fan. Wilkinson clearly had prepared a written report (regardless of whether the league ultimately said “no thanks” when she offered to send it), and someone got their hands on a piece of it and sent it to the station.

It’s an important wrinkle to consider as the controversy continues to percolate in Congress. Nearly a year ago, 106.7 The Fan credibly reported that Wilkinson concluded based on her investigation that Snyder must go. Hopefully, someone with the authority, ability, and will to make that piece of information official and public will do so.

[Futureshock]

Mac Jones: Josh McDaniels will do a great job as Raiders coach

Posted by Myles Simmons on February 7, 2022, 9:06 AM EST

Getty Images

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had a solid rookie year, helping lead the Patriots to the postseason.

But Jones will have a different offensive coordinator and position coach for 2022 after Josh McDaniels left New England to become Las Vegas’ head coach. McDaniels also hired Patriots’ quality control/quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree to be the Raiders’ QBs coach.

At the Pro Bowl, Jones said McDaniels helped him with all the ins and outs of being a quarterback.

“He’s a great offensive mind. He does a great job of coaching everybody from the linemen to the skill players,” Jones said, via Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “He deserves the job, and he’s going to do a great job.”

Jones added he wished the Patriots could keep both McDaniels and Hardegree.

But it’s likely McDaniels’ work with Jones as a rookie that helped pump up McDaniels’ candidacy to be a head coach this offseason.

Jones completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 17 regular-season games.

[Futureshock]

Alvin Kamara is arrested in Las Vegas for battery resulting in substantial bodily harm

Posted by Mike Florio on February 6, 2022, 10:29 PM EST

Getty Images

Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been arrested in Las Vegas, following Sunday’s Pro Bowl.

The Las Vegas Police Department has announced that Kamara was taken into custody after a person at a local hospital alleged that the person had been battered at a night club in South Las Vegas.

The incident allegedly happened on Saturday. The victim identified Kamara as the assailant.

Kamara was booked for battery resulting in substantial bodily harm. Beyond any potential criminal penalties, Kamara will face potential discipline from the NFL under the Personal Conduct Policy.

[Futureshock]

Qualified

Dolphins announce deal with Mike McDaniel

Posted by Charean Williams on February 6, 2022, 9:17 PM EST

Getty Images

It’s official: The Dolphins announced they have agreed to terms with Mike McDaniel to make the former 49ers offensive coordinator their new head coach.

McDaniel and Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore were finalists for the job, with both interviewing over the past two days.

It took the team nearly a month to find a new coach, having fired Brian Flores on Jan. 10.

McDaniel, who identifies himself as multiracial, becomes the fourth minority head coach in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin is the only Black head coach. Commanders coach Ron Rivera and Jets coach Robert Saleh are the other minority head coaches in the league.

The 49ers will receive two third-round draft selections — one in 2022 and one in 2023, as compensation under the Rooney Rule for developing a minority assistant coach.

McDaniel has spent much of his career working for Kyle Shanahan. He was a Texans offensive assistant from 2006-08 and an offensive assistant under Shanahan in Washington from 2011-2012 before becoming receivers coach in 2013. He followed Shanahan to the Browns in 2014 as the team’s receivers coach. Then, he was an offensive assistant for Shanahan from 2015-16 in Atlanta before becoming the 49ers run game coordinator when Shanahan became San Francisco’s head coach.

The Texans and Saints are the two remaining teams with head coaching vacancies.

[Futureshock]

My favorite hire. He got a raw deal in Philly


Trevor Lawrence on Doug Pederson: Everyone’s really relieved we got our guy

Posted by Josh Alper on February 6, 2022, 3:01 PM EST

Getty Images

Doug Pederson said on Saturday that quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s presence was a big reason why he agreed to a deal to become the Jaguars head coach and the quarterback had a chance to weigh in on Pederson’s hiring on Saturday.

Among his reactions was excitement about the fact that Pederson played quarterback in the NFL. Lawrence noted that Pederson “sees it through my lens more so than a lot of coaches that haven’t played the position” and he’s looking forward to seeing what that will bring to his game.

Lawrence said that there’s also a feeling of relief in the organization to have Pederson in place after all of the Urban Meyer drama during the regular season and the search for Meyer’s replacement.

“We’re really excited, obviously I talked to him briefly on the phone, I guess that was Thursday night, and then today, first time meeting him in person, just seems like a really great guy,” Lawrence said, via Ashlyn Sullivan of the team’s website. “Obviously, he’s had a lot of success. His resume kind of speaks for itself. He’s an offensive guy, played quarterback in the NFL. All of those things make me really excited, and it’s something that I’m just excited to get to work with him and see what he brings to the table. I think everybody’s excited, everybody’s really relieved we got our guy. To be able to move forward and just go to work now is a good feeling.”

Lawrence’s rookie season wasn’t quite as prolific as some expected, but he closed out the year with his best performance in a Week 18 win over the Colts and the hope is that an offseason working with Pederson leads to a major leap forward in his second season.