NFL News

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Calais Campbell: Falcons where I felt I could have most impact on and off field

Posted by Josh Alper on March 30, 2023, 7:28 AM EDT

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Veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell became the latest free agent to agree to a contract with the Falcons when he struck a deal with the team on Wednesday and he’ll be part of a defense with a lot of new faces when he gets on the field later this year.

The opportunity to be part of that unit wasn’t the only thing that drew Campbell to Atlanta, however. He also drew interest from teams like the Jets, Bills, and Jaguars since free agency opened, but the former NFL Man of the Year said that extracurricular interests helped him settle on joining the Falcons.

“The Jets made a strong offer as well,” Campbell said to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. “It really came down to where I felt like I could have the biggest impact both on and off the field.”

With Aaron Rodgers expected to be a Jet at some point in the future, the prospect of on-field success might seem higher in other places but the NFC South looks wide open at this point and Campbell is likely hoping that his arrival can help his new team get a leg up on the competition.

[Futureshock]

Some of you thought it was our lovable Leos, didn't ya....
Jets now have the longest playoff drought in the four major sports leagues

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 30, 2023, 5:03 AM EDT

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The Sacramento Kings clinched an NBA playoff berth for the first time in 16 years on Wednesday night, and that gave the Jets a dubious distinction.

The Jets now have the longest playoff drought among any NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL team.

The last time the Jets made the playoffs was in 2010, when head coach Rex Ryan, quarterback Mark Sanchez and cornerback Darrelle Revis led them to an 11-5 record, good for second in the NFC East. The Jets made it to the AFC Championship Game that year, losing to the Steelers.

Since that season, the Jets have missed the playoffs 12 times in 12 years, and they’ve finished last in the AFC East in six of the last seven seasons.

The Jets may soon have company, as the Buffalo Sabres have missed the NHL playoffs 11 years in a row and are in danger of missing it this season as well. After the Jets and the Sabres, it’s a six-way tie for the third-longest playoff drought among teams that have missed the playoffs seven years in a row: The Broncos, NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers.

Jets owner Woody Johnson said this week that he’s not patient and the Jets have to win now. It’s been a long time.

[Futureshock]

Hogs get....



Unnamed owner says “there’s going to be an international division”

Posted by Mike Florio on March 29, 2023, 11:48 PM EDT

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The NFL’s international experiment eventually will spawn an international division.

Commissioner Roger Goodell first mentioned the possibility for a four-team European division during the 2022 regular season. Via A.J. Perez of FrontOfficeSports.com, an unnamed owner bolstered the chatter during the league meetings in Arizona.

“We don’t know if it’s going to happen in two years, five years, or whenever, but there’s going to be an international division,” the owner told Perez.

For years, the NFL has dangled the possibility of putting a team in London. With two NFL-ready stadiums (Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur), London could take two teams immediately. Two other teams would, under this scenario, be placed elsewhere in the continent, with one or both presumably in Germany.

“I think what we are focused on is building capacity so if there were that opportunity — whether a club wanted to consider relocation or potentially looking at expansion — we are in that mode,” NFL’s executive VP of club business, international, & league events Peter O’Reilly said this week, via Perez. ”In London, where we’ve been for a long time, and now in Germany, we’re making sure we’ve got the stadium partners, the governmental partners, and the fan support to sustain that possibility.”

It makes more sense to have multiple European teams instead of just one. With four, there would be 12 games among the division rivals every season, limiting the travel obligations of the franchises.

Still, there would be other logistical challenges, from tax rates to exchange rates to finding players willing to be drafted by or sign with or traded to teams on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

In most situations, a road game consists of leaving home on Saturday and returning on Sunday night. For European teams, there would be multi-game trips to the U.S., with players away from home not for one night at a time but for two weeks or perhaps longer. That will make it harder to find players willing to uproot their families, take them to another country, and then leave their families multiple times per year for multiple weeks at a time.

Still, as we’re learning with the doubling of short-week obligations and the inevitable Thursday night flexing, personal inconveniences for players and coaches won’t stand in the way of progress. Especially when progress means profit.

So where would those four teams come from? Even if two are expansion franchises, the other two would be current teams that abandon their current cities and relocate. The Jaguars would likely be one of them, given their current foothold in London. The other one would be determined by market size and stadium situation.

Looking at the current configuration of franchises, there aren’t many obvious candidates. The Panthers could be one.. The Buccaneers, quite frankly, could potentially be another. Again, it will come down to swapping a place where the economics aren’t ideal for a place where a high-end stadium would be full of rabid local fans who would show up and spend money in good times and in bad.

Expansion also becomes an easy way to increase the inventory of total games in a season without making the season any longer. While 18 games seem inevitable, it’s hard to imagine the season moving to 19 or 20. At some point, there will be more games only if there are more teams.

And so 32 will become, sooner than later 34. Then what? Thirty-six? Thirty-eight? At 40, the NFL would have eight divisions with five teams each. That could be the ultra-long-term goal, with 35 teams in the U.S. and five teams in Europe.

The creation of a European division with four teams would be the first step toward a 40-team league. And it’s hard not to think the NFL is closer than most realize to what would be a seismic change in the way the league currently does business.

[Futureshock]

Report: Ravens tried to sign Baker Mayfield

Posted by Mike Florio on March 29, 2023, 7:11 PM EDT

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As the impasse lingers between the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore might ultimately need a viable Plan B at the most important position in the game.

They have reportedly tried to address the situation via the free-agent market.

JoeBucsFan.com reports that the Ravens made an offer to new Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, and that Mayfield declined.

The Ravens currently have one quarterback under contract — Anthony Brown. Tyler Huntley is a restricted free agent, who has yet to attract any interest from other teams.

Would Mayfield have replaced Huntley as the backup, or would Mayfield and Huntley have competed to be the starter, if the Ravens move on from Jackson? That’s unclear. However, they still need to have a solid alternative to the 2019 NFL MVP.

Whether it’s Huntley or someone else, the Ravens need to have a fallback plan. Ideally, Plan A — Lamar Jackson under contract — will still be the end result.

[Futureshock]

Us too are hoping not to see the Boars. The Jets will probably be the team to see with kAren Rodgers headed there...



Bears hoping not to do Hard Knocks

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 29, 2023, 1:03 PM EDT

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The Bears are one of four teams that the NFL can force to do Hard Knocks, but they’re hoping not to be chosen.

Bears Chairman George McCaskey said he’d like to see the league pick some other team.

“We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on ‘Hard Knocks,’” he said, via TheAthletic.com. “Thirty-one others.”

The NFL can require a team to do Hard Knocks if that team hasn’t done the show in the last 10 years, hasn’t made the playoffs in the last two years, and doesn’t have a first-year head coach. This year, four teams meet that criteria: The Bears, Saints, Jets and Commanders.

Justin Fields and the Chicago market could make the Bears an appealing choice for the annual training camp reality show that is produced by NFL Films and airs on HBO. McCaskey wouldn’t like it, but the league may give him no choice.

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Eagles will wear kelly green alternate jerseys, ask NFL to allow two alternate helmets

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 29, 2023, 6:37 AM EDT

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Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie wants his team to be at the forefront of alternate uniforms in the NFL.

Toward that end, Lurie confirmed at the league meeting this week that the Eagles will wear their throwback kelly green jerseys for at least one game this season. And he also said they are asking the NFL to allow two alternate helmets.

For several years, the NFL did not allow any alternate helmets over concerns that they might not fit properly. Last year, the NFL allowed players to wear alternate helmets as long as those helmets were fitted at the start of the season at the same time the players were assigned their regular helmets. When that happened, the Eagles chose black alternate helmets.

But Lurie said on Tuesday he’s still pushing for the league to allow the use of two alternate helmets, according to NBCSportsPhilly.com. That would allow them to keep their regular helmets, a black alternate and a kelly green alternate.

So far there has not been a formal proposal for two alternate helmets, but it’s an issue that will likely continue to be on the league’s radar.

[Futureshock]

NFC North Coaching Updates: Lions, Packers, Vikings


March 29th, 2023 at 9:28pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions announced earlier this month that they have finalized their coaching staff for the 2023 season. Much of the staff remains identical to last year’s coaches who helped the Lions to some surprising success. Many of the minor changes that did occur, such as promotions and the additions of assistants, have already been covered on this site. There were a couple that still need to be announced.

On the offensive side, the Lions hired Jim Hostler as a senior offensive assistant. Hostler has served in Washington for the last three years and has an extensive history as a position coach in the NFL for several franchises, including a stint as offensive coordinator for the 49ers back in 2007. Hostler’s most recent experience was assisting with wide receivers for the Commanders, but there didn’t appear to be a place for him on Eric Bieniemy‘s new staff in Washington.

On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit has hired John Scott Jr. to take over as defensive line coach. With Todd Wash departing to rejoin Frank Reich in Carolina, the Lions went to the college ranks for their next defensive line coach. Scott will return to the NFL for the first time since serving as the assistant defensive line coach for the Jets in 2016. Since then, Scott has coached the defensive lines at Arkansas, South Carolina, and Penn State, adding the title of run game coordinator for the Nittany Lions in 2022.

Here are a few more coaching updates from around the NFC North:

• The Packers made a couple additions to their coaching staff near the start of the month. Similar to Detroit, Green Bay also pulled from the college ranks, hiring recently dismissed Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester to a senior analyst position, according to Matthew Ehler of MLive.com. Lester has worked plenty with college quarterbacks but will be making his NFL debut in 2023. The team also hired two new quality control coaches, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Rob Grosso joins as offensive quality control and Kyle Wilber will be special teams quality control. Grosso, a former defensive assistant who followed Vance Joseph from Denver to Arizona, was expected to once again follow Joesph back to Denver but will part ways with Joseph while switching from defense to offense. Wilber, a former NFL linebacker, recently finished a 10-year career in which he played for Packers assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia at both Dallas and Las Vegas.
• The Vikings joined the Lions and Packers in dipping into the college ranks of coaching, hiring Michael Hutchings as assistant linebackers coach, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Hutchings most recently served as outside linebackers coach at Western Kentucky and previously worked at USC and Oregon.

[edindetroit]

Some of you thought it was our lovable Leos, didn't ya....
Jets now have the longest playoff drought in the four major sports leagues

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 30, 2023, 5:03 AM EDT

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The Sacramento Kings clinched an NBA playoff berth for the first time in 16 years on Wednesday night, and that gave the Jets a dubious distinction.

The Jets now have the longest playoff drought among any NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL team.

The last time the Jets made the playoffs was in 2010, when head coach Rex Ryan, quarterback Mark Sanchez and cornerback Darrelle Revis led them to an 11-5 record, good for second in the NFC East. The Jets made it to the AFC Championship Game that year, losing to the Steelers.

Since that season, the Jets have missed the playoffs 12 times in 12 years, and they’ve finished last in the AFC East in six of the last seven seasons.

The Jets may soon have company, as the Buffalo Sabres have missed the NHL playoffs 11 years in a row and are in danger of missing it this season as well. After the Jets and the Sabres, it’s a six-way tie for the third-longest playoff drought among teams that have missed the playoffs seven years in a row: The Broncos, NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers.

Jets owner Woody Johnson said this week that he’s not patient and the Jets have to win now. It’s been a long time.

I hope that continues for a very long time.

[edindetroit]

On the offensive side, the Lions hired Jim Hostler as a senior offensive assistant. Hostler has served in Washington for the last three years and has an extensive history as a position coach in the NFL for several franchises, including a stint as offensive coordinator for the 49ers back in 2007. Hostler’s most recent experience was assisting with wide receivers for the Commanders, but there didn’t appear to be a place for him on Eric Bieniemy‘s new staff in Washington.

Insurance in case they lose Ben Johnson next year?

[wcfwtf]

Jets fans are obnoxious

[Futureshock]

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2023-free-agency-every-nfl-team-biggest-loss

2023 NFL Free Agency: Every NFL team's biggest loss

CHICAGO BEARS: RB DAVID MONTGOMERY

You’d be hard-pressed to find a single person in the Bears' building who doesn’t love David Montgomery the person, and while he may not have been a great fit as a runner in their wide-zone-heavy rushing attack, he provides more pass-catching chops than their current committee. The newly signed Travis Homer can be a solid pass protector out of the backfield, another strength of Montgomery’s — his 71.7 pass-blocking grade since 2019 is a top-10 mark at the position — but as of right now, each running back's presence in the backfield could be a bit of a tell to opposing defenses.

All of that said, signing D’Onta Foreman for $3 million on a one-year flier is a great early-down replacement at a good value, and perhaps Chicago could add a Day 3 pick to round out the running back room if they’re not in love with 2022 sixth-rounder Trestan Ebner.

DETROIT LIONS: IOL EVAN BROWN

An underrated part of the Lions’ excellent free agency thus far is that they either had an in-house replacement for every player they lost or signed someone to fill that void. This applies to Brown, as well, but he provided solid interior offensive line depth with the flexibility to play at all three spots, though he was best suited at center.

Brown earned a 72.4 pass-blocking grade while starting most of the season at center in 2021 and was a shrewd addition among many such signings by the Seattle Seahawks.

Lol

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: CB CAMERON SUTTON

Pittsburgh signed veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson to a two-year, $14 million deal in free agency to help fill the void left behind by Sutton, but that will be easier said than done for a player who seemed to benefit from a lot of off-zone coverage in Minnesota.

Sutton earned a career-best 72.2 grade in 2022, allowing just 0.76 yards per coverage snap, which ranked 11th among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps on the season. After a strong free agency period for Pittsburgh elsewhere along the roster, particularly along the offensive line and in the front seven, cornerback remains the Steelers' top need by a solid margin.

[Futureshock]

Still has no moves. But he moves around well...


Doug Pederson sees “so much room for improvement” in Travon Walker

Posted by Josh Alper on March 30, 2023, 1:38 PM EDT

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The Jaguars saw quarterback Trevor Lawrence take a major leap forward in his second NFL season and they’re hoping that their top draft pick of last season follows a similar path.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said this week that “we have to improve our pass rush” and 2022 first overall pick Travon Walker is a big part of the plan to take strides in that area. Walker had 3.5 sacks and and 10 quarterback hits in 15 regular season appearances last year and Pederson said the Jags want to see “that next step” from him in 2023.

Pederson also shared why he believes Walker can be “a really dominant impact player” in Jacksonville.

“One of the things I appreciated with Travon is how he improved,” Pederson said, via the team’s website. “Some of these young guys don’t know how to study the game as well. Being able to show him how to study, what to look for, who to study – great edge rushers in our game, to try to take some takeaways from that — and again, there’s so much room for improvement with him.”

After two years with the first pick, the Jaguars will be picking lower in the order in 2023. If Walker has a Lawrence-type breakout year, they should have a good chance to remain at the back end of the draft order in 2024.

[Futureshock]

Still has no moves. But he moves around well...


Doug Pederson sees “so much room for improvement” in Travon Walker

Posted by Josh Alper on March 30, 2023, 1:38 PM EDT

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The Jaguars saw quarterback Trevor Lawrence take a major leap forward in his second NFL season and they’re hoping that their top draft pick of last season follows a similar path.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said this week that “we have to improve our pass rush” and 2022 first overall pick Travon Walker is a big part of the plan to take strides in that area. Walker had 3.5 sacks and and 10 quarterback hits in 15 regular season appearances last year and Pederson said the Jags want to see “that next step” from him in 2023.

Pederson also shared why he believes Walker can be “a really dominant impact player” in Jacksonville.

“One of the things I appreciated with Travon is how he improved,” Pederson said, via the team’s website. “Some of these young guys don’t know how to study the game as well. Being able to show him how to study, what to look for, who to study – great edge rushers in our game, to try to take some takeaways from that — and again, there’s so much room for improvement with him.”

After two years with the first pick, the Jaguars will be picking lower in the order in 2023. If Walker has a Lawrence-type breakout year, they should have a good chance to remain at the back end of the draft order in 2024.

malcomreynolds says:
March 30, 2023 at 3:10 pm
Well yeah, he was the first overall selection and he played like a late rounder. (And got smoked statistically by Lions 6th rounder James Houston who had 8 sacks in 7 games with just two starts). Walker was just seventh for sacks by a rookie, finishing behind a safety, Jaquan Brisker.
Even a significant improvement doesn’t guarantee that he won’t be seen as a bust.

Ouch

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Asante Samuel Sr. advises Lamar Jackson against playing for Bill Belichick

Posted by Mike Florio on March 30, 2023, 11:59 AM EDT

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Quarterback Lamar Jackson supposedly wants to play for the Patriots. The Patriots reported aren’t interested in Jackson.

Former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel Sr. has some advice for Lamar. Basically, be happy about this.

“Lamar Jackson, my brother trust me you don’t want to play for Belichick,” Samuel tweeted on Thursday morning.

Samuel spent five years playing for Belichick, winning a pair of Super Bowls. He exited after the 2007 season, signing with the Eagles.

Samuel didn’t elaborate on his position. Obviously, however, Belichick can be a gruff and demanding coach. As he potentially slides onto the hot seat, the question becomes whether he’ll change his style — if he even can.

As discussed earlier today on PFT Live, Belichick’s out-of-character reference to a quarter-century of scoreboards suggests that he’s feeling the pressure to turn things around. And it really is an unprecedented situation for the NFL. With four straight years of no playoff wins, for how much longer does six Super Bowl wins buy Belichick a pass?

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Jim Trotter accuses NFL Media of covering up owner behavior

Posted by Mike Florio on March 31, 2023, 12:03 PM EDT

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It’s officially Jim Trotter’s last day with NFL Media. And he’s going out with a flourish.

Here’s what Trotter tweeted on Friday morning: “I’ve thought a lot about Brian Flores’ lawsuit against @nfl
for alleged discriminatory hiring practices. His case is the micro. The macro is the culture within the NFL, including owner behavior that was covered up by the league-owned newsroom. Stay tuned. More to come.”

This message strengthens the likelihood of a lawsuit by Trotter. As previously noted, he doesn’t have an arbitration clause in his contract — which means any litigation will play out in open court. (That said, the NFL might try to shoehorn any such claim into an arbitration obligation, as it’s doing in the Jon Gruden case.)

Trotter’s vow to expose the dynamics of the NFL-owned newsroom takes everything to another level, and it could go a long way toward exposing a problem that has been hiding in plain sight from the moment the league decided to hire reporters to report on the league.

Many shrug at the inherent conflict of interest. Many don’t expect league-owned media to engage in real journalism. Still, people working both for the NFL and NFL Media don’t like it when the obvious bias flowing from the fact that the Commissioner signs the paychecks is mentioned.

From time to time, former NFL Media employees have mentioned the tensions that arise from covering the league while working for the league. Albert Breer has done it. Mike Silver has, too.

But neither of them ever claimed that they were pushed out for refusing to play along. Trotter will, if he files suit, be the first.

Barring a settlement (and it’s not likely that the league will be able to buy his silence), Trotter could shine a light on just enough to compel major changes to be made by a league that quite possibly expects its reporters who report on the league to exercise discretion in reporting, if they hope to keep their jobs.