NFL - NEWS & NOTES

The Broncos are in the market for a General Manager.

John Elway has been in that role since 2011, but announced on Monday that he is stepping away from that job. He will remain the president of football operations and will oversee the search for a new G.M.

“Working in this role for the last 10 years and going back to my playing days, I’ve always tried to do everything I can to help the Broncos win and get better,” Elway said in a statement. “As part of a transition I’ve thought about for a long time, I have made the decision to step up into an elevated role and hire a general manager to lead our personnel and football staff.”

Elway said the new G.M. will have “final say on the draft, free agency and our roster.” He emphasized that the new hire will be working in partnership with head coach Vic Fangio to make football decisions.

The next G.M. will not be vice president of player personnel Matt Russell. The team said Russell was offered a chance to interview, but will assist Elway with the search and then retire instead of pursuing the position.

NBC

 

Report: “Many Eagles players and coaches were shocked and outraged” by removal of Jalen Hurts



The Eagles have plenty of work to do to repair the external damage done by Sunday night’s apparent decision to deliberately lose to Washington. They also apparently have plenty of work to do to repair the internal damage.

Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “many Eagles players and coaches were shocked and outraged” by the decision to remove quarterback Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld in the second half of the Week 17 game.

Per the report, two defensive players “had to be held back” from confronting coach Doug Pederson. McLane also reports that center Jason Kelce (pictured) and another offensive starter approach Pederson for an explanation as to the move.

Pederson explained after the loss that he was trying to win the game. On Monday, Pederson gave a rambling non-answer when asked again about the perception that the Eagles weren’t trying to secure a victory that would have knocked Washington out of the playoffs and would have delivered the NFC East title to the Giants.

The incident puts a dark cloud over the team at the conclusion of a lost season. Clearing it away will require plenty of frank and candid conversations. Ultimately, Pederson may have to admit to his players (at a minimum, to his team leaders) that the goal was to enhance the team’s draft position or, possibly, to take steam out of potential push to make Hurts the starter in 2021, allowing the team to make a more reasoned and deliberate decision as to the quarterback position next season, given their belief that Carson Wentz‘s poor season may have been an aberration.

The Eagles benefited significantly from pandemic protocols that keep reporters out of the locker room in the raw and real moments after a game. Still, this problem hasn’t quickly gone away — and the Eagles have offered up nothing in the aftermath of the game to reduce the discontent arising from the apparently deliberate decision to not try to beat Washington in the final game of the 2020 regular season.

NBC

 

It hasn’t been discussed much because it happened in a game between two mathematically eliminated teams in Week 17, but one of the worst calls of the season took place in Sunday’s Vikings-Lions game.

The Vikings were going for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line when Detroit’s Tracy Walker came threw on a blitz and drilled Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins on a good, hard, clean tackle. Somehow, the officials called Walker for roughing the passer, giving the Vikings an automatic first down. Two plays later, the Vikings scored a touchdown.

“I said to the player who tackled me, right away, I said, ‘I don’t necessarily agree with that call, but I’ll take it,’’’ Cousins said, via the Pioneer Press.

No one agreed with the call, except the referee who made it. It was clearly wrong, and it handed the Vikings a touchdown in a game they ended up winning by two points. In an important game, this would have caused an outrage across the league.

NBC
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Seen it live, watched the replays... I could not believe the call myself and Im an admitted Vikings homer.

 

Horrible call!

It’s a shame that the game could swing on the basis of a non-player’s gaff. I hope the NFL has the nads to admit the mistake. (They won’t, though.)

 

When I saw the flag the only thing that popped into my mind is because he landed on top of Cousins. This is later what the ref gave as his explanation.

From the rule book
a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player’s arms and not land on the passer with all or most of his body weight.

Not saying I agree with the call just saying i can see where it came from. Its as silly as earlier this season where a defenders hand glanced off the helmet of a QB (i want to say it was Roethlisberger) and a roughing penalty was called even though IMHO it was a bad call.

 

Thanks, Jeanquev... that makes sense and he did kinda put a lot of his weight on Cousins head. Still, Cousins doesnt use that part of his body much, so...

Seriously, that does clear things up.

 

Yeah you can’t land on a QB with your weight....but also the human body can’t defy physics. That part of the rule is meant for when defenders purposely use their weight falling on a QB. That play Sunday didn’t show that. I know it’s called live so the official might see it differently in game speed...but we’ve seen a lot of calls like this the past couple years that are just horrid. There’s no attempt to injure the QB there. He’s not falling on him with all his weight. It’s a bad call.

Common sense has to come into play. I know that’s asking a lot from a league that remains confused by what a catch is but cmon. Simple solution...official in the booth with ability to right wrongs immediately. Wouldn’t be hard at all.

 

The Browns are in the playoffs for the first time since 2002, but their head coach won’t be there with them.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced. That will require him to go into isolation and miss the Browns’ playoff game on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will serve as the acting head coach.

The Browns also announced that two assistant coaches and two players have tested positive for COVID-19, but they did not reveal the names of those individuals.

The team facility is closed today. The Browns-Steelers game is still on as scheduled.

NBC

 

• Red Right 88
• The Drive
• The Fumble
• The Lockdown ?

 

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced. That will require him to go into isolation and miss the Browns’ playoff game on Sunday in Pittsburgh.


Too Bad and Covid Sucks.......I really think that Stefanski will win Coach of the Year

Browns can still win this game.

 

Saints WR Michael Thomas (ankle) expected to practice on limited basis

Michael Thomas is on pace to return for the New Orleans Saints playoff matchup versus the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Thomas is expected to practice Wednesday on a limited basis and will ramp up during the week, per a source informed of the situation.

Thomas has missed the last three games after going on injured reserve in order to allow time for his injured ankle to heal.

The plan for the star receiver to return for the postseason is looking good at this point in the week.

Per usual, coach Sean Payton remained mum on the wideout's status Wednesday.

"No updates injury-wise," Payton said, via Mike Triplett of ESPN. "I'm gonna see what this week holds. Currently he's still on reserve-injured. I know he's been working at it. But we'll get a better feel this week how he's progressing."

Until the Saints activate Thomas off IR, the team does not need to indicate his practice status on the weekly injury report.


Getting Thomas back for the postseason run would be a huge boon for a Saints team with Super Bowl aspirations. Thomas has averaged 98.6 receiving yards per game in five career playoff games -- the third-highest career postseason receiving YPG average in NFL history (min. three games) behind Larry Fitzgerald (104.7) and Julio Jones (104.3).

The Bears-Saints wild-card game kicks off Sunday at 4:40 p.m. ET and can be viewed on CBS, Nick, Amazon Prime Video, CBS All Access.

NFL.com

 

Arthur Blank reiterates that Matt Ryan, Julio Jones may not be back

As the Falcons search for a new General Manager and head coach, owner Arthur Blank continues to send the message that the incoming hires won’t be bound to quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones.

“What I think is important, most important, is that we hire people who are, number one, the very best at their jobs,” Blank recently said during a season-ending press conference. “That goes without saying. Who will come forward with a plan for us to have a championship team, a competitive team, et cetera. And that may include Matt and Julio for now, for the next two years, three years, or may not. I have no idea.”

After the firing of coach Dan Quinn and G.M. Thomas Dimitroff, Blank made it clear that there’s no guarantee Ryan will return in 2021.

“Matt’s been a franchise leader for us,” Blank said at the time. “A great quarterback. One of the leading quarterbacks in the last 13 years in the NFL. So I hope he’s gonna be part of our plans going forward. But that will be a decision that I won’t make.”

Last month, CEO Rich McKay attached strings to the ability to move on from Ryan and/or Jones.

“Give us a plan,” McKay said. “Show us what you want to do and show us why. Show us how this gets us to Ws and make sure you actually execute the plan.”

So while Blank seems willing to defer the judgment to the new G.M. and coach, McKay seems to be willing to reserve the right to object in the event the “plan” for winning without them isn’t persuasive. That plan will include building a roster around a cap charge of $44 million (the cap number for keeping him would be $40.9 million). For Jones, the cap charge to trade him would be $23.25 million; the cap charge to keep him would be $23.05 million.

As candidates interview for both jobs, it becomes critical to know precisely whether they’ll have the discretion to move Ryan and/or Jones, whether McKay will be able to veto it, and/or whether McKay will roll his eyes at Blank if they handle that or any other decision in a way he wouldn’t.

Actually, they should assume the last part to be true. And those candidates, frankly, should before accepting jobs in Atlanta look for jobs elsewhere that give them a straight shot to ownership, with no one else in position to approve or to undermine the decisions that they make in the best interests of the team.

PFT

 

Jones and or Ryan to the Patriots (not sure if they can do it cap wise).

 

A guy as old as Ryan. Not sure Bill would bother. But they definitely have the cap space for one at least

 

Pats have a ton of space this offseason but I agree with RT, i dont see Bill bothering with Mattt Ryan.
Now Julio Jones intrigues me, they need someone that can catch a ball.......assuming they find someone that can throw it.

 

My only thought with ryan is he gives them a better shot to win now (combine with the key defensive guys coming back from opting out next season).

 

Yeah. If you had all the other pieces and were looking for a QB that, at least, gave you a good chance, I'd consider Matt Ryan.

 

Ryan would be a good 1-2 year band aid for some team. We all saw the Super Bowl meltdown of that team. I think the best thing that could happen to him is to get outta town and start over.

 

I’ve watched quite a bit of him. Sad as it is, I think his window has closed.
He could probably be a stopgap for a team that just wants to sell seats or jerseys, like Rivers in Indy.
He’s not giving a team a real chance though

 

ya i gotta agree w/ RT again, Matt Ryan looks like he lost his fastball and it was a real struggle this season.
Matt Stafford is the guy Im hoping for.