The Official 2024 NFL Regular Season Discussion Thread

[Grimoire Lenin]

 

[Doom]

Here's some NFL news

Bengals sign coach Zac Taylor to extension through 2026 season​

NFL

A Super Bowl appearance warranted a new contract for Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor.

The team announced Wednesday they signed Taylor to a contract extension through the 2026 season.

"Zac has come into the league and worked to develop the foundations for a winning program that can be successful over time," Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement. "The fruits of Zac's efforts were seen this year, and Zac is well-regarded by our players and coaches. I know the effort and passion Zac brings to the building and to our team, and I am pleased by his approach. And I think the city of Cincinnati sees him the way the players and I do. He's brought excitement to the town and deserves credit and recognition for that."

Taylor had one year left on his original contract signed in 2019.

After a wobbly start to his coaching career, which saw the Bengals go 6-25-1 in Taylor's first two seasons, Cincy took off in 2021. Taylor led his team to a 10-7 record and its first AFC North title since 2015. The Bengals finally got over the playoff hump, earning their first postseason victory in 31 years en route to a Super Bowl LVI appearance.

Losing the Lombardi Trophy to the Los Angeles Rams stings, but the building blocks are in place for Cincinnati to remain a contender for years to come.

Last year at this time, Taylor was on the hot seat. Now he has a deserved fat new contract."

I think Zac Taylor deserved the contract extension. Nobody would have expected to see this man coached the team to a 2-14 record in 2019, 4-11-1 record in 2020, to a 10-7 record, pulling off a string of upsets against the Raiders, Titans and Chiefs in the playoffs and play, making it to Super Bowl LVI.

Cincinnati Bengals' Zac Taylor: Joe Burrow has sprain, doesn't need surgery​

ESPN

CINCINNATI -- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will not need surgery to repair a right knee injury he suffered in Super Bowl LVI.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Burrow will simply need rest after he aggravated a sprained MCL in his right knee in the team's loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Burrow stayed in the game, despite limping off the field in the second half of the 23-20 defeat.

The second-year quarterback was initially sore after the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13. He aggravated it again in the Week 17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Burrow wasn't on the field for the game-winning field goal that allowed Cincinnati to clinch the AFC North.

Taylor also said he doesn't believe Burrow will need surgery to repair a pinkie injury he suffered on his throwing hand in the middle of the season.

The second-year quarterback showed his toughness throughout the season after he tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in his rookie season. Burrow didn't miss any offseason activities in 2021, played in 16 games last season and was named The Associated Press' NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

"I think everybody sees the same thing," Taylor said of Burrow. "Everyone who's on the Zoom, our coaching staff, our players, people around the league. They have a tremendous amount of respect for the job that he's done and the way he's gone about it."

I'm glad it's nothing serious for Burrow because the Rams defense was eating him alive, being sacked 7 times (2 from Aaron Donald and Von Miller). The offensive line needs to be stronger and they got all offseason to work on that.

 

[Darkavius]

Oh sweet fucking Jesus no. I do not want Watson anywhere near the Vikings.

I get it but Cousins is an expensive QB for what Minnesota is getting. I think Cousins has the third largest cap number for 2022, and I don't think the free agent market is hot relating to QB's this coming offseason.

 

[Grimoire Lenin]

I get it but Cousins is an expensive QB for what Minnesota is getting. I think Cousins has the third largest cap number for 2022, and I don't think the free agent market is hot relating to QB's this coming offseason.

Cousins is gonna restructure his contract, the $45M cap hit isn't gonna happen, frankly.

 

[Grimoire Lenin]

So in all of this weird news cycle shit, everyone dragged Matt Stafford for walking away after a photographer fell off the stage and broke her back at the parade rally. Despite the fact the full video showed him going to get help; so yeah, folks pretty fucking quick to judge on that one.

And then it comes out yesterday she's actually a full-blown racist homophobe on Twitter. So that makes things just whackier. Now I imagine people are conflicted on who to hate, the woman who's a racist, or Matt Stafford for "not helping her while he's intoxicated".

 

[Doom]

NFL says it won't investigate settlement between Dallas Cowboys and cheerleaders in voyeurism claim​

ESPN

The NFL will not be opening an investigation into the events surrounding the Dallas Cowboys' $2.4 million confidential settlement with four members of their cheerleading squad who accused a now-former team executive of voyeurism in their locker room in 2015, a league spokesman told ESPN on Friday.

The cheerleaders' allegations, along with an additional allegation of voyeurism against Richard Dalrymple, the Cowboys' longtime senior vice president for public relations and communications, are considered a club matter, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

The club handled the matter," McCarthy said.

The allegations involving Dalrymple were first reported by ESPN on Wednesday. According to documents obtained by ESPN and people with knowledge of the situation, the cheerleaders accused Dalrymple of using his security key card to enter the back door of their locked dressing room during an event at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 2, 2015. One of the women alleged she clearly saw Dalrymple standing behind a partial wall with his iPhone extended toward them as they were changing their clothes, according to several people with knowledge of the events and letters sent by attorneys for the cheerleaders to the team.

In the second allegation, a Cowboys fan who was watching a livestream from the team's war room during the 2015 NFL draft swore in an affidavit that he saw Dalrymple take "upskirt" photos of Charlotte Jones Anderson, a team senior vice president and the daughter of owner Jerry Jones. The alleged incident was raised by the cheerleaders' attorneys during settlement talks and cited in the final document, which includes a nondisclosure agreement barring the cheerleaders, their spouses and Cowboys officials from discussing either episode.

Dalrymple, who retired Feb. 2, did not respond to interview requests by ESPN. He told team officials he entered the cheerleaders' locker room to use the bathroom -- not knowing the women were there -- and left right away, a team source said. On Monday night, Dalrymple issued a statement calling both allegations false.

A Cowboys representative this week said the team thoroughly investigated both allegations and found no wrongdoing by Dalrymple and no evidence that he took photos or video of the women. The team does not dispute that Dalrymple used his security key card access to enter the cheerleaders' locker room while the women were changing clothes. The Cowboys also issued Dalrymple a formal written warning in October 2015, a person familiar with the matter told ESPN. The team declined to share a copy of that warning or detail other information, including time-stamped data from surveillance cameras or security key cards, that would show precisely when Dalrymple entered and left the dressing room.

For the NFL, news of the Cowboys allegations comes as members of Congress question the transparency of the league's inquiry into allegations of workplace sexual harassment against the Washington Commanders. Critics have questioned why the league did not release a report by the outside lawyer hired to investigate the Commanders. Documents released by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform showed that the league may not be able to release the investigation findings without the permission of Commanders owner Daniel Snyder.

In his news conference before the Super Bowl, commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters the league will control a new investigation of sexual harassment allegations surrounding the Commanders. Former marketing employee Tiffani Johnston told the committee this month about the team's "toxic workplace" and accused Snyder of sexual misconduct.

I don't believe Dalrymple used his security card to enter the ladies' locker room to "use the bathroom." I believe he entered the room as if it was an "accident." And what's creepy, is that Dalrymple was 55 years old (currently 61) at the time.

 

[Doom]

Source: Angela Baker becomes second female assistant coach to join Brian Daboll's New York Giants staff​

ESPN

The New York Giants have hired Angela Baker as a minority coaching fellow and offensive quality control coach, a source told ESPN on Friday.

Baker previously spent time with the Cleveland Browns as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship and becomes the second woman hired to the coaching staff by Brian Daboll.

Laura Young was hired last month as the team's director of coaching operations after a stint with the Buffalo Bills as player services coordinator. She is believed to be the Giants' first known hire of a woman on the coaching side.

In 2020, the Giants hired Hannah Burnett as their first full-time female scout. Burnett is currently a college scout covering the Midlands.

Great for Angela Baker on becoming assistant coach for Daboll with the Giants.

 

[Doom]

Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores joins Pittsburgh Steelers as defensive assistant/LB coach​

ESPN

PITTSBURGH -- Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has a new home.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced the hire of Flores, who is suing the NFL and three teams, as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach Saturday.

"I am excited about Brian Flores joining our coaching staff given his history of developing and teaching defensive players during his time in the NFL," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a news release. "Brian's resume speaks for itself, and I look forward to him adding his expertise to help our team."

Flores' hire significantly boosts a defensive unit that recently saw the promotion of Teryl Austin to defensive coordinator following the retirement of Keith Butler, who also coached the team's outside linebackers.

Flores spent the past three seasons as Miami's head coach, compiling a 24-25 record before he was fired last month. And prior to that, he was the defensive playcaller for the New England Patriots, including in Super Bowl LIII.

Flores, 40, filed a lawsuit against the NFL and the Giants, Dolphins and Broncos this month, alleging discrimination in the interview process with New York and Denver and in his firing by Miami.

In the lawsuit, Flores alleged, among other things, that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for every loss in 2019 in an effort to tank for a top draft pick.

Flores also claimed the Giants only interviewed him for their head-coaching vacancy in January to comply with the Rooney Rule, and he said a similar scenario played out in 2019 during an interview process with the Broncos.

The NFL has hired a law firm that includes former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to defend against Flores' claims.

Despite not being hired as head coach, Flores should be happy that the Steelers brought him in to help improve the Steelers defense.

 

[Grimoire Lenin]

 

[Grimoire Lenin]

Well that's certainly an idea.

 

[Doom]

Here's some coordinator hirings and returns:

Kansas City Chiefs bring back former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy as senior assistant, QB coach​

ESPN

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Matt Nagy has reunited with Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Nagy, fired last month after four seasons as head coach of the Chicago Bears, returned to the Chiefs on Friday as senior assistant and quarterbacks coach.

Nagy, 43, was with the Chiefs for five seasons from 2013 through 2017, finishing as offensive coordinator his final season, when Mahomes was a rookie and the backup quarterback to Alex Smith.

Nagy was co-offensive coordinator in 2016 and quarterbacks coach his first three seasons in Kansas City.

Nagy was 34-31 in the regular season for the Bears, including 6-11 last season. He was the NFL's Coach of the Year in 2018 for leading the Bears to a 12-4 record and the NFC North championship. He took the Bears to the playoffs twice but failed to win a game either time.

Nagy replaces Mike Kafka, who left the Chiefs to become the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

Source: Eric Bieniemy returning as Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator for 2022 season​

ESPN

Eric Bieniemy is returning to the Kansas City Chiefs as offensive coordinator for the 2022 season, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.

The news was first reported by NFL Network, which also reported he will be returning on a one-year contract.

Bieniemy's contract expired after last season, and he and head coach Andy Reid recently met to discuss his future with the team. Bieniemy also worked on an expiring contract in 2020.

He had considered coaching in college, listening to other offers or even taking off a year after a physically and mentally draining season in which the Chiefs fell one game short of the Super Bowl and Bieniemy was again bypassed in the head-coach hiring cycle, ESPN's Adam Schefter had reported.

The Chiefs still have to fill their quarterbacks coach job after Mike Kafka left to become the New York Giants' offensive coordinator.

Bieniemy has been on the Kansas City staff since 2013 and has spent the past four seasons as the offensive coordinator. His tenure as coordinator has coincided with Patrick Mahomes' four-year stretch as Kansas City's starting quarterback, and the Chiefs' offense has ranked no worse than sixth in the NFL each season under Bieniemy.

Bieniemy, 52, has been a candidate for multiple head-coaching jobs in recent seasons and had interviewed for the Denver Broncos' and New Orleans Saints' positions this year.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores included a section on Bieniemy's inability to land a head-coaching job despite his success as an NFL assistant in his lawsuit against the NFL and three teams (the Broncos, Giants and Dolphins) that alleges racial discrimination in the league's hiring practices.

New Orleans Saints name Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard as co-defensive coordinators​

ESPN

METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints have promoted assistant coaches Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard into the roles of co-defensive coordinators under new head coach Dennis Allen, the team announced Wednesday.

Nielsen and Richard will continue to oversee the Saints' defensive line and secondary units, respectively.

Allen previously served as New Orleans' defensive coordinator under Sean Payton, while Nielsen was the assistant head coach/defensive line coach and Richard was the secondary coach.

Allen hinted at his introductory news conference that he will likely continue to call plays for the defense, though he hasn't made that official yet.

The use of co-defensive coordinators is much more common in college than in the NFL. However, the Minnesota Vikings used co-defensive coordinators during their final two seasons under coach Mike Zimmer, and the New England Patriots have split duties on defense without naming anyone as their official coordinator over the past four seasons. Other teams have used passing game coordinators and run game coordinators. Richard served as a passing game coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys from 2018 to 2019.

Most likely, Allen wanted to find a way to promote both of his highly valued assistants to make sure to retain them on his staff. Nielsen has been with the Saints since 2017, while Richard arrived in 2021. The Saints ranked fourth in the NFL in points allowed last season and seventh in yards allowed. They have ranked fourth in both categories overall since 2019. And they became the first team to shut out Tom Brady in 15 years with a 9-0 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past December.

Nielsen and Richard, both 42, were teammates on USC's defense in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Richard went on to play six NFL seasons for the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders. Nielsen signed with the Philadelphia Eagles but never cracked a NFL roster.

Richard then became one of the architects of the Seahawks' famed "Legion of Boom" secondary as a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator from 2010 to 2017. He has had multiple head-coaching interviews in recent years and also interviewed for multiple defensive coordinator positions in the NFL this year.

Nielsen, meanwhile, has had multiple opportunities in recent years to become a college defensive coordinator. But the Saints didn't want to let him go and promoted him to assistant head coach last year while keeping him away from nearby LSU.

The Saints have had the NFL's No. 1 run defense since Nielsen arrived in 2017.

Before joining the Saints' staff, Nielsen spent four years as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator at NC State. His previous coaching stops were at USC, Idaho, Ole Miss, Central Connecticut State, Tennessee-Martin and Northern Illinois.

As previously reported, the Saints are retaining longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. The team also officially announced former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone as its offensive line coach and Kodi Burns, who spent last season with the Tennessee Volunteers, as their new receivers coach.

Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi has added assistant head coach duties to his plate. Rizzi, a 29-year coaching veteran, including a ten-season stint with the Miami Dolphins from 2009-18, joined the Saints in 2019.

 

[Doom]

Source: New Orleans Saints restructure contracts of WR Michael Thomas, OT Ryan Ramczyk​

ESPN

METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints moved more than $26 million in salary-cap charges into future years by restructuring the contracts of wide receiver Michael Thomas and offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, a source told ESPN's Field Yates on Saturday.

Expect several more of these moves in the coming days, as New Orleans began the offseason about $75 million over the projected 2022 salary cap of $208.2 million per team -- the highest amount of any team in the NFL.

Thomas' restructure is especially notable since it further indicates that New Orleans has no plans to trade its star receiver. The Saints converted $14.6 million of Thomas' scheduled salary and roster bonuses into a signing bonus, which means they can spread the cap charges over the next five years. However, that also means they would be on the hook for all of those charges against the cap this year if they traded Thomas.

Likewise, New Orleans converted $18.2 million of Ramczyk's scheduled salary and roster bonuses into a signing bonus.

The good news for the Saints is they have room to move more than $100 million in salary-cap costs into future years without cutting any current players if they don't want to. Obviously, they'll have to deal with those charges in future seasons. But this has been a common practice for the Saints over the past decade under general manager Mickey Loomis and vice president of football administration Khai Harley -- and it has become more common throughout the league after the COVID-19 pandemic lowered the NFL's cap by nearly $16 million per team in 2021.

And Loomis has made it clear this offseason that the Saints don't intend to rebuild their roster despite Sean Payton's decision to step away from coaching. The Saints say they can contend for the NFC South title under new coach Dennis Allen, who retained Pete Carmichael Jr. as his offensive coordinator and Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard as his co-defensive coordinators.

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Saints aim for the top of the quarterback market if superstars such as Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson become available via trade.

Otherwise, they could make it a priority to try and re-sign some of their own prominent free agents, including quarterback Jameis Winston, left tackle Terron Armstead and safety Marcus Williams.

 

[Doom]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet retires at age 28​

ESPN

TAMPA, Fla. -- In a shocking move, Buccaneers Pro Bowl left guard Ali Marpet is retiring, he announced on Instagram.

Marpet is just 28 years old and finished off his first Pro Bowl season. He is considered arguably one of the top, if not the top, Buccaneers offensive linemen.

A source told ESPN that Marpet made the decision due to concerns for his overall health.

"After seven formidable years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I've come to the decision to retire from the game that has given me so much," he wrote in his post. "This organization and the people surrounding it have helped not only fulfill a dream, but also helped build me into the person I am today. I've made Tampa Bay my home and I look forward to serving this community in the coming years. To the coaches and teammates, family and friends, an Instagram post simply can't express the profound impact you've had on me. I'm eternally grateful. Thank you Tampa Bay."



A second-round draft pick out of Hobart College in 2015, Marpet became the highest-drafted player (61st overall) in Division III history. He also became the first Division III player selected in the top 100 of the draft since 1990.

The Bucs already face the daunting challenge of replacing future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. Filling the void left by Marpet, who missed just 12 games in seven seasons will be another big challenge.

Marpet was due to make $10 million in 2022.

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Smart decision by Thomas and the Saints to reconstruct his Contract. He's going to be a high asset because right now I don't see him playing more than one more Year with the Saints if the franchise continues to go backwards.

 

[Doom]

Amari Cooper's now up for grabs, now that he's likely to be released.

Sources: Dallas Cowboys WR Amari Cooper likely to be released​

ESPN

The Dallas Cowboys are "likely" to release wide receiver Amari Cooper by the start of the new league year, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday.

Cooper is due $20 million in fully guaranteed money on the fifth day of the new league year, March 20. The Cowboys designed Cooper's $100 million contract in a way in which they could get out of the deal for a relative pittance after two seasons. If they cut Cooper, he would count $6 million against the salary cap, not $22 million.

For a team that is projected to be more than $21 million over the cap, every dollar counts -- especially with so many unsigned key free agents such as defensive end Randy Gregory, tight end Dalton Schultz, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and safety Jayron Kearse.

If the Cowboys cut Cooper, they could face a lot of turnover at the receiver spot in 2022. CeeDee Lamb is set, but Michael Gallup (who tore an ACL late last season) and Cedrick Wilson are set to be free agents. The Cowboys have been working on a new deal with Gallup and an agreement is considered "close," sources said.

Cooper finished with 865 yards on 68 receptions with eight touchdowns in his 15 games. He had two 100-yard games in the first seven weeks and none in his last eight games. He had three games with two receptions and one with three. Cooper missed two games last season after testing positive for COVID-19.

The Cowboys will have a hard time relying on a wide receiver other than CeeDee Lamb without Cooper, unless they react quick and grab a free agent wide receiver or draft one in the 2022 NFL Draft.