NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Oregon State names Trent Bray coach: Beavers elevate defensive coordinator to replace Jonathan Smith

    Oregon State names Trent Bray coach: Beavers elevate defensive coordinator to replace Jonathan Smith

    Oregon State is promoting defensive coordinator Trent Bray to head coach to replace Jonathan Smith, the program announced Tuesday. Bray, 41, has been with the Beavers since 2018, serving first as linebackers coach and as defensive coordinator for the past two and a half seasons.

    “I’m excited to be able to announce Trent as our next head coach,” Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. “After interviewing several qualified candidates, we realized our top choice, Trent, has already been a mainstay at the Valley Football Center and Reser Stadium. He’s been a part of Beaver Nation for a long time and love for this place is real. The connection and trust he has built with our student athletes is unmatched. His energy and determination as head coach will be a catalyst for continued program success.”

    Bray played linebacker for the Beavers from 2002-05. The Pullman, Washington native began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arizona State in 2008. He previously worked on the Oregon State staff from 2012 to 2014, then made a stop at Nebraska from 2015-17 before landing back at his alma mater when Smith got the job in 2018. Smith left for Michigan State after leading the Beavers to an 8-4 regular season.

    “I’d like to thank Scott Barnes and President Jayathi Murthy for this opportunity,” Bray said. “I’ve been a part of Oregon State for a long time, as a coach and a student-athlete, and know how special Beaver Nation is. I’m excited to lead an outstanding group of men our fans can be proud of.”

    Under Bray’s guidance, Oregon State ranks No. 35 nationally in total defense and No. 14 in rushing defense following the 2023 regular season. During last season’s 10-3 campaign, the Beavers ranked No. 24 in total defense and No. 16 in…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Shaquille Leonard to visit Eagles after former Colts LB leaves Dallas without a deal

    Shaquille Leonard to visit Eagles after former Colts LB leaves Dallas without a deal

    USATSI

    The Philadelphia Eagles will meet with Shaquille Leonard on Wednesday, according to CBS Sports HQ Senior NFL Insider Josina Anderson. The team is hoping to sway the former Colts linebacker to come to Philadelphia after he left his visit with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday without signing a deal.

    The Eagles did reach out to Leonard’s camp to gauge his interest prior to Zach Cunningham suffering a hamstring injury in Sunday’s win over the Bills. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was the offensive coordinator in Indianapolis when Leonard was there. Being together for three years, Sirianni mentioned Monday he has a great relationship with Leonard. 

    “Made a lot of plays, that’s for sure,” Sirianni said. “He had a knack for the football and how to get the football. What I remember is just how, as an offensive coordinator, how hard he was to throw around. His length was comparable to Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone at Syracuse. He’s going to make a play in the passing lane.

    “He was a great teammate and I really enjoyed being around him. I still have a relationship with him. I think he is a great person, great teammate, and like I said, the main thing was the ball and the length that come to mind with that.”

    The Eagles are already down a linebacker with Nakobe Dean (injured reserve) and could be without Cunningham for an extended period pending on his MRI results. If Cunningham is out, Christian Elliss would be next in line to start opposite of Nicholas Morrow at linebacker. 

    Off-ball linebacker is a priority regarding all the injuries, but Leonard is the biggest prize left in free agency.

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Social media reacts to Texas A&M’s new coaching hire

    Social media reacts to Texas A&M’s new coaching hire

    It’s a good time to appreciate where the Texas Longhorns football program is at compared to its in-state rival.

    After Jimbo Fisher’s $77 million contract buyout, the Texas A&M Aggies began the search for a new head coach, which took less than a week.

    Would Texas A&M have fired Fisher if Texas Longhorns weren’t 11-1, heading into the conference championship with College Football Playoff hopes on the line, and a third-year head coach in Steve Sarkisian? That’s unclear, but it certainly had to be in the back of their minds.

    The Aggies could have kept Fisher in hopes of turning the program around, but it seems they are frightened of Texas and what they might do when the teams finally play again.

    Mike Elko, former head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, was introduced on Monday as the new head coach of Texas A&M.

    Elko didn’t receive a band or even a National Championship plaque with his name on it like Jimbo did in 2017. Perhaps they finally learning from their mistakes?

    The new head coach was promptly greeted at the podium with Aggie yell leaders and some sort of swaying dance that Texas A&M does, and it has social media in a frenzy. Here are the best reactions that X (formerly Twitter) has to offer.

    Texas A&M owes — at minimum — a combined $119 million to head football coaches before 2031.

    • Jimbo Fisher: $77 million
    • Mike Elko: $42 million pic.twitter.com/LLq7df8Wjj

    — Front Office Sports (@FOS) November 28, 2023

    You know Elko is thinkin…. “wtf did I get myself into”

    — Andrew Hansen (@Andrew_Hansen13) November 27, 2023

    Story originally appeared on Longhorns Wire

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense in win vs. Vikings

    Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense in win vs. Vikings

    Schrock’s Bears Report Card: Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense in win vs. Vikings originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

    MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — It wasn’t pretty. Monday’s primetime game between the Bears and Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium won’t land on many after-season highlight montages.

    But in the end, quarterback Justin Fields did just enough to back up a dominant performance from the Bears’ defense and deliver a 12-10 win.

    Fields and the Bears tried to combat the Vikings’ blitz-heavy attack with a giant dose of screens and horizontal passes. That game plan led to three hours of offensive football that wasn’t aesthetically pleasing.

    But there are no style points in the NFL.

    A win is a win, and this was a victory that head coach Matt Eberflus and the Bears desperately needed as they head into their bye week.

    The report card reflects one unit that aced its primetime test and one that did just enough to pass with some last-minute extra credit:

    Passing offense

    Fields was blitzed on 52 percent of his dropbacks Monday night, per ESPN Stats and Info. The Bears countered that with 13 screen passes, which caused Fields to finish with 2.4 air yards per attempt and 1.9 air yards per completion. Both marks are the lowest of his career.

    Fields threw 21 passes at or behind the line of scrimmage on Monday night. That’s the most in the NFL since 2020, according to ESPN.

    But on the Bears’ final drive, the Vikings didn’t blitz Fields, and he completed two passes of 10 or more air yards on the drive, including a 36-yard strike to DJ Moore that set up the game-winning field goal.

    “Everybody bailed out there and left me wide open,” Moore said after the Bears’ win. “I don’t think that was very smart.

    “Maybe like 10 yards into the route, I was like, ‘something ain’t right about this.’” Moore said. “Then I was like, ‘shoot, there’s nobody in the middle. This deep in is going to be in the middle.’ We connected on it, and the rest is history.”

    The Bears’ pass attack was an eyesore…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Mike Elko contract, salary: Deal for new Texas A&M coach heavy on incentives for postseason success

    Mike Elko contract, salary: Deal for new Texas A&M coach heavy on incentives for postseason success

    USATSI

    The Mike Elko era is underway in College Station after Texas A&M hired the now-former Duke coach and ex-Aggies defensive coordinator Monday as its replacement for Jimbo Fisher, who was fired earlier in November in his sixth season guiding the program. And after Texas A&M awarded Fisher a mammoth contract — 10 years at $75 million on the initial deal back in 2017 — that ended with the school owing Fisher more than $77 million in buyout money, the Aggies are taking a bit of a different approach to the terms of Elko’s deal.

    Shortly after the introductory press conference got underway on Monday, the terms of Elko’s contract with Texas A&M were revealed. The deal is for six years at $42 million in total value, which boils down to Elko having an annual salary of $7 million. The buyout on his contract is set at flat percentage, which increases at the halfway point of the deal, and there are also plenty of incentives featured. The basic terms for the Aggies’ new headman are outlined below:

    Six years, $42 million total value (runs through Jan. 31, 2030)A flat-rate buyout of 75% of the contract’s remaining value in Years 1-3A flat-rate buyout of 80% of the contract’s remaining value in Years 4-6$11,000,000 staff salary pool 

    As far as incentives are concerned, Elko will be awarded $50,000 if named SEC Coach of the Year and $100,000 should he win a national coach of the year award. A $100,000 paycheck also comes his way for each SEC Championship Game appearance. Beyond that, Texas A&M also has included a list of…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Who is Chris Tabor? Panthers tab special teams coach as Frank Reich’s interim replacement after firing

    Who is Chris Tabor? Panthers tab special teams coach as Frank Reich’s interim replacement after firing

    USATSI

    The Carolina Panthers are the second team this season to let go of their head coach. Following the club’s Week 12 loss to the Titans that dropped them to 1-10 on the year, owner David Tepper fired head coach Frank Reich less than a full season into his tenure leading the organization. Carolina’s offense had particularly struggled under Reich and No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young had not taken encouraging steps in his development, which likely helped in the coach’s departure. Reich was hired by the Panthers in January after being fired by the Colts in the middle of last season. 

    This is the second time in as many years that the Panthers have fired a head coach in-season and Tepper has now tabbed special teams coach Chris Tabor to be the club’s interim head coach the rest of the way. Who is Tabor? Let’s take a look at the new top of Carolina’s coaching masthead. 

    The Missouri native broke into the NFL as an assistant special teams coach for the Chicago Bears in 2008. Before that, he’d worked at the collegiate level, most notably as the running backs coach and special teams coach at Utah State (2002-2004), and then held the same positions at Western Michigan (2006-2007) before jumping to the pro ranks. He was the assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at Utah State from 2002-2004 and the only time he’s been a head coach in title (outside of interim status) came in 2001 when he was the head coach of Culver-Stockton, a private liberal arts college in Missouri. 

    After three seasons as the assistant special teams coach with the Bears, Tabor left Chicago to become the special teams coordinator of the Cleveland Browns in 2011. He held that title through…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Cougs missed too many opportunities on offense to beat UW

    Cougs missed too many opportunities on offense to beat UW

    Nov. 26—PULLMAN — A sneaky play, a what-could-have-been thing happened with under a minute to go in Saturday’s Apple Cup.

    Washington was at the WSU 16, facing a second-and-long with 20 seconds to play. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. dropped back, which is when WSU edge Brennan Jackson bull-rushed through for a sack. He looked fired up.

    Afterward, though, Jackson revealed something that might not have been obvious at first blush: He had a chance to jar the ball loose.

    “On the last one, like I said, it’s a good sack,” Jackson said. “But the ball was out there, wanted to make a play, and that’s one that’s gonna haunt me for a long time.”

    Turns out, Jackson was right. Check out a replay and it looks like Penix didn’t exactly tuck the ball in his chest when he went down. The ball was out there. It wouldn’t have been Jackson’s first time making a play like that this season — not even in the last two weeks.

    Instead, we all know what happened next. UW kicker Grady Gross came out for a game-winning field goal and the Huskies celebrated with their fans on the field, ending the Cougars’ season without a bowl game.

    “There’s just a couple moments that we gave them something,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said. “I thought we slowed down a really good offense. Defense was flying around, offense made some timely plays, and it just didn’t go our way.”

    Thing is, though, the Cougs’ offense will lament a lot more about this one than their defense. That unit missed several opportunities, too many to expect to beat the No. 4 team (now No. 3 after the new rankings came out) on the road.

    On so many occasions, this game was Washington State’s for the taking. For example: On UW’s first drive of the second half, WSU safety Jaden Hicks leaped and made an incredible interception, a one-handed snag on a jump ball. The Cougars’ sideline erupted. Their…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Evacuation alarm briefly halted the NFL RedZone broadcast, but Scott Hanson powered through

    Evacuation alarm briefly halted the NFL RedZone broadcast, but Scott Hanson powered through

    Scott Hanson, seen here with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at Super Bowl LVI in 2022, was just as stunned as fans were at home when alarms started going off during the RedZone broadcast on Sunday afternoon. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) (Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images)

    Scott Hanson ran into an issues on Sunday afternoon that left both him and NFL fans stunned.

    During the late slate of games, a building alarm started going off in the background of the NFL RedZone broadcast. Hanson then announced that he and the rest of the crew had to evacuate the studios in Inglewood, California, for an unknown reason.

    The plan, he said, was just to stick with the Philadelphia Eagles-Buffalo Bills game the rest of the way.

    Thankfully just moments later, Hanson was back on the air and said that everything was fine. Everyone in the building was safe, and he started powering through the rest of the broadcast despite the alarm — which included a loud voice telling people to find the nearest stairwell — going off in the background.

    “I am reminded of an old Chinese proverb which says, ‘May you live to see interesting times,’” Hanson said. “I’ve never had this happen before, I’m pretty sure all of our professionals haven’t either, but we soldier on …”

    The NFL Network’s studios — where Red Zone originates — are located at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers are hosting the Ravens on SNF. Huge place, but figured it makes sense to relay that.

    — A.J. Perez (@byajperez) November 27, 2023

    It’s still not clear why the alarm was going off in the first place. Hanson, however, handled the unusual situation perfectly.

    Well, that was…. interesting.
    Alarm has stopped.
    Apparently all clear.
    Still waiting on details.

    Thanks for watching NFL RedZone week 12 ! One to remember.

    — Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) November 27, 2023

    Hanson has been the host of NFL RedZone since it first launched in 2009. The show, which has quickly become a fan favorite, bounces around from game to game every…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More