January 2015 4for4 Player News Articles

Marc Trestman’s leadership abilities have come under fire in the wake of his two-year stint in Chicago, something that tight end Martellus Bennett didn’t do much to argue against in an appearance on NFL Network on Friday. Bennett did say that he thinks a move to the offensive coordinator role with the Ravens will work out well for coach and team.

“Trestman, I think, first off, the issue that he had, probably, was managing us all, all the different personalities,” Bennett said. “There’s a lot of big personalities. And I think, for a first-time head coach in the NFL, dealing with all the personalities that you have, I think that’s hard when you got guys like me, you know, [Brandon] Marshall … Lance Briggs on defense, (Charles) Tillman … Calling plays, he was excellent. I think he’s going to be an excellent coordinator for the Ravens. Strategically, he was great. But on the field, guys just weren’t executing.”

We generally agree, though Trestman takes a very pass-heavy approach, and that will impact the strong running game that Gary Kubiak built in 2014.

Speaking on NFL Network's Super Bowl Live on Wednesday, Steelers RB LeVeon Bell told Marshall Faulk that despite missing the Pro Bowl, he's been able to work out on the injured knee.

"The knee is close to 100 percent," Bell said. "I'm probably about 85-90 percent, been able to run on it a little bit. So I'm getting back to work out a little."

Bell was the #2 RB (behind DeMarco Murray) in 2014, and held the #3 PPG in standard formats. He was #1 in both categories in PPR formats. He's a shoo-in to have a first round ADP in 2015 fantasy drafts.

Bills fans have heard offensive coordinators come in the door and pledge a commitment to the run game. New offensive coordinator Greg Roman only points to his recent success to convince those who wonder if he’ll commit to a ground attack.

At the same time Roman is smart enough to realize that you can’t be solely reliant on a run game because if there’s a defense good enough to slow it down you’ll have problems.

“Look at my track record. The greatest predictor of future events is the past. I could stand up here and tell you that we could have been number one in the league in rushing in San Francisco every year if that was my goal. If I wanted to be number one in rushing, I could’ve done that,” Roman said. “But my goal is to win and I think you have to strike a commensurate level of balance to do so in this league."

Unless the Bills manufacture a serious upgrade at quarterback, they'll likely be a run-heavy team when compared to the rest of the league.

E.J. Manuel and Jeff Tuel are the lone holdovers from the previous coaching staff, but that doesn't necessarily mean that their immediate futures with the team are predetermined. New OC Greg Roman said Manuel, the team's first-round pick in 2013, will get his chance to start fresh with the new coaching staff.

"I'm not going to get into specifics. but I definitely think he's done some very good things and displayed some good traits. We just have to get his level of consistency a little bit greater. Really, he and everybody else, once we get thru this evaluation process, we're going to have a very clean slate, once we get going because what they might have been asked to do or done in the past is really not relevant to what we may or may not ask them to do. So to sit here and pontificate about this that and the other, is a little premature."

Manuel was the #19 fantasy quarterback when he was benched after Week 4. To that point, he had averaged 6.40 YPA and had thrown five touchdowns versus three interceptions. The team elected to move on to Kyle Orton.

Joel Corry of the National Football Post: I've confirmed that (Colts RB) Trent Richardson's suspension for conduct detrimental voids the guarantees of his $3,184,062 2015 base salary.

If his suspension stands, the Colts can cut T-Rich without paying him for the final year of his contract. Look for the team to shore up the RB position this offseason.

Pending FA Justin Forsett told me he's heard the Ravens will keep some of the same principles with the run scheme under new OC Marc Trestman.

The first order of business will be to re-sign Forsett, who should see his PPR upside increase due to Trestman's tendency to use his running backs in the passing game. Under Trestman, Matt Forte caught 176 passes in the last two seasons, including 102 catches in 2014. Forsett caught 44 passes last season, and could potentially see that number double if he's the RB1 for the Ravens in 2015. Depending on his asking price, re-signing the 29-year-old Forsett isn't a no-brainer for the Ravens, though he's not likely to garner a huge contract in free agency. As the #8 RB in both standard and PPR formats in 2014, he'll likely hold RB2-type draft value if he stays in Baltimore.

Jimmy Graham’s two-touchdown performance at the Pro Bowl could ease fears that his shoulder problem would linger and potentially require offseason surgery. Graham also caught a 23-yard pass in his third Pro Bowl.

“It made a big difference, just having some rest,” he said.

When asked whether his performance would rule out surgery, Graham said, “It should, which is really exciting.”

Graham finished with 85 catches for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, but his season was somewhat disappointing, especially down the stretch. He averaged 4.0 catches for 44 yards and 0.2 TD in his final five games, including a weird zero-target goose egg in Week 13 against Pittsburgh. Still, his 14.6 PPR fantasy points was second at his position to Rob Gronkowski, and he's likely to be the second tight end off the board in 2015 fantasy drafts, especially if his shoulder injury is fully behind him.

Giants WR Odell Beckham let it out that the hamstring injury that forced him to miss the entire preseason and the first four games of the regular season was actually two tears in the right hamstring that never fully healed.

“They healed up enough to where I could play with them, but they were never truly good and I’m still just working on them and trying to get ready,” Beckham said after catching five passes for 89 yards for Michael Irvin’s team in a 32-28 win over Cris Carter’s team at University of Phoenix Stadium.

“I should be good by training camp,” Beckham said. “The plan is to play at full strength next season, and I definitely hope to do it. I’m just looking forward to getting healthy.”

If true, then perhaps Beckham has just scratched the surface on his full potential. Once his season started in Week 5, he averaged 17.2 FP (standard) and 24.8 FP (PPR), which was the best in the league in both scoring systems. He's likely to head into the 2015 season as a late 1st round pick/early 2nd round pick in PPR formats. The only (minor) concerns are a potential sophomore slump and the return of Victor Cruz, which could alter the dynamic in the Giants' receiving corps.

Browns WR Josh Gordon flunked another drug test and now will be subject to a one-year banishment, per league sources.

Gordon reportedly flunked the test due to alcohol, not marijuana. Regardless, Gordon's value in dynasty/keeper leagues takes a serious hit. We'll wait for confirmation on the suspension, but it's not looking good.

Todd Bowles and the Jets have filled their coordinator roster today with the hiring of Kacy Rodgers as Bowles' defensive coordinator and Bobby April Jr. as the new special teams coordinator. They join Chan Gailey, named earlier this week as the Green & White's offensive coordinator.

It's no surprise that Bowles and Rodgers are reuniting on the Jets. They're longtime friends who are now starting their eighth season of coaching together.

Rodgers has served as the Dolphins' defensive line coach since 2008. Bowles also coached in Miami from 2008-2011.

GM Ryan Grigson gets asked about Trent Richardson. Says he was suspended for two games and won’t get into it because of personal reasons.

It appears that Richardson's time in Indianapolis is drawing to a close. When asked about T-Rich returning in 2015, Grigson declined to comment. RIchardson is under contract for one more season.

New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram will hit free agency this season with a chance to test the waters. Ingram said the Saints have told him they want him back.

"They said they want me back, for sure," he said. "I was their draft pick, so they said they definitely want me to come back."

The market for free agent running backs has dried up considerably in recent years, but Ingram should be able to garner the $3 million per year (or so) that Toby Gerhart and Rashad Jennings received last year. Ingram would hold RB2-type value if he returns to New Orleans since a healthy Khiry Robinson would likely cap Ingram's workload. Robinson's injuries played a big role in Ingram getting the 19.6 touches per game that he saw in 2014.

49ers gave Eric Mangini a 3-year deal to be their defensive coordinator.

Mangini was the DC for the Patriots in 2005, and they finished 25th in yards and 17th in points allowed. He spent the next five years as the head coach of the Jets and the Browns, and his defenses averaged a rank of 21.8 in yards and 15.4 in points allowed over that span. He spent the last two seasons as the 49ers' tight ends coach.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh's tone regarding tight end Dennis Pitta seemingly went from cautiously optimistic to just being cautious.

Pitta, who has suffered serious hip injuries in each of the past two seasons, saw a couple of specialists last week, and Harbaugh said he couldn't give any updates right now.

"I did get kind of an overview of that report from our trainer that I wouldn’t really want to share until Dennis has had a chance to kind of consider all of the ramifications of it," Harbaugh said. "But I think we’ll have something on that in a couple of weeks, kind of on Dennis’ time frame. We’ll see where that goes.”

Harbaugh indicated in early December that he expects Pitta to make a full recovery, and he said at the end of the season that he was "cautiously optimistic" about his return in 2015.

It doesn't sound like Pitta is certain to return in 2015. OC Marc Trestman had success with Martellus Bennett while in Chicago, so if the Ravens have a talented tight end, he'll be on the fantasy radar next season.

The Bears are hiring Adam Gase as their offensive coordinator, source said.

Gase guided the Broncos to top 4 finishes in both yards and points in both of his seasons running Denver's offense. He has a nice offensive core to work with, though Jay Cutler is no Peyton Manning. The hire is good news for all of the Chicago skill players.

According to three trustworthy sources, Peyton Manning wants to return to the Broncos, but won't and can't make a final decision until he takes an annual physical examination mandated by his contract. Last year, the test results were learned at the beginning of March. The Broncos have requested that Manning let them know his plans by March 9 — the day before teams must exercise their rights on veteran players under contract. Manning, who turns 39 on March 24, is due $19 million next season.

This is extremely good news for the entire Denver offense, including (free agent) Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and (free agent) Julius Thomas. Manning battled a worse-than-advertised quad injury down the stretch which explains why he wasn't as productive late in the season.

The Browns are hiring as OC ex-Raiders QB coach John DeFilippo, source confirms the Alex Marvez report. His work with Derek Carr was noted.

This is something as a head-scratcher, though Rapoport notes that DeFilippo's work with Derek Carr is what got him noticed by the Browns. He has previously served as the QB coach for the Giants, Raiders (twice) and the Jets.

Asked OC Bill Musgrave impression of Latavius Murray: "Very positive. Tremendous size & speed. Going to tailor run game so it's right up his alley."

Murray's dynasty/keeper league owners can rejoice. It sounds as if the new regime is a fan of Murray, so at this point we can pencil him in as the starter in Week 1. We'll continue to monitor the Oakland backfield throughout the offseason. From Week 12 on, Murray was the #17 RB in fantasy football, racking up 478 total yards and two touchdowns in five games.

The Adrian Peterson era in Minnesota may be over, and it has more to do with his contract than his legal issues. Both head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman have said they would like to have Peterson back in 2015. But Peterson, who turns 30 in a few months, will carry a cap hit of $15.4 million, a league-high for running backs. And in an ESPN interview he scoffed at the suggestion that he take a pay cut to remain with the Vikings. Can he and the Vikings find common ground? Or is Peterson ready for a fresh start elsewhere?

Jerick McKinnon averaged 4.8 YPC this season, but missed several games due to a back injury. It's not an encouraging sign if the team expects him to be the feature back in 2015. As for Peterson, it's going to be very interesting to see where he lands. If the Vikings let him go, McKinnon would likely be a 4th or 5th round pick in 12-team formats, assuming the team doesn't bring another back in to compete for the RB1 job.

Ravens hired former Bears HC Marc Trestman as offensive coordinator, per source.

Trestman has had some terrific offenses over the years, including four top 10 units (49ers in '95 and '96, Raiders in '02 and the Bears in '13). His arrival bodes well for Joe Flacco and Justin Forsett (specifically in the passing game).

The Jaguars are hiring Greg Olson to be their offensive coordinator.

Olson's offenses have been consistently mediocre, but Derek Carr showed some flashes last season. Olson's '06 Rams were 6th in yards and 10th in points scored. He'll lead a young offense featuring Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and perhaps Justin Blackmon.

According to Michael Silver of the NFL Network, the Raiders are going to hire Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave to be their next offensive coordinator.

Musgrave was previously the offensive coordinator for Carolina (20th in yards; 21st in points), Jacksonville (12th and 21st in yards; 25th and 29th in points) and Minnesota (18th, 20th and 13th in yards; 19th, 14th and 14th in points) prior to serving as the QB coach for Chip Kelly and the Eagles. His offenses tend to perform better in the running game, but that probably has more to do with the personnel (Fred Taylor, Adrian Peterson) that he was working with. We see this as a decent hire for Derek Carr and Latavius Murray.

Broncos have agreed to terms with Gary Kubiak, making him 15th coach in team history.

Kubiak's offense in Baltimore was 12th in total offense and 8th in scoring. It was a major turnaround from the year before. His first order of business is to convince QB Peyton Manning to come back for another season. Kubiak will reportedly bring Rick Dennison with him as offensive coordinator. Dennison was previously the QB coach in Baltimore.

Falcons are hiring Kyle Shanahan as their OC, per league source. Shanahan and (Seattle DC) Dan Quinn planned to be package deal.

Quinn is expected to be hired as head coach, but that can't officially happen until the Seahawks' season is over. Shanahan will have some talent to work with in Atlanta, namely QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones and RB Devonta Freeman.

John Fox is the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, agreeing to a four-year deal on Friday, sources told ESPN.

Fox becomes Chicago's third head coach since 2012, taking over for Marc Trestman, who was fired on Dec. 29 along with general manager Phil Emery, after posting a 13-19 record over two seasons. The Bears have missed the postseason for four consecutive years.

Fox is experienced and should be able to change the culture in Chicago, but he's known to be very conservative in game situations and has had issues with clock management.

The New York Giants have selected Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator, reuniting him with the team he helped win Super Bowl XLII while serving in that role from 2007 to 2008.

Spagnuolo, 55, replaces Perry Fewell, who was the Giants' defensive coordinator for the past five years but was fired last week after a 6-10 season in which the team finished 29th in the NFL in total defense.

In two seasons with the Giants (2007-08), Spagnuolo led the defense to consecutive top 7 defenses. The Giants were 29th in yards allowed in 2014.

Echoing earlier sentiments of his head coach, Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said the team wants Adrian Peterson to return to Minnesota once the suspended running back is eligible to apply for reinstatement on April 15.

“I don’t know if there’s a team in the NFL that wouldn’t want Adrian Peterson on the football team,” Spielman said Wednesday at Winter Park. “If you can name me one … and I don’t want to speak for other teams. I’m being a little sarcastic with that. But I know that he’s a pretty good football player.”

“I’ll just stick by with what I’ve said,” Spielman said. “I know that Adrian is a good person, just being around him. I know he’s done a lot of good in this community. What he did — he just came out and said he made a mistake. As [coach Mike Zimmer] had stated earlier, he has to get all that in order and then we’ll proceed from there.”

This will be one of the more compelling situations to monitor this spring/summer from a personnel standpoint. Peterson is under contract and the team says it wants him to return, so in all likelihood, he will.

49ers set to promote defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to head coach, per sources.

Tomsula has been with the team since 2007. He'll need to hire an effective offensive coordinator since he was brought up on the defensive side of the ball. So far, there is no reason to think that the 49ers will suddenly become more productive on offense.

After two years out of coaching, Chan Gailey once again will have a job in the NFL.

According to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com, Gailey will join the New York Jets as the offensive coordinator under new head coach Todd Bowles.

The Jets were 22nd in yards and 28th in total points in 2014. Gailey had success early in his coaching career at Denver, Pittsburgh, Dallas and Miami, but in four total seasons with the Chiefs and the Bills, his offenses failed to crack the top 13 in either points or total offense.

Jack Del Rio is expected to be the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday morning, citing two sources informed of the team's thinking, that signs point to the former Broncos defensive coordinator and Jaguars head coach being the next man tapped to lead the middling franchise out of a playoff drought that began in 2002. Rapoport adds that the Raiders decided Tuesday against sticking with interim coach Tony Sparano.

In nine seasons as the Jaguars head coach, Del Rio compiled a 68-71 record. He spent the last three years as the defensive coordinator for the Broncos, who were 3rd in total defense (and 16th in points allowed) in 2014.

GM Dave Gettleman said he wanted to sit down with DeAngelo Williams before saying anything publicly about the status of the franchise’s all-time rushing leader. Last year, Gettleman was widely criticized for his noncommittal comments about Steve Smith’s future with the team before talking to the Panthers’ popular, all-time receiving leader.

“I need to talk to DeAngelo, I really do. He’s a pro’s pro, and he had a tough season,” Gettleman said. “The obvious loss of his mom was very, very difficult. He only played six (regular season) games this year, and it was tough for him. Before I say anything, just know he’s a pro’s pro. And the way he finished the season, he finished it like a man.”

Williams, who turns 32 in April, finished with career lows in every major rushing category after battling injuries most of the season. When Williams returned from a broken hand in December, he was reduced to part-time work behind Jonathan Stewart and Fozzy Whittaker.

Jonathan Stewart was tremendous down the stretch, averaging 105 total yards (97.0 rushing) in the final seven games, including two playoff games. He averaged 5.30 YPC in that span, including 5.13 YPC versus Arizona and 5.38 YPC against Seattle in the playoffs. Over the final five games of the regular season, he was the #10 fantasy running back. He turns 28 in March, so there is definitely some tread left on his tires. Even though he has missed 20 percent of his team's games throughout the career, he'll be a high-upside pick if Williams is let go.

The New York Jets have replaced one defensive guru with another, tapping former Arizona Cardinals coordinator Todd Bowles as Rex Ryan's successor.

Bowles told ESPN's Josina Anderson in a text message that he was taking the job.

The news came less than four hours after the Jets announced the hiring of Mike Maccagnan as their general manager. Bowles will receive a four-year contract, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

It's yet another defensive-minded head coaching hire for the Jets. His first task will be to find an offensive coordinator who can get the Jets' offense rolling again.

Buffalo Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan today announced that the team has terminated the contract of Jim Schwartz which will allow the defense coordinator to pursue other opportunities.

Ryan said, “I have the utmost respect for Jim and what he has been able to accomplish throughout his career and I know he feels the same about me. Jim’s defenses are always tough and ranked near the top of the league standings. I wanted to give Jim the opportunity to pursue other opportunities and so we have terminated his contract. He did a terrific job with the Bills defense this past year and our plan is for our defense to continue to play well and be a dominating force.”

Schwartz did a great job with the Bills defense this season. The unit was 4th in both total points allowed and total yardage allowed. He'll be a hot name on the DC market.

The Dallas Cowboys are on the brink of a new five-year contract agreement with Jason Garrett to remain the team's head coach, sources tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

A team source told ESPN's Ed Werder of the deal: "It's not done, but close."

Garrett guided the Cowboys further than anyone outside of Irving thought they would go. Despite a tough loss to Green Bay in the Divisional Round, it was only a matter of time before owner Jerry Jones inked Garrett to a new deal.

The Cowboys are close to a contract with Rod Marinelli that will ensure he remains as the team’s defensive coordinator, a source said.

The talks appear to have reached the stage where the contract could be finalized later today or tomorrow. Jason Garrett said earlier in the day that Marinelli had told him that he wanted to return.

The Cowboys were surprisingly competent on the defensive side of the ball despite a glaring lack of talent. The unit finished 15th in points allowed and was 19th in total yardage allowed.

The Saints were primed to increase Khiry Robinson’s workload this past year before his season got derailed by a fractured arm.

Robinson has averaged 4.51 YPC on 130 totes, but hasn't been used much in the passing game while with the Saints (eight catches, 63 yards). If the Saints allow Mark Ingram to walk, Robinson could see a big workload as the team's primary back. He won't become a restricted free agent until 2016. Pierre Thomas is signed for two more seasons, so he would likely handle pass-catching duties.

Aaron Rodgers said his strained left calf felt "a little bit worse" after Sunday’s playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys, but it was a whole lot better on Monday than it was the day after the Green Bay Packers quarterback re-injured it in the regular-season finale two weeks ago.

And with just six more days until Sunday's NFC Championship Game at the Seattle Seahawks, that's an encouraging sign for the Packers given that he had two weeks between the Week 17 game against the Detroit Lions and the playoff opener against the Cowboys.

"Aaron made it through the game very well," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday. "Saw him today. He's getting better. I think he feels better at this time this week than he did last week."

It's a good sign for the Packers that Rodgers didn't suffer a setback against the Cowboys. Maybe he will have a bit more mobility against the Seahawks on Sunday.

Whether or not Sunday's Divisional Round loss marks Peyton Manning's final game in Denver, it will stand as John Fox's last game on the Broncos' sidelines.

Fox told NFL Media's Jeff Darlington Monday that he and the Broncos have reached a mutual decision to part ways. The team later confirmed the move through a released statement.

Fox was 46-18 in four seasons with the Broncos.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning played Sunday's Divisional Playoff loss and the past month of the season with a torn right quad, according to two sources.

Manning initially injured his thigh when he rolled out right to throw a 12-yard completion to Emmanuel Sanders late in the first half of Denver's Dec. 14 win over the San Diego Chargers.

Following the game, Manning said he injured his leg on a throw to Sanders. There was some thought that he had hurt it on an 8-yard completion to Sanders with 2:43 to play in the first half or three plays before he left the field and went up the tunnel to the visitors' locker room. But after the 12-yard completion with 5:39 left, Manning can be seen flexing his leg and grimacing as he moves to call the next play.

Broncos doctors knew about the injury, and Manning did what he could to intentionally conceal the injury from as many people as he could, sources said.

Manning averaged just 240 yards and 0.8 TD (against 1.2 INT) in his last five games, so the quad injury explains a lot. He's mulling his future, and his potential retirement would drastically change the fantasy landscape in Denver.

The only thing that can put Eddie Lacy on pause is the sub-freezing temperature of the Wisconsin outdoors that inflames his lungs.

But while an asthma attack sidelined him for a portion of the second quarter, the Green Bay Packers running back roared back and ended up with 101 yards on 19 carries against the respected Dallas run defense ranked No. 8 in the NFL this season.

"I had a real good first drive. And then...."

And then he had to tell running backs coach Sam Gash that he couldn't breathe. Backup running back James Starks was sent in, and Green Bay fell behind, 14-7, trailing at home for the first time since Week 2 against the New York Jets. All Lacy could do was warm up with a jacket and wait for his inhaler to help him out.

"You know your body is good enough to go out and play," said Lacy. "But ... you just can't breathe. And it's a breathing thing. It's not something you want to go out and risk...risk something bad happening. There's nothing I can do about it. It's a medical condition. I take my inhaler, I do everything I'm supposed to do. When it happens, it happens."

Lacy's absence early in the game was puzzling given the stage and his performance early on. He returned to the game and was a key to the Packers' ability to pull out the win. The team will need him next week to slow down Seattle's pass rush.

Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Paul Richardson suffered a torn ACL in the team's divisional round playoff game Saturday night and will be out the remainder of the playoffs, sources confirmed to ESPN's Chris Mortensen on Sunday.

Richardson will miss the remainder of the season.

Broncos QB Peyton Manning on whether he will be coming back in 2015, to Dave Logan on 850 KOA:

"That's kind of what I've said all along. But I can't answer every what-if circumstance. What if you're not as healthy? What if certain coaches leave? I can't answer every what-if situation. I think I'll have to take some time to see how I feel, see how I feel physically."

On his mindset for the 2015 season:

"Yeah my mindset right now is just disappointment after today's game. Dave Logan asked me about it after the game, and like I said, I didn't have a great answer for him. So I'm disappointed. I kind of need to process this game and we'll meet tomorrow. I need to process this game.

"I just can't give that simple answer. I'm just processing it. I could not say that."

If Manning were to retire, it would completely change the fantasy landscape in Denver. He sounds to us like a player who will be back for another season, but needs some time to process the season and the loss.

Colts Inactives
CB Jalil Brown
RB Trent Richardson
CB Sheldon Price
LB Henoc Muamba
OL Xavier Nixon
OL Jonotthan Harrison
DL Zach Kerr

With Trent Richardson inactive, Dan Herron should see plenty of action with Zurlon Tipton serving as Colts RB2. This may mark the end of the Trent Richardson era in Indianapolis.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger opted out of the Pro Bowl as a precaution, but the decision is not related to a larger problem with his knee, his agent said in an email to ESPN.com Friday night.

"Ben was instructed by team doctors to avoid strenuous activity due to inflammation in his knee, thus he will not play in the Pro Bowl," agent Ryan Tollner said. "His knee will not require surgery and he looks forward to an otherwise healthy offseason to improve with his teammates."

Roethlisberger should be good to go for OTAs and minicamp.

Calling it a “mutual parting,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau told the Urbana Daily Citizen on Saturday that he is resigning as defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I’m resigning this position, not retiring,” LeBeau, 77, said in an exclusive interview with the Daily Citizen. “I had a great run in Pittsburgh. I’m grateful for all the things that have happened to me and thankful for all the support I had in Pittsburgh.”

The Steelers finished #18 in both points allowed and total defense.

The Buffalo Bills are putting the finishing touches on a five-year deal that will make Rex Ryan their next head coach, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Ryan and the Bills are expected to hire 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman to the same position in Buffalo, sources told ESPN. Ryan and Roman previously worked together as assistant coaches with the Ravens.

The Bills also have said they would like to keep Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator and pair him with the best head coach possible. Ryan already has spoken to Schwartz about staying as Buffalo's defensive coordinator, a league source told ESPN. But Schwartz runs a 4-3 defensive scheme with a wide-9 front -- used consistently this year only by the Bills and Lions, according to a source -- while Ryan prefers a hybrid 3-4 scheme.

Somewhat surprisingly, Ryan stays in the AFC East. He inherits a great defense and a suspect offense with major QB issues. Roman's offense was somewhat disappointing given the weapons in San Francisco.

Patriots Inactives

RB James White
RB Jonas Gray
OL Jordan Devey
OL Cameron Fleming
WR Josh Boyce
TE Steve Maneri
DE Zach Moore

Jonas Gray is a surprise inactive. It's an indicator that the Patriots are likely to go pass-heavy and use LeGarrette Blount as their primary between-the-tackles running back. Baltimore is a bad matchup, so Blount is not an especially attractive play in daily formats, though his 12-14 carry workload should be safe.

The Giants today initiated a restructuring of their defensive coaching staff when they announced the departure of coordinator Perry Fewell and secondary/cornerbacks coach Peter Giunta.

Fewell had been the team’s defensive coordinator since 2010, while Giunta joined the staff in 2006. Giunta was on the staff for both of the Giants’ Super Bowl victories under Tom Coughlin, while Fewell coordinated the defense when the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI.

“These are two outstanding men and outstanding football coaches,” head coach Tom Coughlin said. “It is very hard in this business to find people that are not only good football coaches but outstanding human beings who are trustworthy, loyal and honest. Perry and Peter are all that.”

Despite his strong personal feelings for Fewell and Giunta, Coughlin said the changes were necessary in the wake of the Giants’ 6-10 season in 2014, their third in row without a postseason berth.

The Giants were 29th in total defense and 22nd in points allowed.

Georgia head coach Mark Richt announced on Wednesday that St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer would replace Mike Bobo, who accepted the head job at Colorado State last month, as the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Schottenheimer spent his past three seasons leading a Rams offense that ranked as one of the NFL's lowest-scoring units (25th in scoring and 28th in total offense over that stretch) while struggling with personnel issues, most notably quarterback Sam Bradford.

Schottenheimer didn't have much to work with while in St. Louis, specifically at quarterback. The offense showed some signs of life when Sam Bradford was under center, but he was limited to just seven games over the past two seasons.

The Cleveland Browns' tradition of change continues, as a team source told ESPN.com Thursday that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains will not return next season.

Shanahan resigned and Loggains was fired, according to a league source.

Sources familiar with the situation said the split was caused because the pair did not see eye to eye with the front office about quarterback Johnny Manziel. The front office wants Manziel to be the starter, and the source said the coaches do not believe they can win with him.

Shanahan felt the decision to start Manziel was forced on the coaching staff, and that the yearlong insistence to play him when he wasn't ready wore on Shanahan, the team source said.

It's interesting to hear that Manziel's future was the reason for the divorce. Despite the Browns' offensive struggles down the stretch, Shanahan is a hot name around the league and won't have a problem finding employment for next season.

Dirk Koetter, 55, agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Buccaneers with an option in 2017. He interviewed for the job last week and brings familiarity with the NFC South. Before coming to Atlanta, he spent five seasons as the Jaguars' offensive coordinator, following stints as head coach at Boise State and Arizona State.

During his three seasons in Atlanta, the Falcons ranked eighth, 14th and eighth in total offense. The Falcons' Matt Ryan posted the three highest passing yardage seasons in franchise history under Koetter, as well as three of the four highest completion percentage seasons.

That's important because the Bucs have the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft and are in position to select either Florida State's Jameis Winston or Oregon junior Marcus Mariota, who has yet to declare.

Koetter runs a pro-style offense that is heavy on the passing side, which could be a fit for Winston. But he also has a strong connection on the Mariota side — Oregon coach Mark Helfrich was Koetter's quarterbacks coach for eight years, at Boise State (1998-2000) and Arizona State (2001-05).

This looks like a good hire for whomever the Bucs tap to be quarterback in 2015.

Seattle has held Cam Newton to one touchdown in three games since 2012. What has been the key to that?

Seahawks beat writer Terry Blount: Newton shouldn't feel too bad. The Seahawks have made a lot of very good QBs look bad the past couple of years -- Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl and Aaron Rodgers this year in the season opener, to name two. But the biggest thing is they've done what I'm sure the Panthers want to do to Russell Wilson -- cut off his running lanes and force Newton to beat them throwing. Newton had 12 carries for only 24 yards in the game at Charlotte earlier this season. Forcing any QB to beat them just by passing is a chore against the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, which has three Pro Bowlers in Chancellor, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas.

Newton has averaged 146 passing yards and 35 rushing yards in his last three games against Seattle. He has thrown one touchdown pass and one interception (total) in those three games. Daily fantasy players should look elsewhere for a strong quarterback play.

The Ravens have only allowed five touchdowns to tight ends in the regular season, and they held Jimmy Graham to 47 yards receiving. Do the Ravens have a chance of slowing down Rob Gronkowski, or do you throw out those numbers because he is on a different level?

Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss: They can definitely slow Gronkowski, but it will come at a cost. One of the most impressive things about Gronkowski’s season to me is how his 82 catches for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns hardly tell the whole story. It’s plays like touchdown catches by Julian Edelman and Shane Vereen against the Broncos on Nov. 2 that highlight his true value because there were three to four defenders swarming around Gronkowski in the end zone, creating those one-on-one opportunities for Julian Edelman and Shane Vereen. That was pretty commonplace this season with Gronkowski, who is a pure combination tight end in the sense that he can also dominate as a blocker when he wants; it's not just catching the ball. So I’d be surprised if the Ravens can slow Gronkowski consistently with just one player like safety Will Hill. But if they want to devote extra resources to it, they can probably dictate the ball going elsewhere, and the Patriots have shown the ability to capitalize when that happens.

The Ravens are #19 in TE aFPA in the last 10 games, so we're not too concerned about their chances to shutting down Gronkowski. The Patriots have enough weapons in the passing game to make Baltimore pay if they consistently double- or triple-team Gronkowski.

One the NFL’s most-penalized defenders, New England Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner, could cross paths Saturday with the league’s most prolific receiver in terms of drawing pass interference penalties, Torrey Smith.

Smith led the NFL with 11 defensive pass interference penalties drawn for 229 yards during the regular season, according to Football Outsiders, and added a 12th for 29 yards against the Steelers in the wild-card game. The next closest receiver, Green Bay Packers star Jordy Nelson, drew six flags for 129 yards.

“It’s definitely frustrating, but again, it’s part of the game,” Smith said this week. “I don’t want to be known for a guy that’s just getting held all the time, but it just happens. If I knew why it kept happening … I guess most times it’s because I’m moving pretty good, and it kind of surprises them a little bit, so they grab you.”

Browner, a physical corner signed from the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason, has played just nine games for the Patriots. He was called for five defensive pass interference penalties this season, and 15 penalties overall.

Unfortunately, pass interference penalties don't count in fantasy football.

Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray hasn’t suffered any setbacks with his surgically-repaired left hand. The NFL’s rushing leader doesn’t expect to do anything different when he prepares for Sunday’s game in Green Bay. He’ll use the same padded glove he’s used the previous three games.

“It’s been good,” Murray said Thursday. “It’s a lot better than any other injury I’ve had. It’s not bad. I’m blessed.”

“I’ve worn the same thing, because it feels comfortable for me. I haven’t changed anything. I’m not going to change anything now, because it’s working for me.”

Has Murray’s hand been a factor in terms of his workload the last couple of weeks?

“No, it really hasn’t,” Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan said. “If practice is any indicator of how the game is going to get played out, he’s certainly proven that. When he goes to practice he’s catching it, he’s running it, he’s doing everything he needs to do as a back, so I don’t think there’s any hesitancy whatsoever on our part or his part, putting him in there whether it’s protection or whether it’s in the passing game as a receiver, or we’re just running the ball.”

Murray saw 22 touches against the Lions in the Wild Card round, which accounted for 55 percent of his team's touches. On the season, he has handled 53.7 percent of the Cowboys' total touches. Even though his raw touches were down against Detroit, that was more about the opponent than how OC Scott Linehan was calling the game. Expect another big workload against Green Bay this week.

Mark Kizla of the Denver Post: I'm not certain Thomas will be 100 percent healthy until given the offseason to heal.

"We don't always get the opportunity to let things recover the way a doctor would want you to," he said. "When you know you're this close to our goal and you've worked all year to be in this place, you tell yourself: 'Man, we have three games left. Can you get through it for three games? Can you do whatever you can?' "

Thomas was tied in standard fantasy points with Rob Gronkowski through 10 weeks. From Week 11 on, he managed just five catches for 66 yards while appearing in four of his team's seven games.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers returned to the practice field for the first time since re-injuring his calf on Dec. 28 against Detroit, and during the team’s 11-on-11 work on Thursday, he took 50 to 60 percent of the snaps, according to Mike McCarthy.

“Aaron practiced in the team periods. He looked good,” McCarthy said. “He went down and did everything we asked him to do today. It’s always a better practice when he’s out there.”

The 50-60 percent was the target McCarthy set for Rodgers. He was officially listed as limited on the injury report.

According to Adam Schefter, Rodgers is dealing with a "slight tear" in addition to a "significant strain" in his calf. While it is worrisome that Rodgers hasn't practiced until today, he should be able to play at a high level against the Cowboys since he finished the game against the Lions and has 10 days of treatment and rest for his sore calf.

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and former Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner are teaming up this offseason.

The Sacramento Bee's Matt Barrows reported Tuesday that Kaepernick will spend the spring at EXOS in Phoenix with Warner and quarterback coach Dennis Gile.

Kaepernick is looking to rebound after a disappointing 2014, and Warner will be there to help. According to the report, Warner will focus on film study and 7-on-7 drills with Kaepernick.

Kaepernick finished as the #15 QB in standard formats. He rushed for 641 yards, which was second-most among quarterbacks, but only rushed for one touchdown. We're expecting better fantasy numbers from Kaepernick in 2015.

When New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman takes the field in Saturday’s divisional-round playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens, it will mark his first game in almost a month. No one is more excited about that than Edelman, although quarterback Tom Brady probably isn’t far behind.

The two are working overtime to re-establish and fine-tune the connection that helped Edelman produce a team-high 92 receptions before he was shut down during the final games of the season with a concussion.

“We’ve been practicing the last week and a half or something; I know Tom a little bit here now, these last few years. He knows me. There’s a foundation,” Edelman relayed in his first remarks to the press since Dec. 14 following a victory over the Dolphins. "But even if whatever happened didn’t happen, we still have to continue to try to get better. That’s what we’re trying to do -- staying after, throwing a couple extra routes, bouncing ideas off each other. Like any other week, I guess, but the stakes are a little higher.”

Edelman should hit the ground the running against a shaky Baltimore secondary. He was the #13 WR in PPR formats before missing the final two games with a concussion.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, dealing with an injured left calf, will be examined by Packers physician Dr. Patrick McKenzie on Wednesday. The Packers expect Rodgers to be cleared for at least limited participation in practice on Thursday, the most important day of the week for the offense.

Coach Mike McCarthy is not concerned about Rodgers not having a full amount of practice time this week. In 2008, his first season as a starter, Rodgers played despite not practicing for a month because of a shoulder injury. Since then, McCarthy said, Rodgers has been able to prepare despite missing practices.

Rodgers has played pretty well in the last two games after he put up a "stinker" against Buffalo in Week 15. That loss has put the Packers in a situation where they may have to go on the road (to Seattle) for the NFC Championship Game, but they have to beat a hot Dallas Cowboys team first. Rodgers should be ready to go after getting nearly two weeks of rest.

When Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith breaks the huddle Saturday against the New England Patriots, he anticipates having cornerback Brandon Browner frequently matching up against him.

Browner is one of the biggest and most physical corners in the NFL at 6-feet-4, 221 pounds. His style is based on roughing up wide receivers.

And Torrey Smith expects to see plenty of Browner during an AFC divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium instead of Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis. Revis is expected to line up against Steve L Smith most of the time.

Revis has been significantly better in coverage than Browner this season, so this is good news for those owners hoping to use him this week. He has been the #13 WR since Week 6, and has scored 11 touchdowns in his last 12 games.

HC Mike Tomlin said that QB Ben Roethlisberger may have offseason surgery to clean up his knee.

This is not ominous news given the timeframe. Roethlisberger should be fine for minicamp/OTAs if he's simply having his knee "cleaned up."

Vikings WR Charles Johnson turns 26 on Feb. 27 and, unlike the feeling for Cordarrelle Patterson, the assumption by the team is Johnson will continue to improve. In just 12 games (six starts) this season, Johnson finished third in receiving yards (475) on 31 catches as he morphed from “who’s that guy?” to “he’s the No. 1 receiver on the team.” Johnson’s two touchdown receptions tied for second on the team, while his 15.3 average per catch was No. 1 among players with more than nine catches.

When the Vikings lost Adrian Peterson after Week 1, they struggled for weeks without an offensive identity. OC Norv Turner said it wasn’t until after the Nov. 16 Bears game that the Vikings established an identity with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater running a spread-it-out offense over the final six games.

“Part of that was we started playing Charles Johnson, which gave us a different guy on the outside to attack,” Turner said. “It created some differences in how people defended us. I think we became a much more efficient offensive football team and put ourselves in position to win games. We won some and there were some that a year from now, put in the same situation, we’ll be ready to handle it and be ready to win.”

“Next year will be my first year to actually get my first full year to play in the NFL and two years in a row of practicing and playing in the same system,” said Johnson, who was with Turner in Cleveland in 2013, but was rehabbing his knee the whole season. “Even Norv said the first season in this system is all right, but the second season is always better.”

Johnson also said he expects to be physically stronger and faster next season. And, remember, this was a guy who ran a 4.39 at the 2013 combine.

“I’m going to be a little bit more comfortable because I am coming off ACL surgery,” Johnson said. “I can say that I’m coming off ACL surgery and not fully confident in myself. training this offseason is going to be important for me. I look forward to it.”

Johnson started playing significant snaps in Week 11, and over the final seven games of the season, he averaged 3.6 catches for 59 yards and 0.29 touchdowns. He was the #31 fantasy receiver in that span. He should continue to have plenty of opportunity to grow in Turner's offense. His ADP will likely land in the 9th-12th rounds of 12-team leagues, depending on what the Vikings do at receiver this offseason.

The Ravens are one of the tougher run defenses in the NFL, ranking fourth this season in holding opponents to an average of 88.3 yards per game and not allowing a 100-yard rusher in the past 27 games. They are a sturdy front seven and with this in mind, it's hard to imagine the Patriots go with a heavy diet of bigger personnel and a power-running approach. Instead, a more likely scenario is that the Patriots attempt to manipulate matchups in hopes of lightening the box and getting the Ravens into sub packages to test their overall quality and depth in the defensive backfield, which is their primary area of vulnerability. For the Patriots to do this, adding a second tight end with more of a pass-catching profile, third receiver, or second running back makes sense. This is where Wright, a "move" tight end, could be a bigger factor. When blocking-based tight end Michael Hoomanawanui is paired with Rob Gronkowski, it usually results in opponents playing base defense. But when Wright is paired with Gronkowski, it has sometimes been sub because he's more of a pass-catching threat. The Patriots have had success going up-tempo with that grouping as well, so we could envision Wright being a bigger part of the plan Saturday, with receiver Danny Amendola and running back Brandon Bolden (in a two-back set with Shane Vereen) as other options.

Wright's production has been spotty, but when the Patriots have called his number, he has usually delivered.

Bengals TE Tyler Eifert says he'll be ready for training camp.

We'd like to hear that he'll be available for minicamp, but this is the next best thing. He was a breakout candidate coming into the 2014 season and could be a prime late-round value pick in 2015 drafts if Jermaine Gresham moves on. (Gresham is a free agent.)

Colts are going to stay the course with Dan Herron in spite of the fumbles per HC Chuck Pagano. Reducing touches might kill a guy’s confidence.

Herron finished with 22 touches for 141 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals, but fumbled twice, losing one. Zurlon Tipton played more snaps after Herron's first fumble, but Herron was in for all of the passing down work, which led to 10 catches for 85 yards. Herron should be a good play in what might be a high-scoring game against Denver.

Colts Inactives

DL Zach Kerr
OL Xavier Nixon
OL Hugh Thornton
OL A.Q. Shipley
LB Henoc Muamba
CB Sheldon Price
CB Jalil Brown

Trent Richardson was questionable with an illness, but it appears that he will play today. We prefer Dan Herron as a daily fantasy option.

Bengals Inactives

QB AJ McCarron
WR A.J. Green
DB Chris Lewis-Harris
OL Tanner Hawkinson
DL Devon Still
TE Jermaine Gresham
WR James Wright

A.J. Green was ruled out yesterday, so look for Mohamed Sanu to lead the team in targets, while Brandon Tate is likely to see a big increase in snaps. The Bengals are likely to go run heavy and try to play keep away from the Colts.

Panthers Inactives

DE Frank Alexander
S Thomas DeCoud
CB James Dockery
T David Foucault
LB A.J. Klein
DT Kyle Love
G Amini Silatolu

DeAngelo Williams is going to play, but Jonathan Stewart is expected to continue to serve as the lead back against Arizona. He has averaged 19.6 touches since Week 13.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart returned to practice Wednesday and having the day off on Tuesday, and he’s expected to start and get the majority of carries when the Panthers face the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday in the wild-card playoff game.

There’s been discussion on how the Panthers would split the carries between the red-hot Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, who’s recovering from a broken bone in his hand. Stewart didn’t seem concerned about that Wednesday.

“Whatever the offensive coordinator (decides) and whatever the plan is for the game, that’s how we run things,” Stewart said. “You just do your part and just worry about that.”

Stewart was the #10 fantasy running back from Week 13 to Week 17, and averaged 5.3 yards per carry in that span. Williams has been out for a while and averaged just 3.5 YPC on 62 carries this season.

Bengals WR A.J. Green not practicing today. In street clothes as he walks out.

It's not a good sign that Green isn't practicing today, though (for what it's worth) beat writer Coley Harvey said that he thinks he'll be cleared by Sunday. If Green can't play, then Mohamed Sanu should be a nice start. He averaged 5.5 catches for 96 yards and 0.5 TD in the four games that Green missed this season. He also posted a 3-84-1 in a game against Atlanta in which Green only played 7 percent of the snaps.

Cardinals HC Bruce Arians confirmed what seemed like was coming all week as quarterback Drew Stanton couldn’t practice with a bad knee: Stanton will not be able to play Saturday against the Panthers, and Ryan Lindley will start. Stanton always seemed like a longshot to go anyway as the week went on.

This is why the Panthers are our top-ranked defense this week.

Larry Fitzgerald does not expect to be back with the Cardinals next season, a source familiar with the situation told FOX Sports Arizona on Wednesday. That could make Saturday's wild-card playoff game in Charlotte, N.C., the final game of the Valley icon's Arizona career.

Last week, general manager Steve Keim confirmed a Pro Football Talk report that the Cardinals had no plans to cut Fitzgerald despite an unworkable $23.6 million cap number next season, which would account for about 17 percent of the projected $141 million salary cap.

"I don't think it's any secret that we've said all along it's our intent to have Larry Fitzgerald retire a Cardinal," Keim told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. "I don't want to get into it too deep, but with planning purposes, financially, from a cap standpoint, all those sorts of things, we have Larry's number already baked into our numbers."

"We've had ongoing talks with (Fitzgerald's agent) Eugene Parker, and we will continue to have ongoing talks," Keim added. "Even though it's still not 2015, it's my job to look at 2015, '16, '17 and years beyond, and we have to make good business decisions."

Fitzgerald's numbers don't justify his massive contract, but maybe the two sides can work out a deal that can keep him in Arizona for a while longer.

Steelers RB Josh Harris is in line to start Saturday with LeVeon Bell probably still a couple of first downs shorts of questionable for the 8:15 p.m. ET game at Heinz Field.

Harris had just nine carries for 16 yards in five regular-season games, but the 5-11, 210-pounder ripped off a 59-yard run last Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.

A holding penalty wiped out much of the gain. But the play goes down as one of the Steelers’ most significant 3-yard runs in recent memory given the role Harris might play against the Ravens.

"Josh is ready," said Bell, who did some light running and rode a stationary bike on Wednesday. "I’ve been watching him all year and I know what he’s capable of. You got a little glimpse of him (in) the Bengals game. He’s explosive. He knows all of his assignments. He’s not out there thinking any more. He’s just playing football. He’s only going to get better."

The Ravens are tough to run on, so we have Harris projected for about 74 yards on 18.7 touches.

Bengals Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green returned to practice Thursday morning in a limited capacity, but he remains under concussion protocol.

According to a Bengals official, Green still has to see a neuropsychologist and an independent neurologist before Sunday afternoon's wild-card-round playoff game at Indianapolis. Once he clears evaluations from both, he'll move beyond the protocol and will be allowed to play.

He will see the neuropsychologist Friday and the neurologist Saturday.

It sounds as if Green is on track to play, though he still has a few hurdles to clear.