NFL news: Around the league in 32 plays
By Ben Almquist
New Orleans Saints: The Saints have added yet another running back to Injured Reserve as CJ Spiller is now done for the year. The Saints have been unable to establish a steady presence on the ground all year.
- Chiefs’ take: I see no way the Chiefs carry the entire foursome of Charles, Davis, West, and Ware in 2016. The Saints were willing trade partners in 2015, so they may be again in 2016. With the Chiefs holding a loaded backfield, they can probably manage to get something back. And with none of these players carrying a significantly large contract, the return in picks/players could be more than you’d expect.
New York Giants: The rumor mill is starting to kick up the old Nick Saban to New York storyline. Two things to consider there…1) Obviously that would mean Tom Coughlin is out, though that wouldn’t be much of a surprise right now. 2) Does Saban still want to coach in the NFL, and how far will Bama go to prevent him?
Oakland Raiders: As the relocation to LA race starts reaching some very real deadlines, host cities are starting to feel the pressure. That was especially true of Oakland, who had announced they wouldn’t be submitting a plan for retaining the Raiders…until they later decided that they would. Moral of the story? Never bluff when you know the other guy has a Full House. In on the field news, safety Nate Allen was placed on Injured Reserve.
- Chiefs’ take: Alex Smith didn’t have much difficulty picking apart the Raiders in Week 13, and without Allen back there I would expect him to be even more aggressive. This could be a big confidence-boosting win heading into the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles: After the firing of Chip Kelly, the Eagles have begun to retool their organization. Early rumors are surfacing that the team could pursue Ryan Grigson, who may be fired as General Manager in Indianapolis, to come on as an assistant to Howie Roseman who is taking on the GM role again in Philly.
Chiefs’ take
: If this scenario is starting to sound a little familiar, it ‘s because we’ve seen this play out before…from the opposite angle. In 2013 the Chiefs held on to Scott Pioli throughout the coach hiring process before letting him go. He then joined Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta for some weird power-sharing GM Voltron thing. If the Eagles bring in Grigson to pair with Roseman, it could be the next big trend in the NFL.
San Diego Chargers: The Chargers flat out screwed over veteran safety Eric Weddle. Weddle was fined by the team for staying on the field during halftime to watch his daughter dance in the halftime show. On top of that, Weddle has been placed on Injured Reserve and was informed by the team that “there was no room for him on the flight to Denver.” Joining Weddle on Injured Reserve is tight end Ladarius Green.
- Author’s take: There is already some dissent being shown regarding how the team has treated Weddle. He’s a popular (not to mention extremely talented) player for the organization. It has been long rumored that he was likely to leave in Free Agency after this season. I think that’s a safe bet at this point.
San Francisco 49ers: Running back Shaun Draughn was making pretty good use of his opportunity in San Francisco, but that has come to an end as the former Chief is now headed to Injured Reserve.
- Chiefs’ take: Draughn is an unheralded member of the running back legacy in Kansas City, but he hasn’t done bad for himself both in his time with the Chiefs and after.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers stayed in the playoff mix far longer than anyone expected, but now that their chances are over, they are thinking about the future. Part of that is placing wide receiver Vincent Jackson on Injured Reserve so that he can start healing and rehabbing for 2016, though it isn’t a certainty that he will be returning to the team in 2016.
Washington Redskins: Sources with the team have reportedly told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that quarterback Kirk Cousins “isn’t going anywhere” this offseason. After a tumultuous ride with Robert Griffin III, it’s no surprise that the Redskins would want to keep the seemingly more stable Cousins…not to mention the fact he helped lead a team that wasn’t even supposed to be competitive into the playoffs.
- Author’s Take: This will obviously mean that RGIII is headed elsewhere. Get ready for a lot of people talking about Kansas City as a potential landing spot.
Well, that will do it for both myself and 2015! Be sure to check back next week, Addicts, to see what 2016 has in store for us.