By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

Super Bowl week in the year’s host city — for this iteration, Houston — is annually a hive of activity, excitement and seemingly unending media attention.

Look around and you’ll likely see at least a few current NFL players taking in the sights, sounds and festivities among football royalty and almost anyone who’s anyone. At least one player is already tired of it.

“I’m unfortunately used to it,” Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson told the Jaguars‘ official website Friday afternoon. “I’d much rather be playing than going through the media row aspects of it, but it is what it is.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

Tyrod Taylor‘s unceremonious finish to the 2016 season was the bow on top of what became a peculiar campaign for the Buffalo Bills.

But even as potential free agency looms, the former darling quarterback in western New York says he isn’t dwelling on it.

“My focus is not on the contract situation or what’s gonna happen. It’s more just being healthy,” Taylor said Friday on WGR 550-AM. “The thing that keeps my mind off of it is rehabbing [from January groin surgery]. If I didn’t have to rehab, I’d probably be thinking about [the contract situation] all the time.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

The Colts have welcomed a new general manager to the organization in the last week with the addition of Chris Ballard.

Now they’re in the market for a punter.

Pat McAfee is retiring from the National Football League, the punter announced on Comedy Central’s Barstool Rundown on Wednesday night. Selected in the seventh round out of West Viginia in the 2009 NFL Draft, the outspoken and often comical special teamer spent eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. McAfee, who had a flair for making punting more than just a thankless contribution to the game, finishes with a career net average of 40.1 yards and a career long of 74 yards, which he achieved in 2016. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

It wasn’t too long ago that Bob McNair was fending off reporters critical of quarterback Brock Osweiler.

Based on the tone of the Houston Texans owner on Wednesday, it looks like the lion is no longer standing in front of his expensive cub.

“We need much better performance out of that position,” McNair told reporters Wednesday of the Texans‘ quarterback situation. “Not much available out there.”

McNair isn’t wrong about either point. Houston was a team with the best defense in the league in yards allowed per game (301.3, and that was without superstar defensive end J.J. Watt), but was hampered offensively by the quarterback position and the repeated struggles of Osweiler. The lanky, slow-footed quarterback was errant and often appeared uncomfortable in the pocket, causing frequent frustration among those watching Houston trudge its way to low-scoring wins. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

The Jimmy Garoppolo-to-Cleveland rumors aren’t going away any time soon.

Just months after completing an in-season deal for linebacker Jamie Collins, the Browns remain linked to the Patriots in trade talks for the backup quarterback. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that “the interest in Garoppolo is real,” but there are some uncertainties.

“We do not know whether or not they will strike a deal for that, how willing the Patriots would be to actually part with someone who would be their backup next year and their big-time insurance policy in case Tom Brady ever gets injured,” Rapoport reported. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

The Bills‘ change in coaching staff was a somewhat disjointed process, but it’s finally starting to come together.

After hiring former Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott as head coach, Buffalo has made the departure of Rex Ryan holdovers official. Bobby April, John Blake, Aaron Kromer, David Lee, D’Anton Lynn, Tim McDonald, Pat Meyer, Chris Palmer, Ed Reed, Eric Smith, Kathryn Smith, Dennis Thurman, Jason Vrable and Jeff Weeks will not be on the team’s staff in 2017, the Bills announced Tuesday. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

It has again been a cold winter for Rex Ryan, recently fired former head coach of an NFL team.

Make that two of the last three.

Ryan is again unemployed, terminated with a week left in the second year of his five-year contract with the Buffalo Bills, signed just weeks after he was relieved of his duties as head coach of the New York Jets. His AFC East tour stops there, at least for now, as the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins won’t be in the market for a new head coach for the foreseeable future. So with plenty of time to reflect on what went wrong in Orchard Park and the Meadowlands, does Ryan have ill will toward his former employers?

Well, not quite. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

As the Falcons have done for their last eight games, they were able to claim a touchdown on their first attempt — only this time, it was their chartered flight landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Atlanta’s plane landed safely in Houston ahead of Super Bowl LI on Sunday afternoon, a day ahead of the Falcons‘ opponents in the sport’s biggest game, scheduled to kick off on Feb. 5 at NRG Stadium. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

When the Colts fired general manager Ryan Grigson last week, it seemed almost immediately as if the person to replace him would be Jimmy Raye III.

Six days later, that isn’t so certain.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Friday that it’s Chris Ballard of the Chiefs at the head of the pack, not Raye, near the latter stages of the first round of interviews. Currently serving as the director of player personnel in Kansas City, Ballard interviewed with the Colts on Wednesday. It’s not certain that there will be a second round of interviews, but the process is expected to last about another week, Garafolo added. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

The Cowboys are spending the rest of January and first week of February doing the same as 29 other NFL teams. For a group of players, that includes surgery.

Add two Cowboys to that company.

DeMarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford had separate, successful surgeries, coach Jason Garrett said on Friday, via the Dallas Morning News. Lawrence had an operation on his back, while Crawford’s was on his shoulder, and neither have a timetable to return. With plenty of time to heal and rehabilitate, this shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Continue reading →