NFL Roundup: Ballard tore ACL in Super Bowl, Rams interview Gamble
Ballard suffered torn ACL in Super Bowl, Giants announce
He was on crutches and in obvious pain, but that was all secondary in nature for New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard Tuesday during the huge parade and rally that honored the team's win in Sunday's Super Bowl.
Come Wednesday, though, Ballard will begin a long route back to the gridiron, as it was announced by the team Tuesday that he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament during the second half of the 21-17 Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots.
An MRI confirmed Ballard's injury. No announcement has been made yet on when he'll have surgery on the injury, but in most instances of ACL injuries, surgery is usually followed by a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation lasting at least six to nine months, if not causing Ballard to miss all of the upcoming 2012 season.
Ballard signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent. He had 38 receptions for 604 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season. In the Giants' four playoff games, he grabbed five passes for 43 yards, including two catches in Sunday's championship-clinching game in Indianapolis.
Rams to interview 49ers' Gamble for GM job
Tom Gamble saw his team return to the playoffs this season, and the St. Louis Rams are curious about whether he can help them do the same.
The director of player personnel for the San Francisco 49ers is set to interview on Tuesday for the Rams' open general manager job, according to a report in the National Football Post.
Gamble will be the ninth candidate to interview for the job since former GM Billy Devaney was dismissed on January 2. In addition to Gamble, the group includes directors of player personnel from four other teams, including the Vikings' George Paton, who had his second interview with the team on Monday. Ryan Grigson also interviewed for the job before accepting an offer from the Colts to become their new general manager.
Gamble will enter his 25th NFL season this fall, and has been with the 49ers since 2004. He was director of pro personnel for seven years before being promoted to director of player personnel last year. He's also been a scout for the Colts, Panthers, Raven and Eagles, and spent two seasons as a defensive assistant for the New York Jets.
Devaney had been the Rams' GM since 2008, and was responsible for the hiring of former head coach Steve Spagnuolo, who was fired along with Devaney and replaced by former Titans coach Jeff Fisher. Under Devaney and Spagnuolo, the Rams went 10-38.
Report: Steelers TE Saunders to be suspended four games
Steelers tight end Weslye Saunders will miss the first four games of the 2012 season, according to reports.
Saunders, who signed with Pittsburgh last year as an undrafted rookie out of the University of South Carolina, has been suspended by the NFL for an undisclosed violation, according to Aaron Wilson of Scout.com.
It's not the first trouble for Saunders, who earned multiple Freshman All-American honors following his first season with the Gamecocks and was named fourth team All-SEC by Phil Steele following his junior campaign. He missed the entire 2010 season due to NCAA and team violations, and then left school for the pros. After an initial dispute over his eligibility for the draft, he was declared eligible, but went undrafted.
Saunders made the Steelers as a rookie free agent, and saw action in every game for Pittsburgh, starting three games in the regular season and one in the playoffs against Denver. The native of Durham, N.C., played primarily on special teams, but made four catches for a total of 29 yards, including a career-long 14-yard catch against the Bengals on December 4. That game also saw him make his first career special teams tackle.
Packers won't let Bucs interview McAdoo
As the head coach at Rutgers, Greg Schiano exhorted his players to "keep chopping," likening the process of revitalizing the previously moribund Scarlet Knights program to chopping wood.
As Schiano looks to build his coaching staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it would seem the process is similarly arduous.
The Bucs had asked the Green Bay Packers for permission to interview tight ends coach Ben McAdoo as a candidate for their open offensive coordinator position, but the Packers denied the team permission. Tampa Bay had previously been denied permission to interview Cardinals wide receivers coach John McNulty.
It's not the first time this offseason that a team has been shut down when inquiring about McAdoo. The Dolphins, who hired former Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as their new head coach on January 20, had expressed interest in McAdoo as their new offensive coordinator, but were also denied permission to interview him. Miami wound up hiring Mike Sherman on January 27, one day after Schiano was tapped to lead the Buccaneers.
Schiano has struggled to build his staff thus far. In addition to being denied permission to interview McAdoo and McNulty, the team was reportedly turned down by University of Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Tampa Bay was 21st in the NFL in total offense in 2011, averaging 319.3 yards per game, and only five teams put up fewer points than the Buccaneers (17.9 points per game). The Bucs were particularly challenged on the ground, gaining just 91.1 yards per game. Only the Titans and Giants gained fewer yards on the ground in 2011.
Schiano is understandably eager to find coordinators and coaches who can help him turn the team's fortunes around. For now, however, he'll have to keep chopping wood.
NFL releases official order for 2012 Draft first round
With the 2011 NFL season officially concluded, the league has released the order for the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
The New York Giants, who defeated the New England Patriots on Sunday night to win Super Bowl XLVI, will have the final pick of the first round, by virtue of their championship victory. The Patriots will draft 31st, their second pick of the first round after acquiring the Saints' first-rounder in a trade at last year's draft.
The Saints traded their pick in order to move up and draft Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram of Alabama with the 28th pick in the first round of last year's draft. As a result, the Patriots will have both the 27th and 31st picks in 2012. The Browns (fourth and 22nd) and Bengals (17th and 21st) are the other teams currently scheduled to pick twice in the first round, due to trades with the Falcons and Raiders, respectively.
Two picks still need to be decided via coin flip. The Dolphins and Panthers will draft eighth and ninth, while the Chiefs and Seahawks will flip a coin to decide the 11th and 12th picks. Those coin flips are expected to take place at the NFL Draft Combine later this month in Indianapolis.
Playoff results determined the last 12 picks of the first round. Wild card losers Cincinnati, Atlanta, Detroit and Pittsburgh were awarded the 21st through 24th spots, with the Browns acquiring the Falcons pick in a draft-day trade last year. The Falcons selected Julio Jones from Alabama with that pick.
Divisional round losers Denver, Houston, New Orleans and Green Bay were assigned the 25th through 28th picks, with the Patriots acquiring the Saints' pick via the Ingram trade. Conference runners-up Baltimore and San Francisco will pick 29th and 30th, respectively, followed by the Patriots and Giants.
The Indianapolis Colts, who finished 2-14 in 2011, have the first pick in the draft, which starts on April 26 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Bears reunite Cutler with QB coach Bates
The Chicago Bears made a logical move on Tuesday in their efforts to get the most out of Jay Cutler: hiring the man who helped him set team records in Denver in 2008.
Jeremy Bates, who spent three seasons with the Broncos as quarterbacks coach, was hired on Tuesday to fill the same role with the Bears. He was most recently offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks in 2010, helping the team to a division title in the NFC West. Prior to his tenure with the Broncos, Bates had also worked with quarterbacks in Tampa Bay and with the New York Jets.
"His history with Jay was a big thing," said Bears head coach Lovie Smith. "And not just history with Jay but a good history, a productive history with him helping Jay as a quarterback."
In their last year together in Denver, 2008, Cutler set team records for completions (384), attempts (616), yards (4,526) and 300-yard games (eight) while directing a Broncos offense that was second in the league in total yards.
Following that season, rumors of a trade for Matt Cassel prompted Cutler to ask the Broncos to trade him, resulting in the Bears acquiring him for Kyle Orton and three draft picks. Bates went on to coach quarterbacks at the University of Southern California, where he spent one year before taking the offensive coordinator job in Seattle.
Cutler completed 182 of 314 passes for the Bears in 2011, amassing a total of 2,319 yards with a career-worst 58.0 completion percentage. He played 10 games before breaking the thumb on his throwing hand. The Bears went 7-3 with Cutler in the lineup, but went 1-5 in their final six games to finish third in the NFC North at 8-8.
Ravens RB Ricky Williams to retire
Ricky Williams is retiring again, and this time, it figures to last.
Williams, who played the 2011 season with the Ravens as a backup to Ray Rice, plans to retire from football at the age of 34. The former Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Texas retired in 2004, while facing suspension for violations of the league's drug policy, but returned to the Miami Dolphins in 2005.
"I will miss the game, the camaraderie, my teammates and especially the emotions of a big victory," Williams said. "I love the game and leave it feeling fulfilled, proud, in great health and excited about the future."
During his initial run with the Saints and Dolphins, Williams had four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2000 to 2003, including a career best 1,853 yards on 383 carries in 2002. After his return, Williams had one more 1,000-yard campaign, carrying the ball 241 times for 1,121 yards in 2009. He signed with Baltimore in 2011, and gained 444 yards on 108 carries in a backup role.
If Williams does, in fact, retire, Anthony Allen may become Rice's primary backup. Allen carried the ball three times in his rookie season out of Georgia Tech, all of them in the Ravens' 37-7 win over St. Louis on September 25. Damien Berry, a former All-ACC second team selection at the University of Miami, spent the 2011 campaign on the Ravens' practice squad after signing with the team as a rookie free agent last July.
Williams retires with 10,009 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns in 147 games over 11 seasons. He had previously stated intentions to return to Baltimore in 2012.
Upon hearing of Williams' decision, Rice said, "I had the best year with him beside me, and that was no accident. I believe that Ricky Williams is a Hall of Famer."
Bills sign kicker Lindell to extension
Bills kicker Rian Lindell has made his name on consistency, so it's hardly a surprise that the 12-year NFL veteran will continue to be consistent presence on Buffalo's roster.
The Bills announced on Tuesday that Lindell has signed a contract extension with the team. He's been with Buffalo since 2003 after starting his career with Seattle. In nine seasons with the Bills, the Washington State alumnus has set four team records, including the team's single-season and career marks for field goal percentage. Lindell connected on 92 percent of his field goal tries in 2006 and has made 82.93 percent of his field goal kicks as a Bill. He also holds the team records for consecutive extra points (225) and consecutive field goals (18). Lindell made his first 321 extra point attempts as a pro, setting an NFL record for the longest such streak to start a career.
Lindell played just eight games for the team in 2011, helping the team to a 5-3 start before breaking a bone in his right shoulder. He finished the season on injured reserve after making 13 of 15 field goal attempts and all 25 of his extra-point tries. The Bills finished 6-10, tying with the Dolphins for third place in the AFC East.
Steelers hire Haley as offensive coordinator
Former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley has been hired as the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator. He replaces Bruce Arians, who was hired by the Colts last month after the Steelers chose not to retain him.
"I am excited about the opportunity to come back home and work for a tremendous organization," Haley said. "It is an honor to work with the Rooney family and Coach Tomlin and continue the success that has become synonymous with the Steelers. My father has so many fond memories both from his playing days and his time in the personnel department with the team, and I look forward to helping bring more championships to Pittsburgh and to being a part of one of the storied franchises in the NFL."
Dick Haley was the Steelers' director of player personnel from 1971 to 1990. An alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh, he also played for the Steelers for four seasons.
The younger Haley, 45, was fired by the Chiefs in December when the Chiefs were 5-8. He had led the Chiefs to the AFC West title in 2010.
Pittsburgh ranked 12th in the NFL in total offense in 2011 with 372.3 yards per game and tied for 21st in scoring offense with 20.3 points per game.
While Haley's first head coaching job in the NFL did not end in success, he does bring strong credentials as an offensive coordinator, having helped the Cardinals to a Super Bowl berth during his two-year stint in Arizona. Under Haley's guidance, the Cardinals became the fifth team in NFL history to have three receivers amass 1,000 or more yards in the same season and set a franchise record by scoring 427 points.
Haley also has playoff experience with the Jets, Bears and Cowboys during his 15 years as a coach. His first NFL job was in the Jets' scouting department in 1995 before moving to the coaching staff as an offensive assistant and quality control coach.
Word circulated on Monday night that Haley would be the Steelers' choice. He met with Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin on Jan. 31 to discuss the job. Chiefs wide receiver and Pitt alum Jon Baldwin said Monday night via his Twitter page (@Jon__Baldwin) that he was "happy for" his former coach and described him as a "good friend of mine."
Bills bring home Metzelaars to coach TEs
The Buffalo Bills have turned to one of their own as their new tight ends coach, bringing in former Buffalo tight end Pete Metzelaars.
It's the second NFL stop for Metzelaars, who spent the last eight seasons with the Colts after starting his coaching career with the offensive line at Wingate University in 2003. He spent four seasons as an offensive quality control assistant with the Colts, including their Super Bowl campaign in 2007, then became an assistant offensive line coach in 2008 and taking over the offensive line coach job in 2010.
Metzelaars played 16 seasons as a tight end in the NFL, starting with the Seahawks in 1982 before joining the Bills in 1985. He played 10 years for the Bills (including four AFC Championship seasons), and still holds four positional records with the team, including most receptions (302), most receiving yards (2,921) and most touchdowns (25). He finished his career with stints in Carolina and Detroit before retiring following the 1997 season. Only two tight ends in league history have played more games than Metzelaars' 235.
Third-year man Scott Chandler led the Bills' tight ends in 2011 with 38 receptions for 389 yards. None of the Bills' 24 passing touchdowns last season were to tight ends.
Brees' agent surprised at slow contract talks
There are no winds of change blowing in New Orleans when it comes to Saints quarterback Drew Brees, but the star quarterback's agent figured that contract talks would move much more swiftly than they actually are.
Tom Condon, who represents Brees for CAA, is surprised at the slow pace of contract talks with the Saints, according to ESPN reporter John Clayton. "He's kind of baffled at this time," Clayton said on SportsCenter.
"Everybody knows the Saints aren't going to lose Drew Brees. They can franchise him; they can get him to a long-term deal. But they're really somewhat nowhere right now as far as getting a contract."
Brees was the NFL's No. 2 rated quarterback in 2011 with a 110.6 passer rating (Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers was tops with a 122.5 rating). He threw for a league record of 5,476 yards, passing Dan Marino's old mark of 5,084 in the team's 15th game of the season, a 45-16 win over Atlanta on December 26. He also recorded the league's highest completion percentage (71.2), connecting on 468 of his 657 passes.
"At this stage there's been no real progress," Clayton said, "but everybody in New Orleans, including Drew Brees, knows he's not going to be a free agent. He is their franchise."
New Orleans is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013.
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