FANTASY FOOTBALL

The Facts:
Former Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio could have taken a year off and collected his full salary for 2012, the final year of his contract. Instead, he’ll go back to work, for no extra money. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Del Rio has been hired to serve as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator.  Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line:
The move reunites Del Rio with coach John Fox. They worked together in Carolina a decade ago, in Fox’s first year as coach of the Panthers. Del Rio served as defensive coordinator until becoming the Jaguars’ head coach in 2003. The Broncos used a 3-4 defense in 2011 under former coordinator and new Raiders coach Dennis Allen. Fox used a 4-3 in Jacksonville. According to PFT's Mike Florio, it’s currently unknown which approach the Broncos will use in 2012.
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The Facts:
The Giants have released their projected injury report for next the Feb. 5 Super Bowl against the Patriots. CB Will Blackmon (knee), WR Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), CB Corey Webster (hamstring) and LB Jacquian Williams (foot) are questionable. C David Baas (abdomen, neck), LB Chase Blackburn (calf), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), S Tyler Sash (concussion) and DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee) are probable.  Reported by FootballDiehards.com

Diehards Line:
Nicks, who sprained the A-C joint in his right shoulder against the 49ers (which he said he hurt several other times this year) doesn't consider himself questionable. He said his shoulder is “doing better” and “I expect to be full-go by next week.” We fully expect him to go, too. Remember: This is the "projected" injury report. We're still nine days away from kickoff. Given that, we'll go ahead and suggest the injury reports that will start next Wednesday (and run through Friday) will be of much greater interest. Stay tuned.
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The Facts:
Following up on the ongoing story. ... Roethlisberger, miffed that Bruce Arians will not return as OC, plans to meet with team president Art Rooney II about the matter after playing in the Pro Bowl on Sunday. "When I get back, I'm going to go up to Mr. Rooney's office and ask him what he wants from me, what he wants from this offense, because I think that's a viable question for him," Roethlisberger said. "He's our owner and our boss, so I really would like to know kind of what he wants and where he sees our offense going because I'd like to tell him where I see us going."  Reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Diehards Line:
Rooney told the Tribune-Review last week that he thought the offense needed to do a better job of scoring after finishing 21st in the NFL at 20.3 points per game this past season. The Steelers ranked 12th in total offense at 372.3 yards per game. Roethlisberger has made no secret of his allegiance and close ties to Arians. "We feel like we are really close to being an elite offense," Roethlisberger said. "For your leader to be gone is kind of a shocker, but you've got to be ready for whatever the Rooneys and coach [Mike] Tomlin decide it our next step." Roethlisberger, who threw for more than 4,000 yards for just the second time in his eight-year career, said it will be an adjustment no matter who the Steelers hire as their next coordinator. "Change is always different," Roethlisberger said. "It doesn't mean it's good or it's bad. You just don't know yet. I think the (Steelers') mind was made up, and [Arians] was kind of ready to move on as well. ..." Sounds like Big Ben is the only one who isn't ready to move on. It'll be interesting to hear if that changes after his meeting with Rooney. Stay tuned.
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The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... The Ravens wasted no time finding a replacement for recently departed defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, promoting linebackers coach Dean Pees to take over control of the team's defense on Friday. Harbaugh also announced that Cam Cameron would be back as the team's offensive coordinator.   Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line:
Cameron has orchestrated the Ravens' offense for the past four seasons and was set to become a free agent this offseason, leading to speculation about his future with the team. The Ravens ranked 15th in total offense in 2011. "It was a foregone conclusion to me (to bring Cameron back), Harbaugh said. "I was excited about it. It was a good year. We turned a lot of things over on offense. ..." Previous reports indicated that Cameron only returned upon agreeing to the addition of a QBs coach.
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The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... The Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms on deals that will make Mike Sherman and Kevin Coyle their respective offensive and defensive coordinators, league sources said Friday. The contracts are currently being finalized and are expected to be signed soon. League sources indicated both coaches had strong interviews.  Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line:
Coyle, the Bengals' defensive backs coach, interviewed with the Dolphins on Wednesday. He has coached the Bengals' secondary for nine seasons and worked under defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who was linked to the Dolphins' head-coaching job before Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was hired last week. Sherman, former head coach of the Packers who met with Philbin on Thursday, was a candidate for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head-coaching job that was filled by Rutgers' Greg Schiano on Thursday.
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The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... The Browns have named Brad Childress as their offensive coordinator, the team announced Friday afternoon.  Reported by ClevelandBrowns.com

Diehards Line:
Childress brings 33 years of coaching experience on both the collegiate and professional levels to the Browns, including 13 in the NFL. Most recently, he spent five seasons (2006-10) as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Before becoming the Vikings’ head coach in 2006, Childress had worked as the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. According to Profootballtalk.com, it’s unknown whether Childress, who didn’t call the plays when he was the offensive coordinator of the Eagles, will call the plays in Cleveland. We'll follow up as further details in that regard come to light.
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The Facts:
The NFL requires teams to send out an injury report filled with a projection for what the status of their players will be for the game. Thus, Rob Gronkowski is officially questionable for the game.   Reported by the Boston Herald

Diehards Line:
As Herald staffer Ian Rapoport added: "Yes, yes, it’s nine days away and all, but still, that’s what the rules say. ..." So in addition to Gronkowski, the "faux" injury report also includes Deion Branch (questionable, knee) and Wes Welker (questionable, knee).. ... And if you think there's any chance any of them miss the Super Bowl, we suggest you think again. That said, both Rapoport and Boston Globe staffer Shalise Manza Young report that Gronkowski's high-ankle sprain will require surgery after the season to clean it up. Also, the expectation from those who know him well is that he’ll require a numbing shot before the game.
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The Facts:
The Oakland Raiders brought an official end to their head-coaching search Friday, announcing the hiring of Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. The Raiders will introduce Allen as their new head coach during a Monday news conference schedule for 3 p.m. ET.  Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line:
The announcement has been expected since Tuesday. ... A league source told NFL Network's Michael Lombardi on Tuesday that the Raiders had hired Allen to replace the fired Hue Jackson as head coach. On Thursday, a person familiar with the process told the Associated Press that Allen and the Raiders had agreed to a four-year deal. Allen, 39, is the Raiders' seventh coach since 2003. He had been the Broncos' defensive coordinator for one season. He had previously worked for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. The Raiders have gone nine straight seasons without a winning record or a playoff berth, just missing out on the AFC West title on tiebreakers with an 8-8 record last season.
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The Facts:
Following up on the ongoing saga. ... Colts owner Jimy Irsay and Manning released the following joint statement today: "We would like to dispel any misperception that there might be any hard feelings between us. Since 1998, we have enjoyed a great relationship, based upon mutual respect and trust. We have always been able to talk and address matters we’ve faced over the years, not just as owner and player, but as friends. We had a long talk today and we want to assure Colts fans everywhere that we are both committed to maintaining our close relationship and to working together through any challenges the future may bring."  Reported by Colts.com

Diehards Line:
It would appear the two sides have decided enough public damage has been done with the exchange of comments that began Monday with Manning clearly expressing his unhappiness with the state of the Colts (which many view as an effort to expedite his departure from the team) and continued Thursday with Irsay calling Manning a "politician. ..." Stay tuned. I'll have a more detailed look at the situation later this afternoon.
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The Facts:
There's still a long way to go before any of this matters, but three of the injured Giants returned to the practice field today: C David Baas (abdomen/neck), LB Chase Blackburn (calf) and RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot). That left four players still out of practice -- CB Will Blackmon (knee), WR Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), CB Corey Webster (hamstring) and LB Jacquian Williams (foot).   Reported by the New York Daily News

Diehards Line:
But HC Tom Coughlin indicated that on Thursday they were being held out for precautionary reasons, mostly because there's still such a long time before Super Bowl XLVI. The Giants seem hopeful that everyone will be able to practice when they start working out in Indianapolis next Wednesday. The Giants have one last practice at the Meadowlands on Saturday, before their Monday flight to Indy. ... We'll continue to follow up as needed.
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