FFToolbox - OC Gary Kubiak decides to remain with Ravens plus 7 more

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OC Gary Kubiak decides to remain with Ravens
Seahawks WR Paul Richardson placed on injured reserve due to torn ACL
Bills name Rex Ryan head coach, hire Greg Roman to be OC
UPDATE: Broncos part ways with HC John Fox; other Denver coaches also likely out
Report: Broncos QB Peyton Manning played through 2 injured quadriceps
Week 20: Who To Start Rankings Posted
NFL PLAYOFFS WEEK 2: SCORES AND BREAKDOWNS
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS: WHAT WE LEARNED

OC Gary Kubiak decides to remain with Ravens

Posted: 12 Jan 2015 04:44 PM PST

Gary Kubiak has been sought-after by a few teams with head coaching vacancies, but he isn't going anywhere. He said Sunday night that he will stick as the Ravens' offensive coordinator for a second season. quot;It is flattering and humbling to be invited to interview for a number of NFL head coaching positions, and I greatly appreciate these opportunities," Kubiak said in a statement. "But I have decided to stay with the Ravens. "This is a special organization and we, like Coach (John) Harbaugh says, are building something great. I want to be a part of that and contribute in whatever ways I can." FANTASY ANALYSIS: This is good news for the Ravens, who posted a franchise-high 364.9 yards per game under Kubiak. Quarterback Joe Flacco set personal records in passing yards and touchdowns and also drastically reduced his interception count from 2013. Running back Justin Forsett was one of the biggest surprises in fantasy this year as he ran for more yards this season -- 1,435 including the playoffs -- than his previous four seasons combined. Also, Steve Smith topped 1,000 yards, and Torrey Smith scored 11 touchdowns. Forsett, Torrey Smith and tight end Owen Daniels are all scheduled to become free agents. But Steve Smith said after Saturday's loss to the Patriots that he will be back for his age-36 season, and Kubiak should be able to keep Flacco's fantasy value on the upswing. Flacco will turn 30 this week and finished this year as fantasy's No. 13 QB.

Seahawks WR Paul Richardson placed on injured reserve due to torn ACL

Posted: 12 Jan 2015 04:17 PM PST

As first reported by FOX Sports on Sunday, Seahawks rookie wide receiver Paul Richardson suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during Saturday's divisional round win over the Panthers. Today, Seattle officially placed the rookie on injured reserve and added quarterback B.J. Daniels. Richardson caught 29 passes for 271 yards in his first year as a pro. Daniels will back up Russell Wilson and Travaris Jackson. FANTASY ANALYSIS: For a man with 4.40-40 speed, Richardson's 9.3 yards-per-catch average was far too low. We know the Seahawks employ an extremely run-heavy offense, and Richardson remains a hold in only the deepest of dynasty leagues simply because of his wheels and the team's lack of standout wide receivers otherwise. However, he will probably still be rehabbing once training camp gets underway in fewer than eight months.

Bills name Rex Ryan head coach, hire Greg Roman to be OC

Posted: 12 Jan 2015 02:45 PM PST

Two coaches who know a little something about running the ball and riding with a good defense have joined forces in Western New York. The Buffalo Bills announced Monday that Rex Ryan is their newest head coach after the sides agreed to a five-year deal over the weekend. Ryan, a great defensive mind, takes over the team that had the league's fourth-best defense in 2014. However, Jim Schwartz is expected retain the title of defensive coordinator in Buffalo (Update: ... or not, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL Network). On the offensive side of the ball, the Bills have reportedly hired former 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. He spent the past four seasons as the OC in San Fran, and the team finished among the top 10 in rushing attempts each year. FANTASY ANALYSIS: I'm surprised Ryan didn't land in Atlanta, where the offense is much less of a question mark and he could work his magic on a defense in need of a bunch of parts. But after an interview with the Falcons' brass last week, Ryan had not yet been offered the gig and was apparently not going to wait around for owner Arthur Blank to make up his mind. So he stays in the AFC East. Rex's Jets teams were based around an elite defense and a ball-control, ground-and-pound offense. The defense is already in place in Buffalo, and ball control is kind of Roman's modus operandi. The Niners' offenses were never truly fantastic under Roman -- they ranked 11th in points in three of his four seasons and ranked higher than 20th in yards gained only once. But Ryan has taken teams like that to the doorstep of the Super Bowl before. However, where is the production going to come from in this offense next year? Kyle Orton has retired, and the feeling right now is that E.J. Manuel, with his 58.6 career completion percentage and near 1:1 touchdown-to-turnover ratio, will be the Bills' starting quarterback come opening day of 2015. They've got Sammy Watkins. That's nice. But the look of the backfield is completely unknown as C.J. Spiller is set to become a free agent, and the team may not way to keep 34-year-old Fred Jackson. Perhaps they will give the talented-but-flawed Bryce Brown a long look. At the moment, the Bills look much like the teams Ryan used to coach: Its defense will keep them in games. But its offense will find a way to lose its fair share. Roman has a lot of work to do.

UPDATE: Broncos part ways with HC John Fox; other Denver coaches also likely out

Posted: 12 Jan 2015 02:33 PM PST

Update No. 2: More from Lombardi: quot;From a longtime Broncos assistant: 'We haven't been told anything. But when the head coach loses his job, we're not guaranteed a job.' Perhaps not every coach is out in Denver just yet, but it has also been reported by multiple sources that all of Denver's coaches have been told they can look for positions with other teams. Update: Shortly after word came that Fox was out in Denver comes this from Vic Lombardi of CBS 4 Denver via Twitter: "NEW INFO: Entire Broncos coaching staff let go. Not just John Fox. All assistants gone according to several players." Stay tuned as this story seems far from over. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Per Jay Glazer, the Broncos and head coach John Fox have mutually agreed to part ways following a disappointing end to the 2014-15 season. The Broncos finished 12-4 and won the AFC West but fell to the Indianapolis Colts at home in their divisional round playoff game. For the most part, the Broncos were manhandled by the underdog Colts. QB Peyton Manning wasn't healthy, but they were simply dominated in every way. Fox compiled a 46-18 regular-season record over his four years at the helm of the Broncos. However, the playoffs were a different story. While Fox did lead the Broncos to four straight divisional titles, they were just 3-4 in the playoffs, losing last year's Super Bowl and this year's divisional game in embarrassing fashion. FANTASY ANALYSIS: This could be the first of many offseason changes in Denver. Manning's future is anything but certain. WR Demaryius Thomas and TE Julius Thomas are both free agents. While the hope for Broncos fans would be that they all return, it's far from guaranteed. From a fantasy perspective, the Broncos could have a much different look in 2015 from that of the offensive juggernaut we've grown used to the past couple of seasons.

Report: Broncos QB Peyton Manning played through 2 injured quadriceps

Posted: 12 Jan 2015 02:10 PM PST

We've known for some time that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has been playing hurt. Specifically, he played for the past handful of weeks with an strained quad. But the severity of his injury -- or injuries -- no matter whom you believe, seems to be much worse than initially thought. It was reported Monday morning that Manning actually suffered a completely torn right quadriceps muscle during Denver's Week 15 win over San Diego. That report was later refuted by a team source who characterized Manning's injury as just a strain. But FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reports that Manning is dealing with injuries to both quads: a partial tear in his right and a deep bruise in his left. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Regardless, Manning's play was clearly hampered down the stretch, and the team's bye week apparently did him no favors as he was brutally inaccurate Sunday versus the Colts. His lack of velocity has been constant, but he missed badly on a number of deep passes to open receivers such as Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. In all, Manning completed just 26 of 46 throws during divisional weekend and averaged a pitiful 4.6 yards per attempt. After the game, Manning wouldn't directly say that he would return for the 2015 season. He is under contract for next year with a non-guaranteed $19 million salary due. Manning has always said he never wants to retire one year too late, but if I had to bet, I'd say he'll give it one more shot. From Week 14 on, Manning posted a 4:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and completed slightly more than 60 percent of his throws. He simply didn't look right, and there's a very good reason for that. But let's not forget that prior to Week 14, Manning's TD-to-INT ratio was 35:9. His completion percentage was a smidgen less than 68 and he was averaging close to 300 yards per game. Really, up until that Week 9 loss in New England, Manning looked like the league's MVP again. He will turn 39 years old in March. No one is going to make the argument that he will ever be as good as he was even last season. But Manning's sharp turn from putting up just another stat line as the GOAT to being a playoff goat has a clear explanation. He was simply injured. I'm sure Manning and the Broncos realize the impact those ailments had and once he's healed up in a few months, I believe the Broncos will decide to pay Manning's 2015 salary. And Manning will decide to play for it. Update: Soon after this post was published, the news regarding the departure of head coach John Fox and likely the entire coaching staff came out. Because of that, I now don't think Peyton will return to the Mile High City. His odds of retirement probably just increased significantly.

Week 20: Who To Start Rankings Posted

Posted: 12 Jan 2015 02:09 PM PST

We project the point totals for both offensive and defensive players for this week.

NFL PLAYOFFS WEEK 2: SCORES AND BREAKDOWNS

Posted: 12 Jan 2015 10:38 AM PST

Scout breaks down every game of the playoff's divisional round with analysis, odds, and betting lines.

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS: WHAT WE LEARNED

Posted: 12 Jan 2015 10:38 AM PST

From efficient quarterback performances to some wily coaching moves to a surprise defense, the divisional playoffs provided further proof of the strengths of the playoff teams.