NFL Rumors: Buzz on Brian Hoyer, Browns' Offensive Coordinator Search and More

The NFL continues to obliterate all other forms of viable weekend entertainment. The New England Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens 35-31 in a true barnburner Saturday, and the Seattle Seahawks followed that up by stomping the Carolina Panthers 31-17 to earn a berth in the NFC Championship Game. 

The playoffs are the focus right now, but for fans of teams left out of the postseason gauntlet, the offseason maneuvering is a fine distraction. The rumors are flying, mainly concerning the impending free-agency period and the annual coaching carousel. There are decisions to be made, and it's plenty interesting to see what certain teams might have planned for the coming season.

Here is a look at three of the latest rumors in the NFL.



Will Brian Hoyer Stay in Cleveland?

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

The Cleveland Browns are in for an interesting offseason, one that should entertain a wide spectrum of fans, from the morbidly curious to the eternal optimists.

Much of the focus will be on the quarterback position, where the Browns have to at least give developing Johnny Manziel a decent shot, lest they kick the tires on the 2015 (or the rest of this decade).

Naturally, Brian Hoyer's fate is tied to this team's commitment to Manziel, however strong that may be. According to ESPN.com's Field Yates (subscription required), general manager Ray Farmer could be willing to retain Hoyer, although that contradicts previous reports regarding his situation:

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Browns GM Ray Farmer recently discussed the possibility of Hoyer's return to Cleveland, but it seems unlikely given the team's investment in Johnny Manziel and the need to develop the former Heisman Trophy winner (if Hoyer returns to Cleveland, it's almost certainly to be the starter, not to help in Manziel's development). Schefter has reported that Hoyer is unlikely to return to Cleveland, and earmarked the Texans as a team to keep an eye on for the 29-year-old.

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Houston has a problem at quarterback and could actually use a guy like Hoyer to provide meaningful competition. The 29-year-old veteran threw for 3,326 yards, 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2014 before giving way to Manziel at the end of the season.

Johnny Football was—in a word—awful in two starts (one truncated by injury) at the end of the regular season.

Date	Opponent	CMP/ATT	YDS	TD	INT	CAR	RSH YDS
12/14/14	Cincinnati	10/18	80	0	2	5	13
12/21/14	at Carolina	3/8	32	0	0	2	3

Nevertheless, it would be difficult for the Browns to justify Hoyer as a true competitor for the starting job considering his unceremonious demotion at the end of the season. It's tough convincing fans a quarterback is the right guy for the job if he couldn't finish out the previous season.

Hoyer needs a fresh start somewhere else if he wants to succeed as a starter. On the other hand, if he's content to play a backup role, he could do worse than Cleveland—the jury is still out on Manziel, and Hoyer has a fair chance of getting some mop-up duty/spot starts as the would-be football folk hero develops.

Big Names Linked to Cleveland's Offensive Coordinator Position 

ED ZURGA/Associated Press

Thought Cleveland was done clogging up the rumor mill? Not a chance, especially with an offensive coordinator position opening up.

Head coach Mike Pettine accepted offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's resignation Saturday, per Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. Cabot also noted the team isn't retaining quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains.

The search is on for an offensive coordinator, but it could be tough to attract top talent to this position considering the reported turmoil within the organization. According to Cabot, Shanahan was intent on leaving due to friction between personnel members and coaches:

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Kyle Shanahan was eager to strike out on his own again, but landed in a situation that has become dysfunctional for him, the sources said. The biggest problem, they say is that the personnel side and coaches aren't seeing eye to eye on some key issues. One source said some coaches became upset when a high-ranking personnel member texted from the press box to the sidelines about play calls.

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Two interesting names popped up earlier in the week when the friction was initially reported. According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, Charlie Weis is a potential candidate:

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted former Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman is another possibility:

Whomever the Browns hire as coordinator, that person will have to be a true diplomat (if the friction is indeed a real issue) and focused on developing Manziel into a competent pro quarterback. The situation could be made even more difficult considering the organization could potentially part ways with wideout Josh Gordon and see tight end Jordan Cameron leave in free agency. 

Weis' has pretty much seen and done it all in football at both the college and professional levels. His last NFL gig was as offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010. He's coming off a terrible stint as the head coach of Kansas University (6-22 in two-plus seasons). His experience is tough to argue with, but his success in developing quarterbacks is limited, per Pro Football Talk's Darin Gantt.

"Weis has a long tradition of successfully grooming NFL quarterbacks, from Tom Brady to, well, Tom Brady," Gantt writes. "There was that one year where he made Matt Cassel look competent in Kansas City, but he’s otherwise spent the last decade leading Notre Dame to a 35-27 record and Kansas to a sharp 6-22 mark."

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

It's the kind of hire that would likely do little to instill a sense of hope in Browns fans. Trestman might be a safer option, although the Bears offense struggled in 2014 despite featuring weapons such as Martellus Bennett, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte.

However, if Trestman has more time to focus on play-calling duties, he could help this offense hit a groove. It seems unlikely the Browns will be able to lure a hot commodity to this position; they could very well be forced to settle for a retread veteran coach.


Jarryd Hayne to Detroit?

Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The NFL is the biggest league in the world these days, and naturally, the powers that be have designs to take their eminently profitable enterprise global. The annual London games have sparked talks of an across-the-pond franchise, while FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver noted the significant fan bases in Mexico City and Toronto. 

With all of this mass appeal, it makes sense talented athletes from across the globe might take a run at fame and fortune playing for the Shield. The most recent example is rugby star Jarryd Hayne, who is a potential talent for the Detroit Lions.

According to MLive.com's Justin Rogers, Hayne was not among the 14 players signed to futures contracts in early January, but general manager Martin Mayhew hasn't ruled out bringing him in:

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We're always on the lookout for players that can help us. We've bought other guys in, in the past that have been, Kickalicious (Havard Rugland) and (US rugby standout) Carlin Isles, we've had other guys in who we've taken an extensive look at and Jarryd Hayne falls in that category as a guy we want to evaluate.

We'll see what happens. He's still out there and he's still looking at other teams as well. I'm not sure what'll happen with him, but we'd like to have him.

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Hayne would be an intriguing option for the Lions as an offensive weapon considering the eroding skill set of Reggie Bush and the fact Joique Bell is turning 29 years old in August. At the very least, Hayne is a low-risk option with the potential to become an excellent change-of-pace back with good coaching and a decent chance to fit in the NFL.

Much in the way a college basketball stud like Antonio Gates paved the way for the likes of Jimmy Graham (who had limited college football experience), Hayne has the potential to open up a new pipeline of talent for the NFL should he eventually succeed.