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NFL

Source: Giants re-sign Spagnuolo to run defense

The New York Giants have re-signed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo after a bounce-back campaign that saw his unit transform from the league’s worst to among the best, a source told ESPN on Wednesday.

Spagnuolo returned to the Giants prior to the 2015 season after a short stint with the Baltimore Ravens. His two-year contract ran out after the Super Bowl, but there was little doubt he’d return, as the Giants wanted him back and Spagnuolo wanted an opportunity to build on this past season’s success.

The veteran defensive coordinator led the league’s 10th-ranked defense this season after finishing last in yards allowed in 2015. The Giants allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL this past season and improved dramatically as the year progressed after receiving a significant injection of talent last offseason.

Steve Spagnuolo, whose defense ranked 10th in the NFL this season, will return to the Giants in 2017, a source told ESPN. AP Photo/Julio Cortez

“He’s a guy that didn’t panic when things were going wrong and was never overly excited when they were great,” said All-Pro defensive tackle Damon Harrison in a text to ESPN. Harrison thrived in his first season with the Giants in Spagnuolo’s defense after signing a lucrative free-agent deal last offseason.

“He has this calm about him and assurance that everything would work out for the better defensively, and I think it rubbed off on everybody in our room,” Harrison added. “Great coach!”

Spagnuolo, 57, seemingly pushed all the right buttons until the second half of a playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.

He will be entering his seventh season as a defensive coordinator, and his third in two stints with the Giants. His previous tenure with the Giants in 2007-08 produced a Super Bowl win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

As teams have shuffled their staffs around the league over the past few weeks — even the Atlanta Falcons after reaching the Super Bowl — Giants coach Ben McAdoo is expected to keep most of his staff intact, although they’re still working through some things, according to multiple sources. The Giants (11-5) had a five-game improvement in McAdoo’s first season and returned to the playoffs for the first time in five years.

That means after weeks of evaluation McAdoo will stick with the same offensive coaches who guided one of the league’s lowest-scoring units in 2016. The Giants scored just 19.4 points per game in 2016 after averaging 26.3 the previous year.

Offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride, quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti, running backs coach Craig Johnson, wide receivers coach Adam Henry, offensive line coach Mike Solari, assistant line coach Lunda Wells and offensive assistant Ryan Roeder are expected to return. So is special teams coach Tom Quinn and Spagnuolo’s defensive assistants.

McAdoo said he didn’t expect any changes after the Giants’ 38-13 playoff loss to the Packers in the wild-card round.

“No, it’s way too early for that, but I don’t anticipate anything,” McAdoo said then. “Never say never.”

Nothing transpired, and it appears the hope is that bringing the entire coaching staff back for another season should help create continuity as the Giants attempt to build on their success in 2016.

NFL

HOF QB Fouts says T.O. got 'fair evaluation'

Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts was a member of the Hall of Fame selection committee for the first time in Houston, and said he believes receiver Terrell Owens got a fair shake before his case didn’t advance.

“I think his numbers are very worthy, but again on the other side of it, I think his actions on and off the field, on the sidelines, in the locker room, and the fact he played for so many teams and was such a great player, the question that comes back to me is if he was such a great player, why did so many of those teams get rid of him?” Fouts said in a visit with The Midday 180 in Nashville. “And I think we all know the answers.”

In his second year of eligibility, the NFL’s second leading all-time receiver with 15,934 yards failed a second time to advance from the field of 15 to 10. Ultimately up to five of the 15 modern era finalists can be selected for induction.

Upon learning he was not elected, Owens tweeted:

“I think he did receive a fair evaluation of his career, both pros and cons,” Fouts said. “But obviously ripping the Hall of Fame in the process, what good is that going to do. I just don’t understand that. I didn’t understand a lot of things he did in his career.”

Could Fouts have played with Owens?

“Well, that’s a hypothetical type of question,” he said. “All I know is the guys I played with, never had a problem. We were dedicated to what we were trying to do with the [Don] Coryell offense and we were excited about each Sunday we went out and played and never once did I have a player come to me and complain about not getting the ball.

“They understood that I had little control on who was getting the ball, it was the design of the offense against whatever the defense was trying to do to us and they realized and understood being intelligent and good guys that I was doing what was best for the team.”

NFL

Eagles begin trimming, release CB McKelvin

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles released veteran cornerback Leodis McKelvin on Wednesday, the team announced.

McKelvin was set to make a base salary of $2 million with a roster bonus of $1.2 million in 2017. By cutting him, the Eagles gain $3.2 million in cap space.

The Eagles started the process of trying to free up resources by asking veteran left tackle Jason Peters to take a pay cut. They are expected to continue to free up money over the next four weeks before the start of free agency on March 9.

McKelvin, who played under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in Buffalo, signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal last offseason. He established himself as the team’s top corner during the spring and summer but injured his hamstring early in the season and never fully rounded into form.

He appeared in 13 games and finished with two interceptions and 16 passes defensed.

Cornerback Leodis McKelvin appeared in 13 games and had two interceptions in his only season for the Eagles. Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire

Fellow starter Nolan Carroll is set to become a free agent, so it’s possible the Eagles will have two new outside corners in 2017.

An upgrade is needed. Cornerback play was an issue for most of the season. The Eagles’ defense yielded 57 pass plays of 20-plus yards (sixth-highest in NFL), and were the most giving team in the league on deep balls down both the left and right sides of the field.

Executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman pointed to the corner position in particular when emphasizing that the team needs to get away from the “band-aid” approach. They have largely gone the free-agent route for a number of years to fill the cornerback posts, with minimal success. That’s been largely out of necessity given that they haven’t drafted a corner in the first round since selecting Lito Sheppard 26th overall in 2002. They invested a second rounder in Eric Rowe in 2015, but traded him to the eventual-champion New England Patriots this past September after just one season.

With a quality crop of cornerbacks in this draft, the Eagles are expected to replenish the position come April, and perhaps before via free agency.

NFL

Despite going 3-13, Bears to raise ticket prices
2:35 PM ET

  • Roman ModrowskiESPN.com

The Chicago Bears are increasing their season-ticket prices for most sections of Soldier Field despite going 3-13, the worst record in franchise history for a 16-game season, the team announced Wednesday in letters to season-ticket holders.

Some sections will see a decrease in pricing, but most sections will see an increase of 1-4 percent. It’s the first increase since 2014.

“It was a challenging and disappointing season,” team president/CEO Ted Phillips said in the letter. “One we will not repeat. We shared in your frustration and do not take your passion and loyalty for granted. We are humbled by your dedication to the Bears and know we must be better.”

The Bears haven’t made the playoffs in nine of the past 10 years, but Phillips praised the work of general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox in changing the culture in the locker room and making the team younger over the last two years.

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