NFL Notes: Chuck Pagano, Free Agents, California Games

Chuck Pagano

• Tom Pelissero reports that Chuck Pagano has been staying engaged and preparing for his next opportunity.
• Pagano works with NFL referees a few days a week and has visited some college programs this fall.
• Bruce Arians mentioned Pagano as someone who could make sense for the Browns earlier in the week. However, Pelissero says that he would qualify as a “surprise hire” by the Browns.
• Instead, Pelissero mentions that Pagano returning to a team as a defensive coordinator is a “strong possibility.“

Free Agents

Joel Corry of CBS Sports put together a breakdown of contract-year players who have helped and hurt their stock up to this point in the season.

• The players who have improved their free agent stock, according to Corry, include: Cowboys DE Demarcus Lawrence, Chiefs OLB Dee Ford, Rams G Rodger Saffold, Seahawks DE Frank Clark, and Ravens WR John Brown.
• Corry has Seahawks S Earl Thomas, Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski, Giants S Landon Collins and Broncos C Matt Paradis has “holding steady.”
• As for the players who have hurt their free agent stock, Corry lists Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin, Packers OLB Clay Matthews and Vikings OLB Anthony Barr.

We have some of these players featured in our Top 25 – 2019 NFL Free Agents list.

California Games

The fires in Southern California have already led to the Rams canceling practice and some within the organization evacuating their homes.

Beyond that, there are also fires in the Northern part of California, which resulted in the Raiders cutting their Friday practice short due to poor air quality.

Both the Rams and Raiders are scheduled to play home games on Sunday and the NFL says the games are expected to start at the scheduled times. However, they’re monitoring the situation closely.

“We are monitoring conditions in California and are in close communication with the clubs and local authorities. At this point, both the Los Angeles Chargers-Oakland Raiders game and the Seattle Seahawks-Los Angeles Rams game will kick off as scheduled.”

• According to Michael Gehlken, some Raiders players dealt with “occasional coughing, eyes burning, headache in past two days.”