HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Cowboys Promote Rod Marinelli To DC

January 28th, 2014 at 8:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys announced that they have promoted Rod Marinelli from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator. Former DC Monte Kiffin, meanwhile, has been shifted over to an assistant coaching role on defense. The newly-hired Scott Linehan will serve as the Cowboys’ passing game coordinator and play caller.

Dallas’ announcement also infers that Bill Callahan will remain with the staff in 2014 as offensive coordinator. Callahan was rumored to be in the mix for the Browns’ OC vacancy and even though the Cowboys said he wouldn’t be available, speculation persisted following the hiring of Linehan. However, with Linehan at passing game coordinator, it would seem that there will still be room on board for Callahan.

Marinelli has 17 years of NFL coaching on his resume and is best known for a difficult three year run as the Lions’ head coach. Detroit went 10-38 during Marinelli’s time on the sidelines including their infamous 0-16 season in 2008. He served as the Bears’ D-Line coach in 2009 and got bumped up to DC in 2010. After a three-year stretch, he left Chicago even though incoming coach Marc Trestman said he wanted to keep him.

Kiffin, 74 in February, is one of the most highly-regarded defensive coordinators in NFL history. Unfortunately, his Dallas defense was pitiful in 2013, allowing a league worst 415.3 yards per game.

Josh McCown Wants To Stay With Bears

January 28th, 2014 at 6:33pm CST by Zachary Links

This season, the Bears found themselves with an unlikely hero in 34-year-old quarterback Josh McCown. The veteran signal caller won’t be the No.1 guy on the depth chart following their sizable commitment to Jay Cutler, but the door is still very much open to him coming back to Chicago. It now seems that the interest is mutual with McCown telling Waddle and Silvy of ESPN1000 (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago on Twitter) that “his heart is in Chicago” and it would take a special opportunity for him to leave via free agency.

McCown, who was thrust into the starting role after Cutler was lost to injury, ended the 2013 season completing 66.8 of his passes for 1,829 yards with 13 touchdowns, one interception and a 109.0 passer rating, the third highest behind Peyton Manning and Nick Foles. As Dickerson wrote earlier this month, Bears GM Phil Emery would very much like to have McCown back in Chicago for 2014.

“[I would] love to have Josh back,” Emery said. “I’ve expressed that to him. Josh, through his play, has earned the right to have choices. And he’ll have a lot of them. He does know that he has a home here and we’ll do everything that we can to make it work, if he decides he still wants to play here.”

For his part, McCown was reportedly considering retirement at one point, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com heard from a source close to the veteran earlier this month that he had no intention of calling it quits. Over the course of his career, McCown has spent time with the Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Panthers, and Bears, making a total of 38 starts under center. In his five games starting for Chicago this year, McCown filled in admirably with the Bears going 3-2.

Packers, Sam Shields In Talks

January 28th, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have a number of unrestricted free agents to tend to this offseason, including notable cornerback Sam Shields. The two sides are still in regular contact, a source tells Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel, while quantifying the odds of a return at “50/50.”

Shields, at the age of 26, is widely considered to be one of the best young cornerbacks in the league. In a division featuring the likes of Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Greg Jennings, and the ever-improving Alshon Jeffery, Shields would leave some massive cleats to be filled. As Dunne notes, position coach Joe Whitt Jr. has deemed Shields to be a “top ten” cornerback in the league. While that could be up for some debate given his tackling woes and health issues, it’s easy to see why Green Bay would want to keep him in-house.

An undrafted rookie out of the University of Miami, Shields made a name for himself in his first season in 2010. Last season, Shields finished out the year with 61 tackles (51 solo), 17 pass break-ups, and four interceptions. Including the postseason, he has had a total of 17 picks over four seasons. Unfortunately, injuries have cost the corner eight games over the last two seasons.

Green Bay’s other unrestricted free agents include B.J. Raji, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Jermichael Finley, Ryan Pickett, Mike Neal, and John Kuhn.

Seahawks Notes: Tate, Free Agents, Cable

January 28th, 2014 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Media Day is in the books, and after rounding up a few Broncos-related notes earlier in the afternoon, we’ll now turn our attention to their NFC opponents. Here’s the latest on the Seahawks:

  • Golden Tate will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this winter after catching a team-high 64 balls for the Seahawks. But while he should draw some interest around the league, Tate would like to return to Seattle, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “I would really like to stay,” Tate said. “It’s a great city, a great group of guys. From top to bottom, I can’t say enough great things about Seattle…. I really would like to stay here, but we’ll see. Only time will tell.”
  • Tate, defensive end Michael Bennett, and cornerback Walter Thurmond are among the Seahawks who could greatly improve their free agent value with a big game this Sunday, writes Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, adding that there are a few Broncos in a similar position.
  • Asked if he’d like to be an NFL head coach again, Seahawks offensive line coach and assistant head coach Tom Cable replied, “I would, and I will be,” according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com (Twitter link). Cable previously coached the Raiders to a 17-27 record from 2008 to 2010.

Panthers Sign Rivera To Three-Year Extension

January 28th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

4:37pm: Rivera’s new contract will pay him between $4-5MM annually, according to Person (via Twitter), who compares it to Jim Caldwell‘s deal with the Lions.

2:37pm: The Panthers have officially extended head coach Ron Rivera‘s contract by three years, through the 2017 season, the team announced today (link via Max Henson of Panthers.com). Rivera’s deal had previously been scheduled to expire after next season.

Despite starting 2013 with a 1-3 record, Rivera’s Panthers bounced back to win 11 of their final 12 contests, earning a first-round bye. The team eventually lost to the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs, but the strong regular season performance was enough to earn “Riverboat Ron” Coach of the Year honors from the Professional Football Writers of America.

“The improvement of our team has been reflected in the progress of the record over the last three seasons under Ron, and we look forward to building upon that foundation,” Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said in a statement.

On the heels of GM Dave Gettleman expressing that he had “ultimate confidence” in the Carolina head coach, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reported earlier this week that Rivera and the Panthers were negotiating a contract extension. Person follows up on today’s news by tweeting that Rivera’s new deal is straightforward, rather than incentive-laden like Rex Ryan‘s pact with the Jets.

In his three seasons with the club, Rivera has led the Panthers to a 25-23 record.

AFC East Rumors: Pats, Fitzgerald, Dolphins

January 28th, 2014 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

While Larry Fitzgerald has long been considered a logical trade target for the Patriots, there haven’t been many substantial reports over the years linking the Pats to the Cardinals receiver. However, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com hears from a “very well-placed” source that New England had legitimate interest in acquiring Fitzgerald last offseason, sending out feelers to gauge the feasibility of such a move. As Curran writes, things likely didn’t progress too far, and it’s not clear if the Pats would still have interest in Fitzgerald, who is due a significant pay bump for 2014.

Here’s more from out of the AFC East:

  • In his latest mailbag at ESPNBoston.com, Mike Reiss predicts that free agent receiver Julian Edelman will draw offers in the neighborhood of the deal Danny Amendola signed last year (five years, $28.5MM), with the Texans and Browns among the teams that could make it hard for the Patriots to re-sign Edelman.
  • The Dolphins introduced new general manager Dennis Hickey at a press conference this afternoon, with Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald among the reporters passing along highlights. Some notable items from the presser: Owner Stephen Ross stressed that Hickey will have full control of the 53-man roster and that Hickey doesn’t “have to listen” if Ross tells him to draft, pursue, or play a specific player. Hickey added that the structure of the front office is “completely clear” to him and that he’s already spoken to the team’s medical and personnel staff about the team’s free agents (all four Twitter links).
  • The Bills announced today that they’ve granted the Browns permission to interview defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. If Weaver is eventually hired by the Browns, he’d be the latest in an increasingly lengthy line of Bills coaches following Mike Pettine to Cleveland.

Steelers Sign Danny Coale

January 28th, 2014 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers signed wide receiver Danny Coale to a reserve/futures contract today, reports Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). It’s the latest in a handful of new additions for the Steelers, who also signed linebacker Vic So’oto and running back Tauren Poole to futures deals this week.

A fifth-round pick in 2012, Coale tore his ACL during his first NFL season, and was on and off the Cowboys’ practice squad up until this past September, when he was released. The former Virginia Tech receiver briefly joined the Colts’ practice squad after being cut by Dallas, and worked out for the Giants in October, but has yet to record an NFL regular-season catch.

Coale caught 60 passes for 904 yards in his final college season with the Hokies.

Broncos Notes: Gase, Manning, Roster

January 28th, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As Denver prepares for this Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, let’s round up a few of Tuesday’s Broncos-related notes:

  • Before the Browns hired Mike Pettine as their head coach, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase was viewed as a top candidate for the job. However, Gase said today that he didn’t feel like the time was right to pursue a head coaching position, as Marc Sessler of NFL.com details. “It just wasn’t the right time, as far as the timing with us [going to the Super Bowl] and the focus I wanted on this game,” Gase said. “I’m not worrying about it right now… it’s on the backburner for me.”
  • Peyton Manning has indicated that, win or lose this weekend, he intends to continue his playing career, but that didn’t stop reporters today from asking about what he expects to do after he retires as a player. Manning ducked the question, however, telling reporters, including Mike Klis of the Denver Post, that he’d figure that out when the time comes: “I don’t think John Elway wants to hear about a player that’s thinking about a second job after he’s done playing.”
  • In a piece for CBSSports.com, Joel Corry takes an in-depth look on how the Broncos built the roster that will compete for a title this Sunday. As Corry writes, Josh McDaniels, Elway, and, of course, Manning all played a large role in the makeup of the current Denver roster.

NFC Notes: Saints, Eagles, 49ers, Goodwin

January 28th, 2014 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

2014’s Super Bowl Media Day has been fairly uneventful so far, so with little news of interest coming out of the Prudential Center in Newark, let’s take a look at what else is going on around the league, with a focus on a few NFC teams…

  • In examining the Saints’ running back situation, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the backfield looks fairly stable, though he wonders if the team could look to save a little money by trading or releasing Pierre Thomas this offseason.
  • With Michael Vick headed for free agency, Sheil Kapadia and Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com discuss the Eagles‘ options at backup quarterback for 2014.
  • Jonathan Goodwin, who has been the 49ers‘ starting center for the last three seasons, is facing free agency this season, and it may be an opportunity for the team to get younger on the offensive line, says Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. As Williamson points out, the Niners don’t have too many pressing needs and top college centers usually aren’t drafted high, so the club could target one with a second- or third-round pick.
  • Williamson adds within the same piece that some observers think Goodwin will have interest in signing with the Cardinals in Arizona, where his brother Harold is the offensive coordinator.
  • The Redskins are projected to have $28MM+ in cap space this winter, and could gain another $2MM if the player’s union takes advantage of its option to increase the spending limit this offseason, notes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com.

Bills Hope To Re-Sign Jairus Byrd

January 28th, 2014 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

When Jairus Byrd and the Bills entered contract negotiations last offseason, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement, and Byrd eventually played the 2013 season under the franchise tag. A year later, Bills president Russ Brandon doesn’t see any reason why the previous stalemate should prevent the team from striking a deal with Byrd this time around, as he tells John Wawrow of The Associated Press.

“It’s a process and there’s no carryover. You start over again and you try to get something done,” Brandon said on Monday. “We just weren’t able to come up with a solution that worked for both parties, so you reset it and start again.”

Byrd missed the first few games of the 2013 season with plantar fasciitis, but was a key part of an improved Bills defense upon his return, grabbing four interceptions in 11 games and earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. The 28-year-old safety will be an unrestricted free agent this season, though the Bills could use the franchise tag on him one more time. In that case, Byrd’s one-year price tag would increase to about $8.3MM.

Still, it sounds as if the Bills would prefer to work something longer-term out with their free agent safety. Brandon tells Wawrow that Buffalo has maintained “great communication” with Byrd and his agent, and that the team intends to work hard to reach an agreement. For his part, Byrd said earlier this month that he’d be open to a long-term extension from the Bills.

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