2015 January - Pro Football Rumors

Washington Hires Joe Barry As DC

January 20th, 2015 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

4:15pm: Washington made it official with an announcement, according to Chargers PR director Bill Johnston (on Twitter).

11:21am: Just over an hour after reports indicated that Vic Fangio would be joining the Bears as their new defensive coordinator, Washington has decided on a DC of its own, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport, who reported last Wednesday that the club planned to hire Joe Barry, tweets that Barry is indeed back on track to become the team’s new defensive coordinator — “for real this time.”

As I noted when Rapoport’s initial report surfaced, Barry has one previous stint as a defensive coordinator under his belt, with the Lions from 2007 to 2008. Of course, Barry left that position at a low point, following the club’s 0-16 campaign in ’08. Barry’s run in Detroit is perhaps best remembered for prompting one reporter to ask his father-in-law, head coach Rod Marinelli, if he wished his daughter had “married a better defensive coordinator.”

Since leaving the Lions, Barry has worked as an assistant for the Buccaneers, USC, and the Chargers, holding the position of linebackers coach at each one of those stops. As Washington’s new defensive coordinator, Barry will be tasked with turning around a unit that finished 27th in DVOA in 2014, including 32nd against the pass. The team also allowed 27.4 points per game this season, tied for the third-worst mark in the NFL.

While Barry’s hiring has yet to be officially announced, it would be a surprise at this point if it was derailed again. It seems that Washington’s plan to hire Barry only got delayed when Fangio became available — according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Washington badly wanted to hire the former 49ers defensive coordinator, who ultimately chose the Bears instead.

During the club’s search to identify a replacement for Jim Haslett, Washington also reportedly interviewed Raheem Morris, Eric Mangini, Ed Donatell, Clancy Pendergast, and Wade Phillips.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

January 20th, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

The Chiefs officially announced the signings of 19 players to reserve/futures contracts today in a team release. All but one of those deals, including contracts for quarterback Terrelle Pryor and former first-round pick Derek Sherrod, had been previously reported. The new name in the group is cornerback Aaron Hester, who worked out for Kansas City earlier this month. The Chiefs also noted that the Pryor signing came about as a result of an ACL injury to quarterback Tyler Bray, who will undergo surgery this week (Twitter links via B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com).
Former Cowboys defensive back Micah Pellerin has signed a reserve/futures contract with the Browns, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). After being cut in the preseason by the Titans, Pellerin spent time on both the Cowboys’ active roster and practice squad during the season.

Ravens Hire Marc Trestman As OC

January 20th, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

3:31pm: It’ll be a three-year agreement for Trestman and the Ravens, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

2:31pm: Marc Trestman, who was let go by the Bears at season’s end, has become the third 2014 head coach today to land a new job with another team. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Trestman will replace Gary Kubiak in Baltimore, having been hired as the Ravens’ new offensive coordinator.

Despite a nightmarish season in Chicago which saw Jay Cutler under fire from critics and resulted in Trestman losing his job, the Bears’ offense actually ranked in the top half of the league in DVOA, finishing 14th after placing sixth in 2013. The offense never fully came together and produced consistently in 2014, but Trestman had success with Cutler and Josh McCown the year before, and Chicago’s poor defensive play played a larger part in the team’s overall struggles than the offense did.

After being fired by the Bears, Trestman reportedly interviewed with the Jaguars and Browns, and was mentioned as a possible target for a couple other clubs in the market for an offensive coordinator. While his disappointing stint with the Bears didn’t earn him interviews for other head coaching jobs, the 59-year-old still has a strong resumé as an offensive coach, having previously acted as the offensive coordinator for the Browns, 49ers, Cardinals, and Raiders.

Once it became clear that Kubiak was headed to Denver to become the Broncos’ new head coach, the Ravens reportedly identified Adam Gase and Rick Dennison as potential offensive coordinator candidates. However, Dennison followed Kubiak to the Broncos to become the new OC in Denver. As for Gase, a report earlier this week indicated that he was likely to land with either the Ravens or Jaguars, so perhaps Baltimore’s hiring of Trestman opens the door for Gase to land in Jacksonville — he still has multiple suitors though.

Besides Trestman, former Bills head coach Doug Marrone and ex-Raiders head coach Dennis Allen have also found new jobs today, reaching agreements with the Jaguars and Saints respectively, in assistant roles.

AFC West Notes: Kubiak, Manning, Raiders

January 20th, 2015 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos introduced head coach Gary Kubiak to the media today, and while there’s been some speculation that it might not be the most compatible of marriages, given the differences between Kubiak’s offense and the record-setting group in Denver, the new coach downplayed that notion.

“We actually teach everything,” Kubiak said (Twitter links via the Denver Post). “We’re going to do what the players do best, what this team does best. We’re going to run the Denver Broncos offense, not Gary Kubiak’s offense.”

Here’s more from Kubiak’s presser and from out of the AFC West:

Having previously announced that he intended to stay with the Ravens, Kubiak said today that the Broncos‘ head coaching job was the only one he would’ve considered. “I was very comfortable saying ‘No, I’m going to continue this path that I’m on,'” Kubiak said. “But this was a game-changer. Simple as that” (Twitter links).
Kubiak confirmed that he has already talked to Peyton Manning via text message, stressing that he’ll be there in “any way he can” for the Broncos quarterback as he makes his decision (Twitter links). As Mike Klis of the Denver Post details, Manning will have to make his final decision on whether to play in 2015 by March 9, since his salary becomes fully guaranteed the next day.
Broncos general manager John Elway confirmed today that Kubiak will have a “huge influence” on the club’s decisions in free agency (Twitter link).
Despite the fact that the Raiders are 11-37 during his three seasons as general manager, Reggie McKenzie appears to have plenty of job security, writes Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Asked about McKenzie’s status this week, owner Mark Davis said, “He’s got a contract for two more years; that’s pretty secure.”
Eric Mangini‘s interview with the Raiders for the team’s defensive coordinator position is taking place today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Coach Notes: Joseph, Broncos, Falcons, Bears

January 20th, 2015 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a busy day so far for coaching movement around the NFL, as a pair of 2014 head coaches – Doug Marrone and Dennis Allen – found new assistant roles. Two NFC teams also reached agreements with new defensive coordinators, with the Bears landing Vic Fangio and Washington hiring Joe Barry.

There are still several notable openings around the league, and a handful of coaching-related updates to pass along this afternoon, so let’s dive right in…

Buzz around the league still suggests that Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph is a favorite for the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator vacancy, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. However, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports that the Bengals would still need to grant Joseph permission to leave his position in Cincinnati, which the team has yet to do.
While there’s some work to be done on the defensive side of the ball, Gary Kubiak and the Broncos have finalized their offensive staff, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who passes along the details in his latest piece.
Multiple sources tell Marvez that presumed Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will retain Atlanta’s defensive line coach Bryan Cox and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong. It’s not clear if Cox will hold the same title under Quinn, but the plan is for him to work with the Falcons’ front seven, writes Marvez.
In addition to reaching an agreement with Fangio today, the Bears also parted ways with several assistants, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Jahns tweets that linebackers coach Reggie Herring, tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, and special teams assistant Dwayne Stukes won’t return to the club.
Appearing on The John Murphy Show (audio link via BuffaloBills.com), Bills co-owner Kim Pegula admitted that the team didn’t have Rex Ryan on its short list heading into the head coaching interview process, but loved the impression he made in his interview (hat tip to Pro Football Talk). “Rex almost was a candidate we put in there because obviously his name was all around as a candidate that was open and we really didn’t give much thought to him,” Pegula said. “We had obviously interviewed a lot of people before him. And he came in and I think we were just very pleasantly surprised at how very down to earth he really was in person and his love of the game and some of the things that he said on what he really wanted to do with his life and where he wanted to help us as being part of the team.”

Jaguars Hire Doug Marrone

January 20th, 2015 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

11:50am: The Jaguars have officially announced Marrone’s hiring in a press release.

10:58am: Former Bills head coach Doug Marrone has found a new job with another AFC team, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, who reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars have hired Marrone. Per O’Halloran, Marrone’s title in Jacksonville will be assistant head coach and offensive line coach, so it seems the club is still looking for an offensive coordinator to replace Jedd Fisch.

Marrone, who led the Bills to a 9-7 record in 2014, narrowly missing a playoff spot, opted out of his contract following the team’s final regular season game. Marrone’s agreement with the Bills allowed him to receive his full $4MM salary for 2015 despite the fact that he’s no longer coaching the team.

When Marrone made his decision to opt out, there was some speculation that he may have another opportunity lined up, but it doesn’t appear that was the case. The former Bills coach interviewed with the Falcons, Bears, Jets, and – according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) – the 49ers for their head coaching openings, and also had a meeting lined up with the Broncos before he canceled it. All five teams ultimately went in other directions.

As Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com observes (via Twitter), the Jaguars still technically have offensive line coach George Yarno under contract, in addition to Marrone. However, Yarno won’t coach in 2015, as he continues to battle cancer.

North Notes: Browns, Martz, Packers, Vikes

January 20th, 2015 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns‘ search for an offensive coordinator appears to have been one of the league’s more expansive hunts so far, with nearly a dozen candidates linked to the position at some point, though many have since found other jobs. Still, perhaps no name among Cleveland’s candidates is more surprising than the one Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets today. According to Rapoport, former Rams head coach Mike Martz recently interviewed with the Browns for their OC job. A source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that Martz is indeed interested in returning to coaching after essentially being retired since leaving the Bears after the 2011 season.

Here’s more on the Browns and a few other teams from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:

It’s not clear if the Browns have requested permission to interview him at this point, but Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements is on the club’s radar, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. While a move to Cleveland’s offensive coordinator job would technically be a lateral move for Clements, he doesn’t currently call the plays in Green Bay, with head coach Mike McCarthy handling that role.
In the wake of the Packers’ loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, right tackle Bryan Bulaga wasn’t ready on Monday to speculate about whether or not he’ll be back in Green Bay next season, as Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “Right now, I’m really not even thinking about it to be honest with you. That’s really the last thing on my mind,” Bulaga said. “It’s a ‘we’ll see what happens’ kind of deal. This just ended yesterday. It’s kind of hard to look at it right now.”
With 14 players, including Bulaga, eligible for free agency this offseason, the Packers almost certainly won’t be able to retain everyone, but the “dream scenario” is to re-sign as many of those potential FAs as they can, says Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a look at some of the notable upcoming offseason decisions facing the Vikings, identifying Greg Jennings‘ deal as one worth restructuring, and Adrian Peterson and Chad Greenway as likely cap casualties.
In addition to working out Shawn Lemon, who signed a contract, and Delvin Breaux, whose tryout was previously reported, the Steelers also auditioned offensive linemen Brett Jones and Erle Ladson, punter Kasey Redfern, and kicker Jake Rogers, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Saints To Hire Dennis Allen, Jeff Ireland

January 20th, 2015 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

8:40am: In addition to hiring Allen, the Saints are also bringing aboard former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland to do college scouting, a source tells Schefter (Twitter link).

8:16am: When we learned two weeks ago that the Saints intended to retain defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for the 2015 season, one report suggested that Sean Payton wanted to provide Ryan with “better pieces for success” to support him. It’s not clear yet what that means in terms of personnel, but the team has made a notable addition to its defensive coaching staff, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Saints are hiring Dennis Allen in a senior defensive role.

Allen, who started the 2014 season as the Raiders’ head coach before being replaced by Tony Sparano, served as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator during the 2011 season, and worked for the Saints for several years before that. Beginning in 2006, Allen acted as New Orleans’ assistant defensive line coach before shifting into a secondary coach position in 2008.

Recent reports had linked Allen to the defensive coordinator opening in Chicago, indicating that he was perhaps the frontrunner for the position. If Allen had joined the Bears, he would’ve been reuniting with head coach John Fox, who was coaching the Broncos during Allen’s brief DC stint in Denver, and GM Ryan Pace, who worked in New Orleans’ front office while Allen was with the Saints.

Instead, Allen will be tasked with helping to turn around a defensive unit that ranked fourth overall in Ryan’s first season with the team in 2013, but plummeted to 31st in 2014, both in terms of yards allowed and DVOA (per Football Outsiders).

Extra Points: Browns, Carter, Cobb

January 19th, 2015 at 10:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Monday evening…

Jets assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn will interview for the Browns offensive coordinator opening tomorrow, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
CFL wideout Duron Carter is likely finished with workouts, tweets ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling. The writer notes that the player’s agent is currently talking with the Vikings, Colts and Browns.
While Sunday’s crushing loss could be Randall Cobb‘s last game with the Packers, the potential free agent made it clear after the game that his first choice is to return to Green Bay, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.
Former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi is currently a consultant for the Bears, but Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets that the executive’s last day with the organization is Tuesday.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Moats, Hudson, Edelman

January 19th, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Ben Levine

Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says the former sixth-rounder could end up being a priority for Pittsburgh. For what it’s worth, the 26-year-old is hoping to return next season.

“I hope to be back, but it is a business,” Moats said. “I feel I have to do what’s best for me and my family. We will see what happens, but I definitely want to be back.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…

Chiefs center Rodney Hudson switched representation from Shoreline to Athletes First agents Joe Panos and Brian Murphy, tweets Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal. As the writer points out, the move may be in preparation of the 25-year-old’s potential free agency.
Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets that Patriots wideout Julian Edelman will receive a $500K bonus for making the Super Bowl. The bonus would have kicked in had the 28-year-old compiled 1,057 yards, 70 receptions/seven scores, 80 receptions/13 wins or 80 receptions/Super Bowl appearance (via ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss). Edelman finished the season with 92 receptions for 972 yards. Meanwhile, the Patriots finished with 12 wins.
‘DeflateGate’ is less than 24 hours old, but some within the NFL are already trying to distance themselves from the story, including Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. “Did not notice, and that’s something for the league to handle. It’s not my place to comment on it,” Pagano said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com).