HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Raiders Hire Bill Musgrave As OC

January 19th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a couple weeks of speculation, Jack Del Rio is finally solidifying his coaching staff. The Raiders have hired Bill Musgrave as their new offensive coordinator, the team announced on Twitter. The NFL Network’s Michael Silver was the first to break the news (via Twitter).

Musgrave’s coaching career began with Oakland in 1997, when he served as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Since then, the 47-year-old has bounced around the league, including stints as the Jaguars and Vikings offensive coordinator. This past season, he served as the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach. Besides the Oakland connection, the hiring is also a reunion for Del Rio and Musgrave, as the two coached together in Jacksonville.

The team had previously expressed interest in Broncos coordinator Adam Gase, but those plans may have changed following his interview with the Ravens this evening. The team also reportedly pursued Marc Trestman, with recent reports suggesting that Trestman was going to be in for an interview later this week. However, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson tweets that there is a “lot of disappointment” surrounding the organization’s inability to add Trestman, so the former Bears coach may have rejected the opportunity in Oakland.

The Raiders haven’t officially parted ways with offensive coordinator Greg Olson, but the coach has consistently been mentioned in the rumor mill over the past month. It can be presumed that the 51-year-old will likely be released from his contract instead of accepting a demotion, though that’s only my speculation.

Titans CEO Insists Team Not For Sale

January 19th, 2015 at 7:25pm CST by Ben Levine

About a month ago, we heard whispers that the Titans could be the next NFL franchise to hit the market. Those rumors popped up again this afternoon, when CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweeted that he is still hearing “rumblings” of a potential 2015 sale.

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean tracked down team CEO Tommy Smith to get a reaction to the report, and the executive quickly shot down the rumors.

“The team is not for sale,” said Smith. “We are not entertaining any conversations in regard to the sale of the team. Period. Any statements that say so are completely off base, and I resent it. It is not helpful to what we are trying to accomplish as an organization and as a family.”

In La Canfora’s tweet earlier today, the writer echoed previous reports that FedEx CEO and Washington minority owner Fred Smith could be a frontrunner along with Steelers minority owner David Tepper.

“All that is totally irresponsible,’’ Smith said. “All of that is completely off-base and unfounded.

“I have only the highest respect for Fred Smith. He is a true captain of industry and one of the greatest entrepreneurs in the 20th century in American business. I think very highly of him. But I am not talking to Fred Smith about this, or anything else for that matter. I would be glad to visit with him, but not about the team. The team is not for sale.

“As for Mr. Tepper, he is successful in the business world and I wish him success. But they have had nothing to do with the Tennessee Titans and my family.”

Meanwhile, the team president also rejected the idea that Peyton Manning could purchase the franchise when his playing career is over.

“All of that is just nonsense. It’s completely unfounded. It’s just irresponsible,’’ Smith said. “It’s not going to happen. Peyton may retire, I am not saying that’s not going to happen. And I want to say I have only the highest regard for Peyton and the Manning family. They are a first-class family, Peyton and Eli and Archie have contributed greatly to the National Football League and I appreciate their efforts.

“I wish them the best in their future pursuits, but it’s not with me.”

Coach/GM Notes: Gase, 49ers, Eagles

January 19th, 2015 at 6:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Following his nine seasons as John Elway‘s backup, Gary Kubiak bounced around a bit when he entered the coaching profession. He started as the running backs coach at Texas A&M before spending a year with the 49ers as the quarterbacks coach. Kubiak then spent more than ten seasons with the Broncos before he was hired as the Texans head coach. Last season, the 53-year-old was the Ravens offensive coordinator.

As a result, Kubiak is hoping to have a lengthy tenure in Denver (via Mike Klis of The Denver Post):

“I’m excited. I’m looking forward to the work. It’s great to be home again.

“Hopefully it works out so this is the last coaching job I have in my career.”

Here are some more assorted coach and front office notes from around the league:

Coaching:

  • Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase will interview with the Ravens this evening, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Ironically, Gase’s meeting would be for the position previously held by the current Broncos head coach.
  • The 49ers have requested permission to interview Colts special assistant Rob Chudzinski to become the team’s offensive coordinator, tweets Rapoport. We learned earlier today that the Bears had also requested permission.
  • The Eagles have hired former Broncos defensive backs coach Cory Undlin for the same role, the team announced. The team also promoted assistant Justin Peelle to tight ends coach.
  • Meanwhile, former Eagles defensive backs coach John Lovett and former tight ends coach Ted Williams will stay with the organization in the pro scouting department, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).

Front office:

  • The Buccaneers have denied the Eagles the opportunity to interview director of player personnel Jon Robinson for the open general manager vacancy, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While the Philadelphia job may have the GM title, Chip Kelly will have final say over roster and personnel decisions, so it wouldn’t necessarily be a promotion for an exec who already holds a director of player personnel title.
  • The Eagles will have an opportunity to interview candidates from the front offices of both the Patriots and Seahawks this week, reports Jeff McClain of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). However, the team will still need organizational permission to reach out to candidates.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Colts Sign 10 To Futures Contracts

January 19th, 2015 at 5:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Following their season-ending loss in New England last night, the Colts have shifted their focus towards next season. Mike Chappell of RTV6 tweets that the team has signed ten players to reserves/futures contract:

All ten players spent at least some time on Indy’s practice squad in 2014, while Quarles made a pair of appearances with the big-league club. Meanwhile, Guy compiled ten tackles and a sack in four games with the Jaguars earlier this season.

The other notable name here is Demps, an Olympic sprinter. The 25-year-old previously spent time with the Patriots and Buccaneers before joining the Colts’ practice squad.

Lions Won’t Re-Sign Dominic Raiola

January 19th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have informed longtime center Dominic Raiola that they won’t be bringing him back for the 2015 season, a source tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Raiola’s contract with the team is set to expire, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.

Raioala, who turned 36 last month, has been with the Lions since the team drafted him 50th overall in 2001. He became the full-time starter at center in his second year with the club, starting 203 of a possible 208 regular season contests since then. Prior to being suspended and sitting out Detroit’s Week 17 matchup against the Packers this season, Raiola hadn’t missed a game since 2008. As Birkett notes, the veteran lineman indicated at season’s end that he hoped to continue his playing career.

“I’m optimistic,” Raiola said earlier in January. “I think I will be [back], but I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’m not. I still want to play, I still think I have a lot to offer and a lot to offer this locker room. If I could go one more go around, I’d be honored.”

Of course, Raiola was referring to the idea of returning to the Lions for one more year, so it’s not clear whether or not he’ll want to continue playing for another team. In Detroit, 2014 third-rounder Travis Swanson appears poised to take over at the center position for the coming season.

Steelers Sign Shawn Lemon

January 19th, 2015 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers have agreed to terms with former Calgary Stampeders defensive end Shawn Lemon, according to agent David Canter (via Twitter). Scott Mitchell of the Calgary Sun first reported that Lemon had reached an agreement to sign with Pittsburgh.

Lemon, 26, played for multiple teams in the CFL before breaking out for the Stampeders in 2014. In addition to establishing a new career high with 13 sacks, Lemon also tied a CFL record by forcing eight fumbles during the season, playing a significant role on defense for 2014’s Grey Cup champions. The club released him from his contract today in order to allow him to make things official with the Steeelers.

“Shawn has an agreement in place with an NFL club and we are granting him his release in order to allow him to sign a contract immediately rather than waiting until February,” said Calgary GM/head coach John Hufnagel. “We wish Shawn the best of luck and thank him for his contributions to the Stampeders.”

Lemon’s deal will likely be for the minimum salary with a small signing bonus, but he should get the opportunity to earn a spot on the Steelers’ 53-man roster or practice squad in 2015. A year ago, former Stampeders pass rusher Cordarro Law, whose spot Lemon claimed in 2014, signed with the Chargers and ultimately spent most of the ’14 season on San Diego’s taxi squad.

Coach Updates: Texans, Tomsula, Bears

January 19th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The case of Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn exhibits a need for the NFL to change its rules when it comes to head coaching hires, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Because Seattle is playing in the Super Bowl, no team can officially hire Quinn as a head coach until February, at which point most top assistants will have found other jobs. The Falcons still appear willing to wait on Quinn, but it would’ve been much more of a sure thing if Quinn were available immediately.

Here’s the latest on a few more coaching openings around the league:

  • Within La Canfora’s piece, the CBSSports.com scribe notes that the Texans could be in the market for an offensive coordinator since the team didn’t have one under Bill O’Brien in 2014. Doug Marrone is a good bet to resurface in Houston, according to La Canfora.
  • Jim Tomsula‘s salary as the 49ers‘ head coach is believed to be about $3.5MM per year, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). That would put Tomsula amongst the bottom five head coaches in the league in terms of annual salary, which isn’t a huge surprise since he wasn’t a high-profile candidate.
  • The Bears have put in an interview request with the Colts in the hopes of speaking to assistant Rob Chudzinski about their offensive coordinator opening, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
  • Bears general manager Ryan Pace said today that the team has not made a contract offer to defensive coordinator candidate Vic Fangio, but that doesn’t mean Chicago isn’t interested, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Fangio is also considered a strong contender for the same job in Washington.
  • Former Bears special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis is interviewing with the Raiders today and has two other stops lined up after Oakland, per ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright (via Twitter).
  • The Browns‘ offensive coordinator interviews for Anthony Lynn and Al Saunders are expected to take place this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

Broncos Hire Rick Dennison As OC

January 19th, 2015 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Having been officially announced as the Broncos’ new head coach earlier today, Gary Kubiak has already begun to put together his staff, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Two league sources tell Klis that the Broncos have hired Rick Dennison as their offensive coordinator and Brian Pariani as their tight ends coach.

Though there was some speculation that either Dennison or Pariani would remain in Baltimore, perhaps as candidates for the Ravens’ newly-opened offensive coordinator position, it comes as no surprise that both coaches are following Kubiak to Denver. Both men also worked with Kubiak in Houston before joining him in Baltimore this past season.

As Klis writes, the 56-year-old Dennison is “well-schooled in the zone-blocking, play-action offensive system” that Kubiak prefers to use. With the Broncos, the former Ravens quarterbacks coach will either work with Peyton Manning or Manning’s replacement – possibly Brock Osweiler – if the future Hall-of-Famer decides to call it a career.

With Dennison heading to Denver, the Broncos and Ravens could end up essentially swapping offensive coaches, as former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase is viewed as a top candidate for Baltimore’s OC job. We heard earlier today that Gase figures to land in either Baltimore or Jacksonville.

84 Underclassmen Declare For 2015 NFL Draft

January 19th, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

74 underclassmen who met the NFL’s three-year eligibility rule and formally applied to enter the 2015 draft have been granted special eligibility, the league announced today in a press release. In addition to those 74, another 10 players who have graduated with college football eligibility remaining have also entered this year’s draft class.

This year’s total of 84 early entrants is a step down from last year’s record — in 2014, 98 underclassmen were granted special eligibility and four more were eligible after graduating early, for a total of 102.

Here’s the full list of underclassmen eligible for the 2015 draft, in alphabetical order:

  1. Nelson Agholor, WR (USC)
  2. Jay Ajayi, RB (Boise State)
  3. Kwon Alexander, LB (LSU)
  4. Javorius Allen, RB (USC)
  5. Arik Armstead, DL (Oregon)
  6. Deion Barnes, DE (Penn State)
  7. Malcom Brown, DT (Texas)
  8. Alex Carter, CB (Stanford)
  9. B.J. Catalon, RB (TCU)
  10. Sammie Coates, WR (Auburn)
  11. Tevin Coleman, RB (Indiana)
  12. Jalen Collins, CB (LSU)
  13. Landon Collins, S (Alabama)
  14. Amari Cooper, WR (Alabama)
  15. Xavier Cooper, DE (Washington State)
  16. Christian Covington, DT (Rice)
  17. Zach D’Orazio, WR (Akron)
  18. DaVaris Daniels, WR (Notre Dame)
  19. Ronald Darby, CB (Florida State)
  20. Mike Davis, RB (South Carolina)
  21. Stefon Diggs, WR (Maryland)
  22. Lorenzo Doss, CB (Tulane)
  23. Mario Edwards, DE (Florida State)
  24. Durell Eskridge, S (Syracuse)
  25. George Farmer, WR (USC)
  26. Max Flores, LB (Northern Colorado)
  27. Ereck Flowers, T (Miami)
  28. Dante Fowler, DE (Florida)
  29. Devin Funchess, WR (Michigan)
  30. Charles Gaines, DB (Louisville)
  31. Jacoby Glenn, CB (UCF)
  32. Eddie Goldman, DT (Florida State)
  33. Melvin Gordon, RB (Wisconsin)
  34. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR (Oklahoma)
  35. Deontay Greenberry, WR (Houston)
  36. Randy Gregory, DE (Nebraska)
  37. Todd Gurley, RB (Georgia)
  38. Chris Hackett, S (TCU)
  39. Eli Harold, DE (Virginia)
  40. Chris Harper, WR (California)
  41. Dee Hart, RB (Colorado State)
  42. Braylon Heard, RB (Kentucky)
  43. Gerod Holliman, S (Louisville)
  44. D.J. Humphries, T (Florida)
  45. Brett Hundley, QB (UCLA)
  46. Danielle Hunter, DE (LSU)
  47. David Irving, DT (Iowa State)
  48. Jesse James, TE (Notre Dame)
  49. Duke Johnson, RB (Miami)
  50. Matt Jones, RB (Florida)
  51. Nigel King, WR (Kansas)
  52. Tyler Kroft, TE (Rutgers)
  53. Marcus Mariota, QB (Oregon)
  54. Ellis McCarthy, DL (UCLA)
  55. Benardrick McKinney, LB (Mississippi State)
  56. Patrick Miller, T (Auburn)
  57. Tyler Moore, G (Florida)
  58. Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DT (Southern Mississippi)
  59. Andrus Peat, T (Stanford)
  60. Breshad Perriman, WR (UCF)
  61. Marcus Peters, CB (Washington)
  62. Jordan Phillips, DT (Oklahoma)
  63. Darius Philon, DT (Arkansas)
  64. Bradley Pinion, P (Clemson)
  65. Jaquel Pitts, WR (Trinity International)
  66. Jeremiah Poutasi, T (Utah)
  67. Darien Rankin, LB (North Carolina)
  68. Shane Ray, DE (Missouri)
  69. Josh Robinson, RB (Mississippi State)
  70. James Sample, S (Louisville)
  71. Jean Sifrin, TE (UMass)
  72. Donovan Smith, T (Penn State)
  73. Jaelen Strong, WR (Arizona State)
  74. Tacoi Sumler, WR (Appalachian State)
  75. Shaq Thompson, LB (Washington)
  76. Max Valles, LB (Virginia)
  77. Easton Wahlstrom, LS (Arizona State)
  78. Trae Waynes, CB (Michigan State)
  79. Leonard Williams, DE (USC)
  80. Maxx Williams, TE (Minnesota)
  81. P.J. Williams, CB (Florida State)
  82. Trey Williams, RB (Texas A&M)
  83. Jameis Winston, QB (Florida State)
  84. T.J. Yeldon, RB (Alabama)

Coach Rumors: Gailey, Bills, 49ers, Cardinals

January 19th, 2015 at 12:32pm CST by Rob DiRe

It has been presumed that the Jets would hire Chan Gailey to become the team’s offensive coordinator, but it may not be a done deal, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello writes that Gailey has drawn interest from three other teams, and that an agreement with the Jets is far from a lock.

  • As the Jets have cooled on Gailey, they have reached out to other potential candidates for their offensive coordinator opening, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
  • The 49ers have denied the Bills permission to interview Ronald Curry for an opportunity to join Greg Roman’s staff in Buffalo, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
  • The Bears wanted to consider Broncos wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert for the same position on their staff, but the Broncos have denied them permission, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • The Cardinals have expressed interest in Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan to replace Todd Bowles as their own defensive coordinator, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Nolan’s defenses with the Falcons have been underwhelming, and his stint as 49ers head coach was equally unsuccessful.
  • With the Cardinals considering options at defensive coordinator, Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean notes that former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is in the mix as a senior assistant (via Twitter). Wyatt still believes LeBeau could land with the Titans (via Twitter).
  • 49ers assistant coach Eric Mangini will interview with the Raiders in pursuit of their defensive coordinator job, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • While Mangini is moving closer to the Oakland, former Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is still expected to rejoin the 49ers, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • Former Cardinals and Chiefs defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast interviewed to be the defensive coordinator in Washington, reports John Keim of ESPN.com.
  • The Bears have hired former Broncos assistant coach Jeff Rodgers as their special teams coordinator, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).
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