2015 January - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders Hire Jack Del Rio As HC

January 14th, 2015 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

3:40pm: It’s a four-year deal for Del Rio, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

3:10pm: The Raiders have officially hired Del Rio, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

2:17pm: A person familiar with the Raiders’ coach search told Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter) that a completed deal to hire Del Rio as head coach is “not imminent.” Still, the two sides still working on it.

7:44am: While the Niners pursue Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching job, the league’s other Bay Area team appears poised to lock up Denver’s defensive coordinator for their own coaching opening. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Raiders are expected to name Jack Del Rio as their new head coach, and an announcement could come as soon as today.

Del Rio’s defense in Denver, where he has been the coordinator since 2012, hasn’t been quite as effective or as heralded as the unit on the other side of the ball. However, after ranking in the middle of the pack a year ago, the Broncos’ defense finished fourth in DVOA in 2014, with Del Rio taking advantage of an influx of free agent talent, including DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward.

As our head coaching search tracker shows, the Raiders’ list of candidates and interviewees didn’t include as many notable names as several other team’s lists. The team didn’t target highly-regarded coordinators like Dan Quinn or Teryl Austin, or former head coaches such as Rex Ryan or Doug Marrone. While Oakland tried to interview Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, he passed on the opportunity after receiving plenty of interest from other suitors.

Still, Del Rio, who had a long second interview with the team on Tuesday, had been considered a top option for the Raiders since the start of their search. There was a belief in recent days that the team’s choice would come down to the Broncos’ defensive coordinator or interim head coach Tony Sparano. And according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the club decided late last night not to promote Sparano to the permanent role, opening the door for Del Rio.

Del Rio, of course, has previous head coaching experience, having spent the better part of nine seasons with the Jaguars. That stint included a 68-71 overall regular season record, along with a pair of playoff berths, and a single postseason victory, in the 2007 season.

Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group noted last night (via Twitter) that offensive coordinator Greg Olson and special teams coordinator Bobby April actually remain under contract for the Raiders in 2015. However, it’s possible – or perhaps even likely – that they’ll be released from those deals to pursue other opportunities, with Del Rio bringing in his own coordinators.

Jordan Raanan of NJ.com speculates (via Twitter) that Mike Smith, who was Del Rio’s defensive coordinator for several years in Jacksonville and was recently let go by the Falcons, could be a DC candidate. Meanwhile, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says he wouldn’t be surprised if another Atlanta coach who worked with Del Rio on the Jags – offensive line coach Mike Tice – follows his former colleague to Oakland.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC East Notes: Murray, Giants, Cowboys

January 14th, 2015 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Professional Football Writers of America’s awards aren’t official, they often foreshadow the results of the AP voting, and if that’s the case this year, that’s good news for Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. The PFWA selected Murray as the Offensive Player of the Year after a season in which he ran away with the NFL’s rushing title by nearly 500 yards (Twitter link). Murray joins MVP Aaron Rodgers and Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt as today’s PFWA honorees.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Appearing on WFAN Sports Radio in New York today, Giants co-owner John Mara said he hasn’t discussed a new contract with head coach Tom Coughlin yet, though he expects those discussion to take place “fairly soon.” Mara also identified the Giants’ offensive line as the position most in need of an upgrade (Twitter links via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
The Giants have hired former Rams defensive coordinator Tim Walton as their defensive backs/secondary coach, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Former agent Joel Corry examines the upcoming offseason decisions for the Cowboys in a piece at CBSSports.com, focusing on the club’s cap situation, along with its two notable free-agents-to-be, Dez Bryant and Murray. While Corry views the franchise tag as a near-lock for Bryant if no long-term agreement is reached, he’s less certain the team will retain Murray, pointing out that while running backs haven’t done well on the open market recently, one of Murray’s caliber hasn’t become available for quite some time. Earlier today, we heard that Murray was a good bet to reach the open market in March.
Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will pursue other possibilities so he’s unlikely to re-sign with Dallas during the exclusivity period, according to ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (via Twitter).

Falcons Frontrunners For Dan Quinn

January 14th, 2015 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that a pair of the Falcons’ head coaching targets – Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles – have landed with AFC East clubs, a path is opening up for Atlanta to land Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and Quinn has emerged as the favorite for the Falcons’ vacancy, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

As Schefter outlines, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is having a second interview with the Falcons today and will have a chance to impress them, but sources believe that Atlanta is willing to wait for Quinn to become available, and that Quinn is interested in the position. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report agrees that Quinn looks likely to be hired by the Falcons, suggesting that the Seahawks DC preferred Atlanta’s job to the Jets’ position, which prompted New York to move on to Bowles.

While Quinn is viewed as one of the top head coaching candidates available this offseason, the fact that his Seahawks are playing so well has prevented him from fully exploring his options. As Schefter notes, Quinn will be able to interview again after Sunday’s game against the Packers, but if Seattle wins that game, he’ll only be allowed to have second interviews with teams he has already talked to. In that case, Quinn could speak to the Falcons, 49ers, and/or Bears again, if those clubs are still interested, but he wouldn’t be able to interview a first time with the Broncos.

The 49ers and Bears appear headed in different directions, focusing on Adam Gase and John Fox respectively. The Broncos could enter the picture if the Seahawks lose to Green Bay on Sunday, but it looks as if they’re in line behind the Falcons at this point. As for Atlanta, the club has also been linked to Josh McDaniels, but it appears likely that the Patriots offensive coordinator will stick with New England.

Marcus Mariota To Enter Draft

January 14th, 2015 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, in advance of tomorrow’s early entry deadline, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota announced today that he’ll enter the 2015 draft, according to the school’s website. Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com first reported (via Twitter) that the redshirt junior would announce his intentions to forgo his final year of college eligibility and turn pro.

Mariota, this season’s Heisman winner, has long been considered the top quarterback – and perhaps the top overall prospect – available, edging out Jameis Winston in the view of many draft experts. This past season at Oregon, Mariota established new career-highs by passing for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns, along with just four interceptions. The 21-year-old added another 770 yards and 15 TDs on the ground.

While he’s certainly not a lock to be selected first overall, particularly after a somewhat disappointing showing in this week’s championship game against Ohio State, Mariota figures to draw significant interest from the Buccaneers with that No. 1 pick. If Tampa Bay passes, the Titans, Washington, and the Jets are among the other teams near the top of the draft that should consider selecting a QB and figure to take a long look at Mariota.

AFC Links: Gase, Broncos, Jags, Browns, Jets

January 14th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

With one team (the Bills) having introduced their new head coach today, and two more clubs (Jets, Raiders) closing in on their targets, there are four head coaching jobs still available, and it appeared coming into today that the 49ers were moving toward locking up Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. However, nothing’s done between Gase and the Niners yet, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who tweets that the Broncos OC met with John Elway to discuss Denver’s head coaching vacancy today. Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), it wasn’t a formal interview, but if there’s mutual interest between the two sides, that formal interview could still happen.

As we wait to see whether or not Gase sticks with the Broncos, let’s round up a few other notes from around the AFC….

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links) have updates on a pair of offensive coordinator searches. Per Rapoport, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson will interview for the same role with the Jaguars, while Cabot reports that the Browns will speak to their tight ends coach Brian Angelichio about their offensive coordinator opening.
Steve Smith had a nice bounceback season in his first year in Baltimore in 2014, and remains under team control for 2015, but the Ravens want him to take a little time to decide whether or not he wants to continue his playing career, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. John Harbaugh said yesterday that the team would like Smith, who turns 36 this year, to take three weeks to see how he feels.
Texans GM Rick Smith praised new Jets GM Mike Maccagnan, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. “He has been a valued and trusted confidant over the years and is an outstanding talent evaluator,” the GM said. Maccagnan previously served as Houston’s college scouting director.
Maccagnan and the team’s new head coach (now known to be Todd Bowles) will each report directly to owner Woody Johnson, tweets Mehta. Maccagnan, meanwhile, will have final say over the 53-man roster. The setup in Buffalo will be similar, according to Mehta (Twitter links) — new head coach Rex Ryan will report directly to owner Terry Pegula, but GM Doug Whaley has final say on the 53-man roster.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com gave his thoughts on Maccagnan yesterday, prior to the Jets‘ hiring of Bowles as its head coach. While there are question marks about Maccagnan, Cimini is glad to see that the team didn’t hire a bean counter like predecessor John Idzik. Maccagnan is a football man with roots in player evaluation, rather than a cap guru.
In his second offseason as the Browns‘ general manager, Ray Farmer will have plenty of notable free agent situations to address, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, who identifies six unrestricted FAs and three restricted FAs that will be priorities in Cleveland.

Coach Notes: Quinn, Bears, Cowboys, Bills

January 14th, 2015 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Teams considering waiting for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to become available are wary about the possibility that, despite what they’re saying, the Dolphins could hire Quinn to replace Joe Philbin, given the presence of Mike Tannenbaum, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Prior to joining the Dolphins’ front office in an official capacity, Tannenbaum was Quinn’s agent, and according to La Canfora, that connection concerned the Jets to some degree.

However, a source tells La Canfora that there’s no chance Miami will hire Quinn if he’s available next month — if another team wants to wait on him, that club should have a shot at him (Twitter link). That team isn’t likely to be the 49ers though, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who tweets that San Francisco hasn’t talked about Quinn in several days. All signs are pointing to Adam Gase for the 49ers, per Cole.

Let’s check in on a few more coaching-related items….

John Fox‘s interview with the Bears is happening today, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, a source tells Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune that Kyle Shanahan will be one of Fox’s top offensive coordinator choices if he lands the Bears’ job.
According to La Canfora (Twitter link), the Falcons “love” Josh McDaniels, but the Patriots offensive coordinator still seems unlikely to leave New England.
Scott Linehan‘s deal with the Cowboys hasn’t been completed yet, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He’s waiting for his deal to get done before considering taking interviews and the sense is that it will be finalized soon (link). Linehan currently serves as Dallas’ passing game coordinator.
It’s not clear yet if Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will return to the Cowboys, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, who says that eight teams have expressed interest in Callahan. With Linehan now handling the offensive playcalls in Dallas, it’s unlikely that Callahan will be back, in George’s view.
Tony Sparano won’t be staying with the Raiders now that he didn’t get the team’s head coaching job, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) hears from sources that Jack Del Rio, who is expected to become Oakland’s coach, has been recruiting Marc Trestman for his offensive staff.
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports joined Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on PFT Live to discuss the events that led to the divorce of John Fox and the Broncos. Glazer explains that the breakup, while shocking on the outside, has actually been a long time coming. Glazer sensed back at last year’s Senior Bowl that it would be a “one and done” for Fox, unless he could win a Super Bowl this season.
Former Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is joining Rex Ryan on the Bills‘ staff, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com adds (via Twitter) that Pepper Johnson has been told there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s coaching staff if the Giants‘ defensive coordinator position doesn’t pan out for him. Speaking of Ryan, he said today at his introductory press conference that it’s not true that he preferred the Falcons and 49ers jobs to the Bills position, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

DeMarco Murray Likely To Test Free Agency?

January 14th, 2015 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

With two of the Cowboys’ most notable offensive players eligible for unrestricted free agency this winter, wide receiver Dez Bryant seems unlikely to go anywhere, but the same can’t be said of running back DeMarco Murray. Dallas can only use its franchise or transition designation on one player, and Bryant looks like a lock to be tagged, which means Murray would have to negotiate a new contract with the club. And so far, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the two sides aren’t anywhere close.

As Chris Wesseling of NFL.com writes, Rapoport suggests that at last check, the Cowboys had a four-year offer on the table to Murray worth about $16MM, or $4MM annually. That stacks up well when compared to the top contracts for free agent running backs from a year ago, but it pales in comparison to the $7MM+ annual salaries that the league’s highest-paid backs are earning. And considering Murray is coming off a season in which his 1,845 rushing yards placed him first in the NFL by nearly a 500-yard margin, it makes sense that he’d be seeking more than $4MM per year.

Of course, over the last several seasons, the value of the running back position has been on the decline, and the reported Cowboys’ offer reflects not only that decreasing value, but also some wariness about Murray’s 2014 workload — after racking up 449 touches in the regular season, the 26-year-old had 48 more in two postseason games, for a total of 497. That will be a red flag for any potential suitor.

Still, as Wesseling notes, Murray should be able to do better than a $4MM annual salary on the open market, so unless the Cowboys “pry the coffers wide open,” the Oklahoma product will likely test free agency in March. Even in an era when running backs aren’t valued highly, plenty of teams – including perhaps the Raiders, Falcons, Colts, and Buccaneers, among others – should be looking to improve their ground games, and could kick the tires on Murray.

NFC South Notes: Falcons, Newton, Bucs

January 14th, 2015 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons had been scheduled to interview Todd Bowles for a second time today, but were well aware the Jets may not let him leave, tweets Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, adding that Atlanta “wasn’t totally sold” on Bowles. With a pair of presumed finalists – Bowles and Rex Ryan – now off the table, the Falcons’ top options appear to be Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. With Austin due in for a second meeting today, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Falcons decide to move on him or wait for Quinn, who may not become available until February.

Here’s more from around the NFC South:

You can debate whether Cam Newton is worth a six-year, $100MM+ contract, which is what it might take to lock him up, but it would be a mistake for the Panthers not to work out an extension with him, argues David Newton of ESPN.com. With Newton preparing to enter a contract year, “the time is now” to reach a multiyear agreement with the quarterback, Newton adds.
New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter says he doesn’t have a clue which player the Bucs will take with the No. 1 overall pick. He has a big decision to make when it comes to Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details, former Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez says he didn’t miss football during his first year of retirement, although he briefly had “a 2% urge to get out there.” That slight urge wasn’t nearly enough to sway him when teams showed interest during the season, according to the future Hall-of-Famer. “Some teams reached out to me. A couple teams. I’m not going to name who they were,” Gonzalez said. “I’m about 230 pounds now. I’m afraid I would get crushed out on the football field now.”

Coaching Notes: 49ers, Gase, Marrone

January 13th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers GM Trent Baalke is expected to fly back to California tonight without Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is meeting with the Broncos, tweets Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com. That doesn’t mean the 49ers won’t offer Gase their head coaching job — it just means that it’s not expected to be wrapped up tonight (link). More of the latest coaching news from around the National Football League:

Now that Todd Bowles is off the market, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s second interview with the Falcons is expected to take place on Wednesday rather than Thursday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Earlier updates:

The Jets have cancelled their Wednesday appointment with Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, which could mean that they have their man, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. That could, in theory, signal that they’ve chosen Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
Bowles had dinner with Jets brass tonight, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). He’s staying overnight in the area, but he’ll still be meeting with the Falcons on Wednesday.
Bowles and the Jets haven’t started discussing a contract yet, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have interviewed former Bills head coach Doug Marrone for their head coaching vacancy today.
49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari says he will wait to find out what happens in San Francisco before deciding whether he wants to pursue the Bills job, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

Workout Notes: Tuesday

January 13th, 2015 at 10:08pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s the offseason for most of football and teams are working out intriguing young players in advance of next season. Here are today’s workouts and auditons..

Duron Carter worked out for the Vikings, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). The Vikings are said to be the frontrunners for the wide receiver’s services.
The Browns tried out fullbacks Zach Boren and Shaun Chapas, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Boren was with the Chargers in preseason. Chapas was in camp with the Ravens but was ultimately let go with an injury settlement.
Steelers tried out fullback Lonnie Pryor and quarterback Chase Rettig, Wilson tweets. Pryor, 25 in February, was on the Buccaneers for a bit in 2014. Rettig was cut in late August by the Packers.