HEADLINES

Month: January 2015

Thomas Dimitroff’s Job Not Safe

January 4th, 2015 at 10:53am CST by Rory Parks

Although Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff survived “Black Monday,” which saw the firing of head coach Mike Smith, Dimitroff’s job is far from safe. When Smith was fired, we heard that owner Arthur Blank was still undecided on Dimitroff’s future, and Blank’s approach in hiring a new head coach has made that clear. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets that Blank has informed all the head coaching candidates he has interviewed thus far that they would have a say in who the team’s general manager will be.

Rapoport’s colleague, Albert Breer, affirms that report. Breer notes that Blank will hire the best coach he can, and then “chart the course from there.” If the new coach does not mesh with Dimitroff, then changes could come (Twitter links).

As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, Dimitroff’s fate could be determined by Josh McDaniels. Dimitroff has championed McDaniels, with whom he and top assistant Scott Pioli worked in New England, as a candidate for the team’s head coaching vacancy. McDaniels has said that it would take a “perfect set of circumstances” to leave his comfortable position as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, especially since his first head coaching attempt with the Broncos was a decidedly unsuccessful one. La Canfora adds that, although Matt Ryan‘s presence makes the Falcon’s job at least somewhat attractive, the behind-the-scenes turmoil in Atlanta has given him pause.

As Brian McIntyre tweets, Dimitroff’s lack of job security is relatively surprising. Although the Falcons have underachieved in each of the last two seasons, Dimitroff does have a track record of success and has established a strong foundation in Atlanta. It seems counter-intuitive to allow a head coaching candidate who may not have ever held a position above coordinator to effectively dismiss Dimitroff, but Blank is apparently prepared to do just that.

 

East Notes: Jets, Fitzgerald, Phillips

January 4th, 2015 at 9:45am CST by Rory Parks

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that all signs are pointing to Doug Marrone as the next head coach of the Jets. La Canfora notes that many of the candidates that New York is interviewing for its general manager position have strong ties to Marrone, including top candidate Mike Maccagnan. Maccagnan once signed Marrone to quarterback the London Monarchs of the now extinct World League of American Football in 1991, and the two men have developed a close personal relationship since then.

Other GM candidates like Rick Mueller, Bill Kuharich, and Ryan Pace also have ties to Marrone. Jets owner Woody Johnson would like to announce his new GM and head coach no later than the end of this week, and some believe the Jets could be the first team to do so. At the moment, the smart money appears to be on a Maccagnan/Marrone pairing in New York.

Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News believes that if the Jets end up hiring Marrone, “Jets fans will have every right to believe the thing was fixed fight from the beginning.” The “thing,” of course, is Marrone’s opting out of his contract with the Bills. If he is subsequently hired by New York, it will appear as though he had a back-door agreement with Charley Casserly, who is acting as Johnson’s primary adviser in the hiring process (Twitter link to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who described in a full-length piece how Marrone alienated members of the Bills administration during his two years in Buffalo).
  • After being snubbed by Bill Polian, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Bills owner Terry Pegula is still interested in hiring a “football czar” as he focuses in the short term on finding a new head coach.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that, even though the Larry Fitzgerald-to-the-Patriots rumors have swirled for the past several seasons, those rumblings might have some legs this offseason.
  • Rich Tandler of CSN Washington.com notes that Wade Phillips‘ age (68) has some wondering if Washington should opt for a younger candidate to fill its vacant defensive coordinator position, but Tandler believes Phillips’ recent pedigree suggests that his age should not be a major consideration.
  • We learned earlier today that the Raiders have requested permission to interview Cowboys‘ passing game coordinator Scott Linehan, and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that Dallas is also in danger of losing defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. The contracts of both men expire at the end of this season, and Rapoport tweets that Marinelli may be wooed by the Buccaneers if talks with the Cowboys do not progress.
  • Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram adds (via Twitter) that the Cowboys also stand to lose offensive coordinator Bill Callahan, whose contract is also set to expire at season’s end.
  • Mark Eckel of NJ.com provides a list of five candidates the Eagles should consider in filling their GM position.

Extra Points: Packers, Fitzgerald, Raiders

January 3rd, 2015 at 10:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Ravens look to put the finishing touches on a Wild Card win over the rival Steelers, let’s round up a few Saturday notes from around the NFL….

  • In Saturday’s lone practice squad move, the Packers signed former West Virginia center Joe Madsen to their unit, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Green Bay had an opening on its taxi squad, so the club is back up to 10 players now.
  • Now that the Cardinals‘ season is over, we can expect speculation about Larry Fitzgerald‘s future in Arizona to ramp up, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The club isn’t expected to cut its longtime star wideout, but a trade is an outside possibility, and a restructure or reduced salary seems even more likely.
  • Joel Corry of the National Football Post provides an in-depth explanation of how players get paid during the postseason, including a couple oddities — for instance, Percy Harvin may be rooting for the Seahawks in the playoffs, since his time spent with the club this year means he could earn $70K+ if Seattle wins the Super Bowl.
  • The Raiders are the latest team to be covered by Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap in his 2015 salary cap outlook series. Armed with up to nearly $60MM in cap space, Oakland should have a ton of flexibility this winter.
  • In a separate piece for Over The Cap, Fitzgerald attempts to determine the value of the top wide receivers eligible for free agency this offseason.
  • Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin runs through five burning questions that the Jets must answer this offseason, starting with whether or not Woody Johnson can make the right call on a new head coach and general manager.

Coach Updates: Bowles, Bears, Jets, Marrone

January 3rd, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals suffered an ugly loss in today’s Wild Card game against the Panthers, totaling just 78 offensive yards, a record low for a playoff contest. However, while Ryan Lindley and the offense struggled, Todd Bowles‘ defensive unit held its own, and now that Arizona’s season is over, Bowles will be free to interview for head coaching openings. As our head coaching search tracker shows, every team except the Bills has reportedly requested permission to interview Bowles, so he could be a busy man over the next few days — Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets that the Cards DC is expected to interview with the Raiders next week.

Here are a few more coaching-related updates on a Saturday night:

  • The Bears confirmed today (via Twitter) that they’ve interviewed Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching position. However, the club has no interest in Rex Ryan, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
  • After meeting with the Jets this weekend, Doug Marrone is scheduled to interview with the Falcons on Monday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Speaking of Marrone, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has a column packed with feedback from Bills sources on the team’s former head coach, and it doesn’t paint a flattering picture. Mehta’s sources call Marrone a “control freak,” a “very dangerous person to have in the building,” and “the definition of average,” suggesting that the ex-Bills head coach didn’t get along with a number of players and others within the organization. Based on that assessment, Mehta thinks the Jets can do better with their head coaching hire.
  • It shouldn’t be a problem for the Jets if the team ends up hiring a head coach before landing a general manager, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday.
  • Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets a reminder that the league’s Rooney Role doesn’t apply to assistant coaching jobs. Despite the fact that the Fritz Pollard Alliance asked for that two years ago, the NFL turned down the request, and there has been no renewed push for it recently, says Maske.

AFC Notes: Berry, Steelers, Dolphins, Pats

January 3rd, 2015 at 6:33pm CST by Zachary Links

As the Ravens and Steelers prepare to kick off the AFC’s playoff slate tonight, let’s round up a few items from around the conference….

  • The Chiefs are focused on Eric Berry’s health and not his contract, as Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star writes. Berry, who was diagnosed with lymphoma, is scheduled to have a cap number of $8.357MM in 2015 and is slated to receive $5.455MM in total salary. If he’s placed on the non-football injury list in 2015, the Chiefs are technically under no obligation to pay him, but it’d be a highly questionable PR move for the team.
  • The Steelers are missing Le’Veon Bell and probably wish they had a better Plan B right now. Tyler Dunne of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter) notes that the Steelers made a play for James Starks in free agency, but ultimately whiffed. The Steelers then signed LeGarrette Blount, who is no longer with the team.
  • James Walker of ESPN looks at a number of offseason decisions the Dolphins are set to make over the next few months in his mailbag. Walker sees Miami having a need at running back but passing on Wisconsin runner Melvin Gordon in the first round. He also can see the club moving on from backup quarterback Matt Moore, and possibly cutting guard Shelley Smith.
  • The Patriots will likely need to cut receiver Danny Amendola and restructure the contracts of Darrelle Revis and Jerod Mayo this offseason in order to open up cap room to sign other players, says Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Adam Gase Changes Agents

January 3rd, 2015 at 4:53pm CST by Rob DiRe

During the Broncos’ bye week, offensive coordinator Adam Gase has decided to change agents, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Gase is one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the NFL, securing interviews with the Falcons, Bills, Bears, and 49ers.

The 36-year old offensive whiz is a favorite to land one of those jobs, and is among the most sought after assitant coaches in the NFL, after leading a record setting offense in 2013 to a Super Bowl appearance and a 12-4 Broncos team in 2014.

Gase was formerly represented by Bob Lamonte, who also represents Broncos’ coaches John Fox and Jack Del Rio, Gase’s predecessor Mike McCoy, and other notable names such as Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid and Washington’s Jay Gruden.

Gase’s new representation will come from agent James Sexton, whose notable clientele includes Tim Tebow, according to Klis.

NFC Coaching, GM Notes: Bears, Bucs, Eagles

January 3rd, 2015 at 4:37pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bears have tried to hire young assistant coaches time and time again, and as much as they hope the next one might be the best, they could just end up with another Marc Trestman, writes David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune. Rather than go after Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, or Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Haugh believes the Bears should go in a different direction.

He suggests the team seriously consider Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, who worked as a scout for the Bears for over a decade. Haugh thinks that it makes sense to pair him with Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub, who had one of the best units in the league for years with the Bears before moving to Kansas City.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • The Buccaneers are interviewing Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter for their open offensive coordinator job, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Schefter reports that there is mutual interest between the two parties.
  • The Eagles have changed up their organizational structure, Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com looks at the relationship between owner Jeffrey Lurie, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman, and head coach Chip Kelly, and how those relationships have evolved over the past week.
  • Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer also wrote about Kelly’s power grab against Roseman. Even though it resulted in promotions for both, Kelly clearly grabbed the upper hand in the Eagles’ organization in terms of executing his own vision for the team.
  • Washington requested permission to speak with Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for the team’s own defensive coordinator opening, but the Bills denied Washington’s request, reports Schefter (via Twitter).

NFC West Notes: Shanahan, Quinn, Cardinals

January 3rd, 2015 at 3:54pm CST by Rob DiRe

While the 49ers have interviewed former Washington and Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, the Niners’ main focus is deciding whether they’re better off going with a big hire like Shanahan, or if they can take the time to develop a young coach such as Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase or Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, writes Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).

  • 49ers‘ CEO Jed York did say Shanahan was high on his list of candidates, writes Cole (via Twitter).
  • Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group responded to Cole’s tweet by noting that York stated he wants the next coach to be with the team for 10 years (via Twitter). Shanahan is already 62 years old.
  • Pro Football Talk adds that Shanahan would be much easier to deal with than Harbaugh was, which is a big plus after the most recent coaching situation (via Twitter).
  • Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has drawn strong interest as a head coaching candidate, but his top choice for general manager and partner was Vikings assistant GM George Paton, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Unfortunately, Paton decided not to interview with the Jets or Bears, and will remain with the Vikings.
  • The Cardinals are currently playing the Panthers in the Wild Card round, and star receiver Larry Fitzgerald could be in his final game with the team, writes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Patra notes that colleague Ian Rapoport reported the team is expected to ask Fitzgerald to take a pay cut after the season, but no official decision has been made.
  • Cardinals nose tackle Dan Williams could draw interest in free agency this offseason, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Williams could be set up for a contract in the range of $6MM per year, and the team’s cap situation might make it difficult to keep.

Draft Updates: Saturday

January 3rd, 2015 at 3:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft approaching quickly, here are a few updates on seniors who have signed with agents and are eligible for the Draft, and underclassmen who have declared early.

For a list of all early entrants so far, please check our list here.

  • USC junior receiver Nelson Agholor has decided to go pro, and will enter the 2015 NFL Draft, reports Jordan Moore of USCTrojans.com. “These past three years at USC have been a blessing, along with a lot of my life. I am very grateful to have had the coaches and staff members of this prestigious university in my life,” said Agholor. “Because of these men and women, I feel prepared to follow my dreams into the NFL. Thank you to the Trojan Family for allowing me to become one of your own.”
  • Boise State senior wideout Matt Miller has signed with the NOVO Agency, and will be eligible for the 2015 NFL Draft, reports Liz Mullen or the Sports Business Journal (via Twitter). He will be represented by Jeff Sperbeck.
  • University of Washington senior nose tackle Danny Shelton also signed with NOVO, according to Mullen (via Twitter). He will be represented by Haig Abnous and Sperbeck.
  • Two Auburn players, junior receiver Sammie Coates and senior running back Cameron Artis-Payne, both signed with Michael Perrett of Element Sports, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Coates had previously declared for the draft.
  • University of Maryland junior receiver Stefon Diggs has declared for the draft, reports Matt Zenith of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Jets Notes: Marrone, Ryan, Pace

January 3rd, 2015 at 2:54pm CST by Rob DiRe

If the Jets do hire former Bills coach Doug Marrone, that would mark a huge difference in philosophies from former coach Rex Ryan, writes Gary Myers of the New York Daily News. Myers notes that Ryan was the ultimate players’ coach, but Marrone is tonally opposite, with a reputation as a strict disciplinarian. This would not be a surprise to the organization, as he was the team’s offensive line coach between 2002 and 2005.

  • Ryan could land a tremendous job this offseason after being fired by the Jets, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday.
  • The Jets have requested permission to interview Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace to be their next general manager, reports Kristian Dyer of Metro New York (via Twitter). The team is still in the process of interviewing coaches and general managers for their open positions.
  • The Saints did not allow the Dolphins to interview Pace for their opening last year, so it remains to be seen whether the Jets will have the opportunity to speak with him, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).
  • While the Jets are casting a wide net in terms of their general manager search, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if some of these candidates will stay away from the job if a head coach is already in place (via Twitter).
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