2016 January - Pro Football Rumors

Alabama RB Derrick Henry To Enter Draft

January 14th, 2016 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry has decided to enter the 2016 NFL draft, according to Joe Schad of ESPN.com. By entering this year’s draft, Henry will forgo his final year of college eligibility.

Henry, a Consensus All-American, led the nation with 395 carries for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns in his junior year at Alabama. He capped his incredible year by rushing for 158 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries in the Crimson Tide’s championship win earlier this week.

Henry’s staggering workload may be of some concern to teams, since only six running backs in NFL history have ever racked up 395 or more rushing attempts in a regular season. Still, he is viewed as one of the top backs in this year’s draft class, trailing only Ezekiel Elliott in the estimation of CBSSports.com and ESPN’s Todd McShay. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report currently places Henry fourth among running backs on his big board.

While Henry doesn’t currently project as a first-round pick, he looks like a good bet to come off the board on day two of this year’s draft. He could also be joined by several of his Alabama teammates in the 2016 draft class. Schad reports that defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson has seriously considered entering the draft, while defensive end Jonathan Allen and tight end O.J. Howard have also weighed the possibility.

The deadline for NCAA underclassmen to declare their intent is next Monday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Rumors: Manziel, QB, Mayhew, DC

January 14th, 2016 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Browns hired Hue Jackson as their new head coach, we heard almost immediately that the former Bengals offensive coordinator had made it clear he was prepared to move on from former first-round pick Johnny Manziel. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) echoes that sentiment, suggesting that the young signal-caller is “all but gone,” and it’s just a formality at this point that Cleveland will part ways with him.

According to Cole, the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, are strongly considering using that selection on a quarterback, whether it’s Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch, or someone else. Waiting until the second round to nab a QB is also an option for Cleveland — it’s worth noting that, with the Browns and Titans flip-flopping in the second round, and the Patriots not having their first-round pick this year, Cleveland’s second pick will be 32nd overall, essentially making it a first-rounder.

Here are a few more Browns updates:

The Browns are attempting to move quickly to fill the vacancy in their front office, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, who tweets that former Lions GM Martin Mayhew is a candidate for the job.
The opening in the Browns’ front office is a top personnel position, but not technically a general manager job, which means other teams will have more leeway to deny requests to interview their executives. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), that has already happened with the Bears — the Browns requested permission to speak to Bears director of college scouting Joe Douglas, and Chicago turned them down.
Earlier this afternoon, we learned that Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton is considered a top candidate for the Browns’ defensive coordinator job, if Tennessee is willing to let him go. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) hears that Buccaneers DC Leslie Frazier is also a candidate for the same position in Cleveland.
The Browns won’t retain quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. While O’Connell did a decent job with Manziel this past season, Jackson wants to pick his own guy for the job.

Giants Expected To Promote QB Coach Mike Sullivan To OC

January 14th, 2016 at 1:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are expected to promote quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan to offensive coordinator, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Joe Philbin, who was previously rumored to be in line for the job, will be given a different title, perhaps assistant head coach.

Sullivan was the Giants’ quarterbacks coach in 2010 and 2011 and they circled back to him prior to the 2015 season to hire him in the same capacity. In between those two stints with Big Blue, Sullivan served as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator in 2012 and 2013. When head coach Greg Schiano was shown the door, so was Sullivan.

The Dolphins were 1-3 and lost back-to-back games by a combined score of 68-28 when Philbin was axed in October. Philbin is generally regarded as one of the kinder coaches in the game, but his agreeable demeanor did not save his job in Miami as the team entered the season with very high hopes for 2015.

While Sullivan is expected to get the offensive coordinator title, new head coach Ben McAdoo figures to continue calling plays, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tom Coughlin Withdraws From Eagles HC Search

January 14th, 2016 at 1:37pm CST by Zachary Links

1:37pm: Coughlin could have landed the Eagles’ head coaching position had he not removed his name from consideration, sources tell Gary Myers of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). With most of his assistant coaches still under contract in New York, Coughlin didn’t want to start over with a new staff and the Giants weren’t about to let all those assistants join him.

12:11pm: Tom Coughlin is withdrawing his name from consideration for Eagles head coaching job, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran coach feels that he’s not the right fit for the job. Coughlin had concerns about the Eagles job, including who the offensive coordinator would be, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

In theory, Coughlin taking himself out of the running in Philly could signal something happening with the 49ers, where he has been said to be a strong candidate. However, the Niners are said to be down to Chip Kelly or Mike Shanahan for their own vacancy, which would leave Coughlin on the outside looking in.

As PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Trackershows, Coughlin was one of many candidates to be connected to the job in Philadelphia. So far, the team has also interviewed interim head coach Pat Shurmur, running backs coach Duce Staley, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo (before he was hired by the Giants), and Chiefs OC Doug Pederson. The Eagles were reportedly closing in on McAdoo before the Giants locked him down on Wednesday evening. Shurmur, Staley, and Pederson have not interviewed with any other teams to date.

Coughlin, who previously served as head coach of the Jaguars, led the Giants to a 102-90 record during his 12 seasons with the team. He also added eight victories in 11 postseason contests, with all of those wins coming in two seasons – 2007 and 2011 – during which the Giants won the Super Bowl.

In recent years, however, Coughlin’s Giants struggled, having failed to earn a postseason berth since that 2011 Super Bowl season. After going 9-7 in 2012, New York has had three straight losing years, finishing 6-10 in a weak NFC East in 2015 and sealing Coughlin’s fate — the Giants were expected to make a change if the veteran head coach hadn’t resigned.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Coach Hue Jackson Eyeing Titans DC Ray Horton

January 14th, 2016 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns head coach Hue Jackson is looking to bring Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton aboard as his own DC, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. However, it is uncertain whether the Titans will grant him permission to leave, according to a source.

The Titans, of course, can block the Browns from interviewing Horton since it would be for another coordinator position. In the case of any non-head coaching vacancy, teams always reserve the right to block their coaches from interviewing.

Last year, the Titans defense allowed 26.4 points per contest, putting them at 27th in the league. Their 342.2 total yards surrendered per game only put them at No. 12 but their 229.9 passing yards allowed per game was good for No. 7 in the league. If Horton is brought over to Cleveland, it will mark the second time he served as Browns DC. Horton was Cleveland’s defensive coordinator during the 2013 season and left after Rob Chudzinski was axed.

Eagles To Pursue Doug Pederson

January 14th, 2016 at 12:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are moving on to a Plan C. After their reported top target Ben McAdoo accepted the Giants’ head coaching job and Tom Coughlin withdrew his name from consideration, the Eagles are expected to pursue Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson as their next head coach, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.

A former Eagles quarterback, Pederson has only been connected to the Philadelphia job and none of the other NFL head coaching vacancies. In addition to having played for the Eagles, he also coached with the team during Andy Reid‘s tenure, serving as an offensive quality control coach in 2009 and 2010, then as the club’s quarterbacks coach in 2011 and 2012.

Having followed Reid to Kansas City, Pederson is in his third season as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), Reid confirmed that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie reached out to him to inquire about Pederson’s head coaching potential.

While McAdoo and Coughlin appear to have impressed the Eagles during the team’s head coaching search, Pederson shouldn’t necessarily be viewed a fall-back option for the club. One weekend report indicated that the Kansas City OC entered the process as Lurie’s favorite among non-head coaches. Since then, the team has seriously considered McAdoo and Coughlin, but saw the former promoted by the Giants, while the latter pulled out of the process.

Even if the Eagles decide to hire Pederson, the team can’t officially get anything done with him quite yet, with his Chiefs still alive in the postseason. If Kansas City is eliminated this weekend by the Patriots, Philadelphia would be able to move forward with Pederson, but if the Chiefs pull off an upset, Lurie and company would have to wait at least one more week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

49ers Expected To Choose Between Kelly, Shanahan

January 14th, 2016 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are expected to choose between Chip Kelly and Mike Shanahan as their next head coach, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). A decision is likely to come within the next 24 hours, he adds.

Kelly would be a bold and interesting hire for San Francisco. It doesn’t hurt that the former Eagles head coach has long been said to be fond of quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kelly’s ideal offense would feature a mobile signal caller, and that’s exactly what No. 7 would provide. After a disastrous 2015, Kaepernick’s future with San Francisco has been in question. Understudy Blaine Gabbert finished ’15 as the team’s starting QB.

The Niners are said to like Shanahan because of the discipline and foundation he could bring to the organization, as well as his connection to the Bill Walsh era. Of course, if the 49ers do decide to hire Shanahan, it would raise some eyebrows, since the club could’ve brought him aboard a year ago, but elected to go with Jim Tomsula instead. Tomsula, of course, lasted only one year at the helm in San Francisco.

Shanahan has a lengthy coaching resume, having served as the head coach in Los Angeles (1988-89), Denver (1995-2008), and Washington (2010-2013). Although he has a 170-138 regular season record overall, and has won a pair of Super Bowls, Shanahan produced a mixed bag of results during his most recent head coaching stint. Washington was 24-40 during his four years with the franchise, with just one winning season.

If things really are down to Shanahan and Kelly, then it’s not clear where this leaves Tom Coughlin in his employment search. Coughlin was said to be a strong candidate for SF and was said to be on his way to a deal with the Eagles. However, Coughlin has since withdrawn his name from consideration in Philly. If Coughlin isn’t going to land in Philadelphia or San Francisco as a head coach in 2016, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll get an NFL head coaching job at all.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Titans, Mike Mularkey

January 14th, 2016 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have given interim head coach Mike Mularkey strong indications that he will be taking over as head coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Still, the Titans will continue to interview candidates. In addition to Mularkey, the Titans will also talk with Teryl Austin and Doug Marrone this week (link).

With Jon Robinson set to take over as GM, there have been conflicting reports about what the Titans will do at head coach. Shalise Manza Young of Yahoo Sports reported that the ex-Bucs exec will tap Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as his head coach. Meanwhile, Terry McCormick of Cover32 indicated that Mularkey was likely to be retained as head coach. Right now, it would appear that Mularkey is the frontrunner for the post, though the team will still meet with other candidates. Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that Robinson was given the job, in part, because he was willing to consider Mularkey as his head coach. Still, Werder adds, he has a history with McDaniels.

In 2015, the Titans sunk to a 3-13 record, despite rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota serving as a distinct bright spot. In November, the Titans canned Ken Whisenhunt and appointed Mularkey as the team’s interim coach. Mularkey previously served as Tennessee’s assistant head coach and tight ends coach. The veteran coach has a pair of head coaching jobs on his resume, having held the role in Buffalo in 2004 and 2005, then again in Jacksonville in 2012.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On 49ers, Mike Shanahan

January 14th, 2016 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers’ interest in Mike Shanahan is ramping up, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. San Francisco interviewed Shanahan for its head coaching job on Tuesday.

[RELATED: 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The Niners are said to like Shanahan because of the discipline and foundation he could bring to the organization, as well as his connection to the Bill Walsh era. Of course, if the 49ers do decide to hire Shanahan, it would raise some eyebrows, since the club could’ve brought him aboard a year ago, but elected to go with Jim Tomsula instead. Tomsula, of course, lasted only one year at the helm in San Francisco.

Shanahan has a lengthy coaching resume, having served as the head coach in Los Angeles (1988-89), Denver (1995-2008), and Washington (2010-2013). Although he has a 170-138 regular season record overall, and has won a pair of Super Bowls, Shanahan produced a mixed bag of results during his most recent head coaching stint. Washington was 24-40 during his four years with the franchise, with just one winning season.

Hue Jackson is no longer a candidate for the 49ers, having been hired by the Browns earlier this week, but there are still five other available candidates with whom the club conducted interviews. Bills assistant Anthony Lynn and Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo aren’t believed to be favorites for the Niners’ job, but former Eagles coach Chip Kelly, ex-Giants HC Tom Coughlin, and Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter are in play.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Talks Between Eagles, Tom Coughlin Heating Up

January 14th, 2016 at 9:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles’ talks with Tom Coughlin have intensified, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter links). He adds that there are questions for Coughlin to answer, but the two sides are far down the line and appear to be headed towards a deal. The Eagles are set for a face-to-face meeting with Coughlin today and this powwow is expected to be a lot more in-depth than the last one (link).

As PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, Coughlin is one of many candidates to be connected to the job in Philadelphia. So far, the team has also interviewed interim head coach Pat Shurmur, running backs coach Duce Staley, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo (before he was hired by the Giants), and Chiefs OC Doug Pederson. The Eagles were reportedly closing in on McAdoo before the Giants locked him down on Wednesday evening.

Coughlin, who previously served as head coach of the Jaguars, led the Giants to a 102-90 record during his 12 seasons with the team. He also added eight victories in 11 postseason contests, with all of those wins coming in two seasons – 2007 and 2011 – during which the Giants won the Super Bowl.

In recent years, however, Coughlin’s Giants struggled, having failed to earn a postseason berth since that 2011 Super Bowl season. After going 9-7 in 2012, New York has had three straight losing years, finishing 6-10 in a weak NFC East in 2015 and sealing Coughlin’s fate — the Giants were expected to make a change if the veteran head coach hadn’t resigned.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.