HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Eagles To Interview Ben McAdoo

January 6th, 2016 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

After interviewing for the Giants’ head coaching job on Tuesday, New York offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo will meet with another NFC East team later this week. According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link), McAdoo is scheduled to interview with the Eagles on Thursday.Ben McAdoo

[RELATED: Ben McAdoo interviews for Giants’ head coaching job]

In the wake of Chip Kelly‘s dismissal, McAdoo was mentioned earlier this week as a potential candidate for the Eagles’ head coaching job, given team owner Jeffrey Lurie‘s general preference for offensive-minded coaches.

McAdoo, who was hired as the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2014, has helped Eli Manning enjoy perhaps the most productive two-year stretch of his NFL career. Although the club has posted a 6-10 record in consecutive seasons, Manning has thrived, averaging 4,423 yards and about 33 touchdowns per season over the last two years, to go along with a 92.9 rating. The Giants finished in the top eight in the NFL in terms of both yards per game (372.3) and points per game (26.3) in 2015.

While McAdoo will get an opportunity to vie for the Eagles’ job, it sounds like the team’s top target might be Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase. A report earlier this morning indicated that Philadelphia is planning on bringing back Gase for a second interview this weekend, after meeting with him for eight hours on Tuesday.

If McAdoo doesn’t land the Giants’ or Eagles’ head coaching jobs, it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up in 2016. Manning has expressed a strong desire to see his offensive coordinator return to the Giants in some capacity, but if the team brings in an outside candidate as its new head coach, it’s not clear if that new coach would keep McAdoo in his current role.

Meanwhile, as McAdoo meets with the Eagles on Thursday, the Giants will interview another one of their assistants, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, confirms Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Plan To Interview Adam Gase Again

January 6th, 2016 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles were the first team to meet with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, sitting down with him on Tuesday for what was reportedly an eight-hour interview. Despite having spoken to him for eight hours yesterday, the Eagles apparently want to hear more from Gase. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the team plans to bring him back for a second interview this weekend.Adam Gase

Neither the Eagles nor Gase have a shortage of options. Philadelphia has already spoken to two in-house candidates – Pat Shurmur and Duce Staley – and reportedly intends to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, having been linked to several other options as well. Meanwhile, Gase has a full schedule this week, with interviews with the Browns and Dolphins on tap for today and tomorrow.

According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Gase has added another meeting to his timetable for later this week — he’ll interview for the Giants’ head coaching job on Friday. So if the Eagles interview the Bears’ OC for a second time on the weekend, the club could be competing with an NFC East rival to land him.

After working with Peyton Manning in Denver as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, Gase joined John Fox in Chicago in 2015, and contributed to a strong bounce-back season for Jay Cutler. A year after leading the league with 18 interceptions, Cutler threw just 11 in 2015, the lowest full-season mark of his career. The Bears also ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in offensive DVOA under Gase.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Coach Notes: Dolphins, Gase, Raiders, 49ers

January 6th, 2016 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins announced on Tuesday evening that they have completed head coaching interviews with former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

The Dolphins have several more candidates lined up this week, including Bills assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, former Bills head coach Doug Marrone, and their own interim head coach Dan Campbell. However, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears that, at the start of the search, team owner Stephen Ross‘s favorite candidate is Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is scheduled to meet with Miami on Thursday.

Having seen multiple coaches with previous head coaching experience fail in Miami over the last decade or so, Salguero is unconvinced that Gase is the right man for the job, suggesting that the Dolphins need a more seasoned NFL coach for the role. As we wait to see if the team agrees with that assessment and passes on Gase in favor of someone with more experience, let’s round up a few more Wednesday morning coaching notes…

  • Speaking of Gase, the Eagles confirmed that they interviewed the Bears offensive coordinator for their head coaching position on Tuesday. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), Tuesday’s marathon meeting lasted for about eight hours.
  • A year after Jack Del Rio took over as the team’s head coach, the Raiders don’t plan to make any changes to his coaching staff, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • There’s a good chance that the 49ers‘ new head coach will be a quarterback-friendly, offensive-minded candidate, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. A few of the candidates already linked to the Niners, including Sean Payton, Hue Jackson, and Mike Shanahan, definitely fit that bill.
  • After firing defensive coordinator Greg Manusky on Tuesday, the Colts also parted ways with tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts and secondary coaches Mike Gillhamer and Roy Anderson, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • Earlier today, we recapped the latest updates on the Giants‘ head coaching search.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Giants’ Head Coaching Search

January 6th, 2016 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

With the Giants having formally said goodbye to head coach Tom Coughlin at a Tuesday press conference, the team is now moving on to identifying his replacement. Let’s round up the known candidates so far for Big Blue, including the latest updates on each of them….

Ben McAdoo / Steve Spagnuolo (Giants):

The two Giants’ coordinators were the first two candidates confirmed to have interviews scheduled for the team’s newly-opened head coaching position, and according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, McAdoo’s interview took place on Tuesday, the same day as Coughlin’s farewell presser. While the offensive coordinator has already sat down with the Giants, the defensive coordinator has not done so yet — Raanan says Spagnuolo’s interview will take place later this week.

Sean McDermott (Panthers):

The Carolina defensive coordinator is free to interview for head coaching jobs during the Panthers’ bye week, and it seems he’ll do so. A report on Tuesday night indicated that the Giants intend to meet with him, though Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets that, as of about 10 hours ago, nothing had been formally set up yet. The two sides will have until Sunday to have their meeting, since McDermott won’t be eligible to interview next week.

Doug Marrone (Jaguars):

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported on Tuesday that the Giants had requested an interview with the Jaguars’ offensive line coach, and he tweets today that permission has been granted — according to Rapoport (Twitter link), Marrone will meet with the Giants on Saturday, a day after he interviews with the Dolphins and two days after his sit-down with the Browns.

Hue Jackson (Bengals):

The Cincinnati offensive coordinator isn’t eligible to interview with teams this week, but he has received multiple requests for next week. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Jackson is believed to be among the Giants’ targets, though as of Tuesday night, New York wasn’t among the teams to request a meeting.

Sean Payton (Saints):

A report on Monday indicated that the New Orleans head coach would be monitoring the Giants’ situation closely, and John Mara suggested on Tuesday that he wouldn’t rule out the idea of New York trading a draft pick for a coach. A source tells Vacchiano that the Giants would “absolutely” be interested in Payton as a candidate, but according to that source, the team also believes the price to land him may be too high.

Adam Gase (Bears):

The Giants requested an interview with Gase and it appears to be in the plans, but there doesn’t appear to be a date set yet. It’s a busy week for the Bears’ offensive coordinator, who met with Philadelphia yesterday and also has meetings lined up with the Browns and Dolphins before Friday.

Rams Owner May Build L.A. Stadium With Or Without NFL Approval

January 5th, 2016 at 10:31pm CST by Zachary Links

10:31pm: Inglewood mayor James Butts has since refuted the idea that the Hollywood Park stadium will be built no matter what, according to CBS St. Louis. While it’s still possible that Kroenk’s group will decide to move forward with the stadium even if the Rams don’t receive NFL approval to relocate, it’s not a certainty, the mayor told KMOX.

“The decision as to whether the stadium is ultimately built would be that of Hollywood Park Land Company, which is combined with the Kroenke Group,” Butts said. “That will only be determined by them at the time the [NFL’s] decision is made.”

9:56pm: Rams owner Stan Kroenke has plans to go ahead with a multibillion-dollar stadium and entertainment complex in Inglewood, California, even if the NFL votes down the Rams’ proposed move, Brian Feldt of St. Louis Business Journal writes. Kroenke claims that he will built a stadium that can host future World Cups, Olympics, award shows, and other major events if it cannot feature the Rams for 2016.Los Angeles (vertical)

[RELATED: Chargers, Rams, Raiders Apply For Los Angeles Relocation]

If Kroenke’s bid to move to Los Angeles is turned down by the NFL’s owners, Kroenke could either accept a proposed $1.1 billion stadium along St. Louis’ north Mississippi riverfront or remain in the Edward Jones Dome on a year-to-year basis. Each of the three teams vying for Los Angeles – the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders – will need to secure 24 yes votes in order to move.

In a matter of days at the owners meetings in Texas, we’ll find out which of those teams (if any) will get to move to Los Angeles. For his part, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt expects at least one NFL franchise to be play in L.A. in 2016, as The Associated Press writes.

“All three of those franchises have tremendous fan bases in their home markets,” he said. “In an ideal world, I’d like to see them all stay where they are. It probably won’t work out that way. There will probably be at least one team moving to LA. I can’t speculate who that might be.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants Request Interview With Doug Marrone

January 5th, 2016 at 9:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Could a former Bills coach be on his way back to the New York area? The Giants have requested an interview with Jaguars offensive line coach Doug Marrone, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Doug Marrone (vertical)

[RELATED: Giants To Interview Panthers DC Sean McDermott]

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. In January of 2015, Marrone agreed to sign on as the Jaguars’ offensive line coach.

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

Marrone has interviews lined up with the Browns and Dolphins, as shown in PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker. It was reported at one time that he was expected to chat with the Eagles, but Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter) hears that he is not on the team’s list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/16

January 5th, 2016 at 8:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

  • The Panthers announced that they have promoted practice squad cornerback Lou Young to the active roster after placing starting cornerback Charles Tillman on IR, as Max Hanson of Panthers.com writes. Carolina first signed Young to its practice squad in November of the 2014 season but he has yet to make his NFL debut. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder from Georgia Tech will give Carolina additional depth in the postseason.
  • The Chiefs announced that they have signed offensive lineman Daniel Munyer to the 53-man roster from the taxi squad.
  • The Texans officially placed tackle Duane Brown on IR with a torn quad tendon, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

Giants To Interview Sean McDermott

January 5th, 2016 at 8:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants plan to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, according to league sources who spoke with Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News (on Twitter). McDermott now becomes the fourth known candidate to be lined up for an interview, according to the PFR Head Coaching Search Tracker. Sean McDermott (vertical)

[RELATED: Giants, Tom Coughlin Parting Ways]

McDermott is eligible to talk to teams about head coaching jobs this week since the Panthers have a bye. The Browns will interview McDermott about their own head coaching vacancy on Thursday but it’s not immediately clear when the Giants will get to sit down and talk with him. McDermott has also been cited as a potential candidate for the Eagles, but no interview has been scheduled yet.

Under McDermott’s guidance, the Panthers gave up only 322.9 yards per game in 2015, good for sixth in the league and virtually just as good as the Cardinals at No. 5 (321.7 YPG) and the Jets at No. 4 (318.6 YPG). The front seven in particular was successful, surrendering only 91.2 yards per contest to opposing teams. Prior to joining the Panthers, McDermott was a longtime coach with the Eagles who was eventually elevated to the role of DC.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/5/16

January 5th, 2016 at 7:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Only the 12 teams in the playoffs can still make changes to their practice squads, so there were a handful of made by Wild Card clubs today. Here’s are today’s PS signings and cuts:

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington

Ohio State WR Michael Thomas To Enter Draft

January 5th, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Three noteworthy wide receivers are set to enter the NFL Draft, including one potential first-round pick. The latest:

  • Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas became the eighth underclassman on his team to enter the 2016 NFL Draft, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com writes. Thomas caught 56 passes for 781 yards and nine touchdowns during the 2015 season and is currently projected to go in the first or second round. Wide receiver Jalin Marshall, defensive end Joey Bosa, linebacker Darron Lee, defensive back Tyvis Powell, running back Ezekiel Elliott, quarterback Cardale Jones and cornerback Eli Apple have also declared for the draft. Safety Vonn Bell is considering early entry as well, Goodbread writes.
  • First-team All-Pac-12 wide receiver Kenny Lawler is going pro instead of returning for his senior year at Cal, Jeff Faraudo of the Bay Area News Group writes. “I’m very thankful for what the NFL had to say,” he said. “After the bowl game, I had another talk with my parents and made the best decision.” Lawyer joins Jared Goff in this year’s class, though he’s not expected to go as high. CBSSports.com rates Lawler as the ninth-best receiver in the 2016 draft class.
  • Stanford wide receiver Michael Rector has been telling people that he will go pro as well, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets.
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