2016 January - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Fire Mike Pettine, Ray Farmer

January 3rd, 2016 at 6:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

6:14pm: The Browns have made the respective releases of Pettine and Farmer official. Haslam has issued a statement promising a “methodical” search to replace both (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). They’ll get to work early in trying to fill the void of Pettine, according to ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini, who tweets Cleveland will interview Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

4:53pm: Browns head coach Mike Pettine will meet with owner Jimmy Haslam at 7pm Eastern Time, at which point he is expected to be fired, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). General manager Ray Farmer met with ownership prior to today’s game, and he is also being fired, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

It comes as no surprise that Pettine’s tenure in Cleveland is over, as reports over the weekend indicated that his job was in severe jeopardy. The 49-year-old ends his two-year Browns career with a 10-21 record, and the fact that the club backslid from a 7-9 mark in 2014 to a 3-13 record this season can’t have helped his case. Perhaps most striking was the club’s defensive performance — Pettine, a former defensive coordinator with the Jets and Bills, oversaw a unit that finished 31st in defensive DVOA.

For the Browns, Pettine’s dismissal only adds to the level of dysfunction and frustration that the club has experienced since the organization returned to Cleveland in 1999. Pettine is the fourth consecutive Browns coach to fail to last more than two seasons, and no Cleveland head coach has lasted more than four years since that ’99 return. The team will now be hiring its fifth head coach since the 2009 season.

Farmer, 41, also leaves Cleveland after two seasons at the helm as general manager (he spent the 2013 season as assistant GM). It’s hard to paint a positive picture of Farmer’s time with the Browns, though some draft picks (Joel Bitonio) and free agent signings (Andrew Hawkins, Josh McCown) did work out. But for the most part, Farmer failed in both areas of player procurement, handing $9MM in guaranteed money to receiver Dwayne Bowe (who has five receptions on the year) and using first-round picks on Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert.

Cleveland’s record of general manger hires is nearly as rocky as its success with head coaches. The Browns will now be hiring their sixth GM since the 2005 season, and have to hope that their next candidate has a longer tenure than Farmer. Ownership has given very little rope in terms of GMs, as George Kokinis and Michael Lombardi each lasted only one season, while Farmer last just two.

Coaching/GM Notes: Pagano, Browns, Fins, Cowboys, Lions

January 3rd, 2016 at 5:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest news on various teams’ coaching and front office situations as Black Monday approaches:

Colts owner Jim Irsay will meet with Chuck Pagano on Monday to discuss the head coach’s future, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. After helping lead the Colts to playoff berths in his first three years with the team, Pagano’s club missed out this season during an injury-riddled, tumultuous campaign, going 8-8. As a result, the Colts are expected to let go of Pagano, whose contract is up, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link).
With Ray Farmer out as the Browns’ general manager, the franchise might turn its football operations over to executive vice president/general counsel Sashi Brown, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News reports (Twitter link).
Adam Gase, Jim Mora Jr., Mike Shanahan, Teryl Austin, Mike Smith, Dirk Koetter and Doug Marrone are all currently connected to the Dolphins’ head coaching job, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
Not surprisingly, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Sunday that Jason Garrett will return in 2016 for his seventh season as the team’s head coach. “Let me be real clear: There’s no thought of replacing Jason. At all,” Jones said, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Jones acknowledged that Garrett’s staff could change, though, as four assistant coaches’ contracts expire (Twitter link via Williams). Whether those changes happen will be up to Garrett, who Jones says is “the ultimate-decision maker” when it comes to the coaching staff (Twitter link via Fox Sports’ Matt Mosley).
Lions president Rod Wood says the club’s search for a new general manager will begin in earnest Monday, tweets Tim Twentyman of the team’s website. Interim GM Sheldon White will be among those interviewed, according to Wood (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press), and Greg Gabriel of NFPost.com reports the Lions will also talk to Giants assistant GM Kevin Abrams (via Twitter). Another Giants executive, Marc Ross, could also get a look, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo.

Latest On Sean Payton, Saints

January 3rd, 2016 at 4:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints capped off their 2015 season with a victory over the Falcons, but now the real uncertainty begins. Rumors abound about the fate and future of head coach Sean Payton, including whether he’ll stay in New Orleans, be released, or perhaps be traded. One place he won’t end up is Miami, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), who reports that if Payton does leave the Saints, the Dolphins won’t be his destination.

There’s a lot to unpack here, and the report, while informative, does still leave quite a few unanswered questions. For one, it’s unclear whether the Dolphins are not interested in Payton, or whether Payton is not interested in heading to South Beach. Miami hired Chris Grier as its new general manager earlier today, and it’s possible that he and football czar Mike Tannenbaum have already ruled out a pursuit of Payton. But it’s just as reasonable to think that Payton doesn’t see the Dolphins as an enticing destination.

According to Larry Holder of NOLA.com (Twitter link), many Saints players expressed a desire for Payton to stay with the team following today’s game. When asked if he’d like to remain in New Orleans if Payton departs, quarterback Drew Brees dodged the question. “I want to be here, I want to play for the Saints, I don’t want to play for anybody else,” he told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “But there’s no reason to talk about it until we all know for certain.”

In a separate piece, Florio lists several potential landing spots for Payton, including the 49ers, Colts, and Giants. We should learrn more tomorrow, as Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis are expected to meet tomorrow to discuss the former’s future.

Cole’s Latest: Colts, Giants, Saban, Raiders

January 3rd, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the latest from Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (all video links):

The presence of Andrew Luck could lead several high-profile names to be interested in the Colts‘ potential head-coaching vacancy, per Cole, who reports that Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, and Sean Payton could all have varying levels of interest in the position. The key question, according to Cole, is how much roster/personnel control owner Jim Irsay is willing to hand over.
Luck makes the Colts job very attractive, but the most desirable landing spot on the market? The Giants, says Cole, due to ownership’s “hand-off” approach. Plus, the combination of Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. is very enticing to candidates.
Despite interest from numerous teams, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is not expected to make the leap to the NFL. Saban, who does have NFL experience with the Dolphins, is quite comfortable in Tuscaloosa, and he doesn’t want to take any attention away from his team’s looming championship game against Clemson on January 11.
Sources tell Cole that billionaire Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle Corporation) has spoken with Raiders owner Mark Davis about buying a portion of the team. While nothing is close, the mere presence of Ellison could potentially attract other investors, per Cole, and ultimately help the club make the move to Los Angeles.

Muhammad Wilkerson Breaks Leg

January 3rd, 2016 at 3:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Not only did the Jets fail to secure a playoff berth by losing to the Bills today, but the offseason status of one of their star players just got quite a bit more complicated. Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters, including Kimberly Martin of Newsday (Twitter link), that defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson suffered a broken leg during today’s contest.

Because he suffered the injury in early January, Wilkerson should have no trouble getting back on the field in time for next season. But Wilkerson could have his offseason workout routine disrupted, and more importantly, his contract expires at season’s end, meaning he’ll head to free agency amid questions about his health. The 26-year-old hadn’t been seeing any progress in extension talks with the Jets, and had looked like a candidate for the franchise tag.

A Pro Bowler this season, Wilkerson had played in 15 games, racking up an impressive 12 sacks and grading as the league’s No. 13 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). I placed Wilkerson fourth in the inaugural edition of PFR’s 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings.

Week In Review: 12/27/15 – 1/3/16

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

After slightly less than three seasons, the Eagles parted ways with head coach Chip Kelly.
The Dolphins fired general manager Dennis Hickey.
After tearing his Achilles during a lost season, Steve Smith will return to the Ravens in 2016.

Coach/GM Rumors:

Expected to part ways:
- 49ers/Jim Tomsula (link)
- Browns/Ray Farmer and Mike Pettine (link)
- Colts/Chuck Pagano (link)
- Giants/Tom Coughlin (link)
Expected to be retained:
- Bills/Rex Ryan and Doug Whaley (link)
- Chargers/Mike McCoy (link)
- Jaguars/Gus Bradley (link)

Draft Declarations:

California – Jared Goff, QB (link)
Memphis – Paxton Lynch, QB (link)
Ohio State – Joey Bosa, DE, Ezekiel Elliott, RB, and Cardale Jones, QB (link)
Penn State – Christian Hackenberg, QB (link)

Signed:

Colts – Josh Freeman, QB and Ryan Lindley, QB (link)

Waived:

Panthers – Wes Horton, DE (link)
Steelers – Jacoby Jones, WR (link)

Suspended:

Raiders – Marcel Reece, FB (four games)

Sunday Roundup: Mularkey, Gase, McDaniels

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:13pm CST by Rory Parks

As we roll into the final week of the regular season, let’s round up some news and notes from around the league:

We learned earlier today that Titans interim head coach Mike Mularkey will receive serious consideration to be the team’s permanent head coach, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports explains that although there are aspects of the Tennessee top job that make it appealing, questions about ownership could force some big name candidates to steer clear. If Mularkey does get the job, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (via Twitter) expects the team to make changes to the rest of its coaching staff.
La Canfora was busy on Twitter this afternoon, reporting that the Browns, Dolphins, and Eagles all have serious interest in making Bears OC Adam Gase their next head coach, and that the Titans and Giants head coaching jobs would be the most appealing to Patriots OC Josh McDaniels (Twitter links).
La Canfora also tweets that Mike Holmgren‘s reported interest in the 49ers‘ head coaching position should not be discounted, though he also tweets that San Francisco will give strong consideration to Chip Kelly if and when Jim Tomsula is fired. Mike Silver of NFL.com tweets that Kelly himself has reached out to express his interest in the job, along with Mike Shanahan. As Silver notes (via Twitter) the 49ers’ head coaching job is much more appealing than is commonly perceived.
Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com tweets that Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter has received interest from at least one club looking for a new head coach.
Hall-of-Fame executive Ron Wolf had lunch with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam several weeks ago, but per Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, Wolf denied that Haslam asked him to serve as a consultant for the club. Wolf said he has had no contact with Haslam since that lunch. Wolf’s son, Eliot, currently works as the Packers‘ director of player personnel and is rumored to be Cleveland’s top choice to fill its soon-to-be-vacant GM role.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) writes that the Raiders, Chargers, and Rams will all apply for relocation in advance of Monday’s deadline, with the expected relocation fee to be a whopping $550MM per team that relocates. The league will assist whatever club or clubs that get left out of the LA sweepstakes to secure a new home.

Johnny Manziel Reportedly Seen In Las Vegas Saturday Night

January 3rd, 2016 at 12:24pm CST by Rory Parks

12:24pm: Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that, although it is unclear as to whether Manziel actually was in Las Vegas last night, the fact that he is in the concussion protocol means that he is not required to be at the team’s game this afternoon, nor is he prohibited from being in Las Vegas (all Twitter links). As Ulrich writes, Manziel is not, in fact, at the game.

11:15am: Johnny Manziel has sparked yet another media frenzy, as Scott Boeck of USA Today reports that the Browns quarterback was seen dining and gambling at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood casino last night.

Ordinarily, this report would be newsworthy because a team probably frowns upon a player’s being several thousand miles away on a Saturday evening when said team is set to play its last game of the season the following Sunday afternoon. But because this is Manziel, and because everything he does could be the last thing he does as a member of the Browns, the report has predictably generated a great deal of discussion.

Of course, Manziel had already been ruled out of today’s game against the Steelers because of a concussion. Boeck writes that team vice president of communications Peter John Baptiste would not confirm whether Manziel was in Cleveland, or if club policy dictated that an inactive player’s attendance was required at Sunday’s game. As word of Manziel’s alleged appearance in Las Vegas spread, the quarterback himself posted a photo to his Instagram account showing him and his dog at his Avon, Ohio home. The post was accompanied with the hashtag #SaturdayNights.

Although Manziel has had flashes of good performance when he has seen the field, those performances have been far outweighed by his well-documented off-field struggles, leading prominent beat writers like Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal to opine that the team should part ways with the enigmatic signal-caller after the season. Of course, given that the Browns are set to have a new GM and head coach within the next couple of weeks, Manziel’s future was up in the air even before the USA Today report.

As Tom Withers of the Associated Press writes, the Browns have declined to comment on the story at this time.

Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis To Meet Monday

January 3rd, 2016 at 12:16pm CST by Rory Parks

Citing Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune writes that Saints head coach Sean Payton is set to meet with GM Mickey Loomis tomorrow to discuss Payton’s future with the club. Rumors as to whether 2015 could be Payton’s last season in New Orleans have been gaining traction in recent weeks, and Glazer’s report will only add to that speculation. Glazer adds that it is no sure thing that Payton will leave the Saints, but if Loomis wants to keep Payton happy, the GM may need to “change certain things,” though Glazer does not indicate what those changes might entail.

Meanwhile, Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune, citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, tweets that if the Saints can work out compensation details with another NFL club, Payton could be on his way out of New Orleans. That report in and of itself is not news, of course, but given that it was made at the same time Payton’s impending meeting with Loomis was reported, it is very easy to connect the dots and to predict that the Saints will try to trade the head coach that led them to a Super Bowl title and an 86-52 overall record. We detailed the logistics of such a trade back in November, though Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Fritz Pollard Alliance will take it up with the league if a team trades for a head coach without what the Alliance believes is a fair interview process for minority candidates.

Given the demand for Payton’s services, it is difficult to guess as to where he might land if he is traded, or what type of compensation the Saints might receive in return. However, Rapoport tweets that Payton would be interested in the 49ers’ job–assuming it become available–and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Payton would also have interest in the impending Giants opening, though it is unclear whether Big Blue would consider trading for a head coach.

Coaching Updates: 1/3/16

January 3rd, 2016 at 10:42am CST by Rory Parks

After learning this morning that the 49ers are expected to fire Jim Tomsula and that Jim Caldwell is more likely than not to return to the Lions in 2016, let’s dive into a few more notes on the league’s head coaching carousel:

A “plugged-in source” tells Pro Football Talk that Chip Kelly could be headed to the Browns (Twitter link).
Before that somewhat mysterious tweet from PFT, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted out a list of a few candidates the Browns are expected to interview in the coming days after they formally fire Mike Pettine. That list includes popular targets Adam Gase, Teryl Austin, and Doug Marrone. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the team is especially interested in Gase and has already laid the groundwork for an interview with the Bears’ offensive coordinator. It was something of a surprise that Gase did not land a head coaching job last year, but it looks like 2016 will find him in charge of his own club.
Rapoport also passes on some news on the Colts (via Conor Orr of NFL.com), reporting that if Indianapolis parts ways with Chuck Pagano, the team will make Sean Payton and Nick Saban say no before turning its search in another direction. Although the presence of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck could alter his thinking somewhat, Saban, as Rapoport tweets, has been approached by NFL clubs countless times in recent years and always says no.
Current Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson is “a name to watch” as the Eagles attempt to fill their new head coaching vacancy, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who adds that the team would have to do some “fence-mending” to lure Sean McDermott, one of the hottest head coaching candidates, away from Carolina (Twitter links). ESPN.com news services confirms the team’s interest in Pederson, who spent four seasons as an offensive assistant under Andy Reid in Philadelphia, and adds that interim head coach Pat Shumur has not been ruled out.
The Titans will look at interim head coach Mike Mularkey as a legitimate candidate to become the team’s permanent head coach, as Rapoport writes in his Black Monday primer.
In the same piece, Rapoport writes that Mike McCoy has a much better chance to stay with the Chargers than originally anticipated. The NFL.com scribe reports that San Diego brass will step back and look at factors like the injuries the team has endured, the close losses it has suffered, and the omnipresent Los Angles dilemma before making a final decision. While McCoy could still be fired, it appears as though he will at least get a thorough evaluation before that happens.