2016 January - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Titans

January 25th, 2016 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of a disastrous 2015 season, Mike Wells of ESPN.com isn’t so sure that Colts general manager Ryan Grigson will be his usual aggressive self when it comes to signing veteran free agents this winter. As Wells observes, Andre Johnson, Trent Cole, and Todd Herremans were among last year’s additions who didn’t live up to expectations for Indianapolis in ’15.

Let’s round up a few more items from out of the AFC South…

Based on a comment made today by Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it sounds like Atlanta kept defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel from the Jaguars. Jacksonville interviewed Manuel for their defensive coordinator position and if the team had been prepared to offer him that job, I find it hard to believe the Falcons would have stood in his way — if the Jags wanted to hire him in a lesser role though, it makes sense that Atlanta would have pushed to hang onto him.
Armed with a ton of cap space this winter, the Jaguars should enter the free agent period ready to spend on players to complement their young core, with the goal of competing right away, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Fitzgerald points to the offensive line and the secondary as a couple key areas for Jacksonville to focus on as the team considers possible upgrades.
The Titans formally announced their latest coaching staff hires today, confirming the previously-reported addition of Russ Grimm as the club’s new offensive line coach. In addition to Grimm, Tennessee hired Deshea Townsend as its secondary coach and Steve Jackson as an assistant secondary coach.
After spending the 2015 campaign on the Colts‘ practice squad, wide receiver Duron Carter is officially headed back to the CFL for 2016, the Montreal Alouettes announced today in a press release.

Rams To Retain Rob Boras As OC

January 25th, 2016 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 25: The Rams have hired former Bears assistant Mike Groh as their wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thomas notes that the addition means that Boras will return as the club’s offensive coordinator for 2016.

JANUARY 15: The Rams are expected to name Rob Boras their full-time offensive coordinator, though the move is not yet official, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, in addition to weighing their OC options, the Rams are interviewing potential passing-game coordinators.

Boras took over as the Rams’ interim offensive coordinator with about a month left in the season, when the team parted ways with Frank Cignetti. Boras received consideration for the job before Cingetti was promoted last winter, but ultimately lost the competition — however, he received a new assistant head coach title at the time, and was in charge of the running game in addition to coaching the team’s tight ends.

Although the Rams finished with the league’s worst offense in terms of yards per game (297.6), the club showed marginal improvement during the last four games of the year under Boras. Additionally, buoyed by standout rookie Todd Gurley, the team averaged 122.3 rushing yards per contest, which was good for seventh in the NFL. So there’s some hope that the club could increase its offensive production if it gets its quarterback position stabilized.

While Boras appears to be the frontrunner for the offensive coordinator job in Los Angeles, the Rams also sat down with Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo earlier this week. It’s not clear yet whether DeFilippo will remain in Cleveland or explore taking a position with the Rams or another club.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vikings Hire Pat Shurmur As Tight Ends Coach

January 25th, 2016 at 1:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 1:43pm: The Vikings have confirmed Shurmur’s hiring, announcing that he will serve as the team’s new tight ends coach. Kevin Stefanski, who previously held that role, will shift over to replace Kirby Wilson as the club’s running backs coach.

SATURDAY, 9:45pm: It’s unclear what Shurmur’s role will be, as head coach Mike Zimmer still needs to sort out his coaching staff, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. But the hire won’t lead to any other staff changes, per Goessling.

9:33pm: The Vikings have hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, reports Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). There’s no word as to Shurmur’s title in Minnesota, but it’s worth noting that the only vacant job on the Vikings’ staff is running backs coach.

Shurmur, 50, acted as Philadelphia’s interim head coach for the final game of the season following the dismissal of Chip Kelly, and then received an interview for the full-time job. That position went to Doug Pederson, however, and though Pederson expressed some interest in retaining Shurmur, the Eagles ultimately hired former Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich as their new OC.

After being released from his Eagles contract, Shurmur immediately generated interest around the league. The Rams, whose offense Shurmur coordinated from 2009-10, requested permission to interview him for a role (reports varied as to whether that role was OC or passing game coordinator). Meanwhile, two mystery clubs, in addition to the Vikings, were reported on Thursday to have interest in pursuing Shurmur, who ultimately interviewed with Minnesota on Friday.

Shurmur’s NFL experience dates back to the 1999 season, when he entered the league as an assistant with Philadelphia. His most prominent job was acting as the Browns’ head coach — he lasted just two seasons (2011-12), posting a record of 9-23 during that time.

Dolphins Finalize Coaching Staff

January 25th, 2016 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins have finalized Adam Gase‘s coaching staff for the 2016 season, announcing today in a press release that a number of assistants have been added or retained. The team had previously confirmed the hires of Clyde Christensen as offensive coordinator and Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator, among others, so today’s announcement doesn’t feature any major changes, but a few key roles have been filled.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the noteworthy additions, promotions, or assignments announced today:

Danny Barrett, running backs coach
Ben Johnson, assistant wide receivers coach
Chris Kuper, offensive quality control
Lou Anarumo, defensive backs coach
Terrell Williams, defensive line coach
Charlie Bullen, assistant linebackers coach
Rusty McKinney, defensive quality control
Darren Rizzi, assistant head coach/special teams
Marwan Maalouf, assistant special teams
Dave Puloka, head strength and conditioning coach

Anarumo is perhaps the most interesting name on the list, since he finished the season as the Dolphins’ interim defensive coordinator after taking over for Kevin Coyle last October. Anarumo interviewed for the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator job earlier this month, but ultimately returned to Miami in the same role that he held for the club prior to his promotion.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Community Tailgate: Super Bowl 50 Winner

January 25th, 2016 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

As Super Bowl 50 nears, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Both home teams came out of Sunday’s championship games with victories, but that was hardly a given heading into the weekend. While the Panthers were favored over the Cardinals, the Broncos entered Sunday’s AFC championship against the Patriots as underdogs. However, an incredible effort by the defense, which hit Tom Brady more than any quarterback has been hit in a single game all season, helped Denver pull off the 20-18 upset.

While the Broncos squeaked through to Super Bowl 50 with a last-minute defensive stop, the Panthers throttled the Cardinals from start to finish in the NFC championship, and Carolina will head into the final game of the season as favorites over Denver.

Although some observers and reporters have likened the matchup to the Broncos/Seahawks Super Bowl two years ago, in which Seattle blew out Peyton Manning and the Broncos, this Denver defense looks much more dangerous than that team’s unit, and might be capable of slowing down Cam Newton and the Panthers. At the very least, Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and company should ensure that the league’s probable MVP won’t be quite as comfortable as he looked against the Seahawks and Cardinals.

How do you expect Super Bowl 50 to play out? Will the Panthers continue to cruise through the postseason en route to the franchise’s first championship, or will the Broncos pull off their second consecutive upset victory? Weigh in below with your predictions!

AFC North Notes: Browns, Benjamin, Ravens

January 25th, 2016 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

When the Browns hired Paul DePodesta away from the New York Mets, there was an assumption from observers and fans that Cleveland would be relying more heavily on an analytics-based approach going forward. However, that’s not exactly the case, as executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown explains (link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

“We have a talented analytics group already in place,” Brown said. “Paul’s strength, to us, was the ability to think about, build, execute on putting together championship-caliber organizations. He understands people. He understands processes. He understands standards and accountability. His talents aren’t limited to analytics That’s really what Paul’s role is here — to help us set a vision, set strategies, execute on those, keep us on strategy and aligned.”

Here’s more on the Browns and one of their AFC North rivals:

The Browns are adding former Jets assistant Ryan Slowik to their coaching staff, according to Doug Samuels of FootballScoop (Twitter link). Alex Marvez of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter) that Slowik will become Cleveland’s outside linebackers coach.
Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com wonders if the Browns’ new decision-makers will be more inclined to sign the team’s own free agents than previous regimes have been. Grossi also identifies a handful of potential free agents who Cleveland should try to bring back, including wide receiver Travis Benjamin.
Although Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has said he’d like to add two receivers this offseason, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun believes the club would be satisfied with one, assuming that player is a high draft pick or an established veteran. Zrebiec also notes that, given the Ravens’ fondness for compensatory picks, the team is more likely to sign a receiver who is cut by another team, rather than a true unrestricted free agent.

Falcons Hire Cowboys’ Jerome Henderson

January 25th, 2016 at 10:21am CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 10:21am: The Falcons have officially announced the hiring of Henderson as their defensive passing game coordinator, and confirmed Morris’ reassignment.

SUNDAY, 3:42pm: The Falcons have hired Cowboys defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson as their defensive passing game coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Raheem Morris, who previously held that title for Atlanta, will become the club’s offensive passing game coordinator and receivers coach, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links).

Henderson, 46, has been a hot name on the coaching carousel this offseason, having been linked to a number of assistant jobs around the league in addition to interviewing for the Browns’ head coaching vacancy. Henderson also met with the Jaguars regarding their defensive coordinator position, and was linked to gigs on the Dolphins’ staff under new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

While Henderson had suggested that he wouldn’t leave Dallas for anything other than a promotion (which could have been taken to mean a coordinator role), the move to defensive passing game coordinator presumably represents a step up. Morris, meanwhile, also has the title of assistant head coach in Atlanta, so the club and head coach Dan Quinn evidently had a bit more leeway to move Morris around on staff without technically demoting him.

But given that Morris has never coached offense in any capacity, moving him to the opposite side of the ball is certainly an odd move. The entirety of Morris’ coaching career — exempting his years as Tampa Bay’s head coach — has been spent on defense, mostly in the secondary. It’s possible that Atlanta wanted to keep him on staff in any role possible, regardless of specifics — the Bengals did something similar in 2012, naming Hue Jackson as an assistant in the secondary despite Jackson having spent his career coaching offense.

We first heard Friday that Henderson would be interviewing for a position with Atlanta, but the club made it clear in its release that incumbent defensive coordinator Richard Smith would not lose his title. Additionally, Falcons defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel yesterday turned down an opportunity to become the Jaguars’ defensive passing game coordinator, so Henderson couldn’t take on the role of secondary coach in Atlanta, either.

Meanwhile, Cowboys safeties coach Joe Baker is expected to assume Henderson’s responsibilities in Dallas, becoming the full-time secondary coach, per Rapoport (Twitter link).

Eagles Extend Zach Ertz Through 2021

January 25th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

9:59am: According to Corry (via Twitter), Ertz’s five-year deal can actually max out at $45.8MM rather than $42.5MM, since it features $300K in Pro Bowl incentives and $3MM in Pro Bowl salary escalators. Corry adds (via Twitter) that the extension includes an $8MM signing bonus.

9:24am: The Eagles have locked up their top tight end through the 2021 season, announcing today in a press release that Zach Ertz has signed a five-year extension with the team. Ertz’s rookie contract had been set to expire at the end of the 2016 season.

According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Ertz’s new five-year deal is worth $42.5MM, which works out to $8.5MM annually. Corry adds (via Twitter) that the pact also features $20MM in guarantees, though some of that money is guaranteed for injury only — the fully guaranteed portion totals $13,138,527, which includes his $1,138,527 base salary for 2016, plus an additional $12MM.

Per Over the Cap, only three tight ends in the NFL – Jimmy Graham, Julius Thomas, and Rob Gronkowski – are earning a higher annual salary than Ertz’s $8.5MM figure, so the extension makes the 25-year-old one of the highest-paid players at his position.

Ertz, the 35th overall pick in the 2013 draft, became extension-eligible for the first time this offseason, and did so at the perfect time. The Stanford product has become an increasingly bigger part of the Eagles’ offense over the course of his first three seasons, and is coming off a career year, having caught 75 passes for 853 yards in 2015.

Under new head coach Doug Pederson, it’s not clear yet whether Sam Bradford, a Chip Kelly acquisition, will be re-signed, or if the Eagles will go in another direction at quarterback. But either way, Ertz figures to be one of the top targets in Philadelphia’s passing game in 2016. Besides Ertz, only Jordan Matthews had more than 400 yards receiving for the Eagles this past season.

A report last week indicated that the Eagles were interested in getting contract extensions done for tackle Lane Johnson, defensive end Vinny Curry, and Ertz, so with the tight end’s new deal finalized, the team figures to shift its focus to securing Johnson and Curry. With a fifth-year option year available for Johnson in 2017, after his rookie contract expires, the Eagles will likely prioritize an extension for Curry, who can reach the open market in a matter of weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Searches

January 25th, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, 12 NFL teams made changes at their defensive coordinator position, while nearly half the league named a new offensive coordinator. This time around, it doesn’t appear there will be quite as much turnover around the league. However, plenty of clubs have announced changes at offensive and defensive coordinator since the regular season ended.

While many teams have finalized their coordinator changes, we’re still waiting for official announcements on a few of those moves. And in at least one case, we continue to wait on a team to make a decision on who to hire as its defensive coordinator. Here’s a round-up of the vacancies that remain up in the air to some extent:

Offensive coordinators:

The Browns, Rams, and Giants are the teams currently without an official offensive coordinator on their respective staffs, but barring any surprises, it’s clear which direction those teams are heading. Hue Jackson has added several offensive assistants to his coaching staff, but isn’t expected to name an actual offensive coordinator, since he’ll handle play-calling duties in Cleveland.

Meanwhile, the Rams have interviewed some offensive coordinator candidates, but it seems they’ll keep interim OC Rob Boras in that role, perhaps adding a passing-game coordinator to their staff. As for the Giants, we heard when Ben McAdoo was hired that he was expected to promote quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan to offensive coordinator, and there have been no indications over the last week and a half that he has changed his mind.

Defensive coordinators:

The 49ers appear to be the only team making a change at offensive or defensive coordinator that hasn’t decided yet who that new coordinator will be, so perhaps the lack of competition means that the club will be patient in making the decision.

San Francisco reportedly offered Mike Vrabel the team’s defensive coordinator job, which Vrabel turned down. The Niners are now said to be considering Ravens linebackers coach Don Martindale, along with their own LBs coach, Jason Tarver. Those aren’t the only candidates though — Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that former Browns DC Jim O’Neil recently interviewed for the job.

The only other DC job with any measure of uncertainty is in New Orleans, where a report earlier this month indicated that Dennis Allen would be retained as the Saints DC after taking over for Rob Ryan during the 2015 season. The team hasn’t formally confirmed that, but there have also been no reports of the Saints looking for someone else or interviewing candidates, so it looks like Allen is safe.

For the full list of OC/DC changes that have been confirmed, be sure to check out our tracker.

Thomas Davis Breaks Arm, Expects To Play In Super Bowl 50

January 24th, 2016 at 9:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Even though the Panthers didn’t have star linebacker Thomas Davis for most of the NFC championship game on Sunday, that didn’t stop them from shellacking the Cardinals, 49-15, to advance to Super Bowl 50.

Davis – who left in the second quarter and didn’t return – revealed afterward that he broke his right arm, USA Today’s Tom Peliserro reports (Twitter link). The question now is whether Davis will be healthy enough to face the AFC champion Broncos on Feb. 7. He thinks so.

“There is no way I’m missing the Super Bowl,” the 32-year-old told ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

Davis, long one of Carolina’s heart-and-soul players, has been among its driving forces this season. The 11th-year man is amid his first All-Pro campaign, having registered 105 tackles and 5.5 sacks to go along with impressive ball-hawking prowess (four forced fumbles, four interceptions). In parts of the Panthers’ two playoff wins this year, Davis has combined for 11 tackles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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