2017 January - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs To Pursue Extension For Andy Reid

January 8th, 2017 at 8:33am CST by Rory Parks

The Chiefs will try to extend head coach Andy Reid‘s contract this offseason, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Reid, who is under contract through the 2017 season, has certainly earned an extension, having compiled a 43-21 record as Kansas City’s head coach.

Reid, of course, served as the Eagles’ head coach for 14 seasons prior to joining the Chiefs in 2013, and though he was not able to bring the elusive Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia, he did put together 120 regular season wins to go along with 10 more playoff victories, six division titles, and five trips to the NFC Championship Game. Of those five NFC Championship Game appearances, though, the Eagles won only one, which contributed to Reid’s dismissal at the end of the 2012 campaign.

Kansas City has made the playoffs in three of Reid’s four seasons at the helm and captured their first AFC West title under his watch this year. They also earned a first-round bye this season and will take on either the Steelers or Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs next week.

Reid, 58, was already among the game’s highest-paid coaches, with a $7.5MM annual salary. If he receives a raise of any significance to go along with his extension, he could become the highest-paid coach in the league.

NFL Coaching Updates: 1/7/17

January 7th, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest coming from the first week of the NFL’s January hiring period.

Just because Texans owner Bob McNair declared he wouldn’t fire Bill O’Brien doesn’t necessarily mean the coach will be back for a fourth year, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reporting O’Brien may decide to leave on his own accord. Sources informed Florio that O’Brien is unhappy with the Texans more so than the team being dissatisfied with his performance. Friction with GM Rick Smith again appears to be at the root of this, but Florio notes the team continues to maintain the parties don’t have to like each other but only need to work together. “I have a five-year contract here. I have two years left on my contract. I’m looking forward to coaching here, and I’m looking forward to getting ready for this next game,” O’Brien said after today’s wild-card win (via James Palmer of NFL.com, on Twitter).
The Rams are doing their homework on Redskins OC Sean McVay, Florio reports. Just 30, McVay would be the youngest head coach hired in NFL history, but the latest coming out of Los Angeles is a belief the wunderkind offensive guru could get the most out of Jared Goff. The Rams have cast a wide net for their next HC, with numerous candidates having already been interviewed or still on the docket. Florio deems a Sean Payton trade or a Jon Gruden hire unlikely at this juncture.
Saturday’s Rams/Josh McDaniels summit appears to have impacted the team’s meeting with Kyle Shanahan. Weather will force a postponement, with Rams representatives being unable to get out of Boston on time, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). The Jaguars, 49ers and Broncos have already met with the Falcons’ OC.
The Broncos are eyeing a coach that won’t interfere too much with the dominant defense the team has assembled in recent years, Florio writes, but that doesn’t necessarily disqualify Vance Joseph. Denver wants its next coach to preserve continuity defensively and fix an offense that has fallen off the historic pace of the Peyton Manning era. The team’s brass reportedly realizes Shanahan would be best suited of their three apparent finalists — Shanahan, Joseph and Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub — to do this but views Joseph as a quality candidate to coax the best effort out of their players.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/17

January 7th, 2017 at 8:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

The Jets signed outside linebacker Frank Beltre, who most recently played for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Beltre spent time on the workout circuit recently, auditioning for the Packers, Bears, Vikings and Saints over the past month. Now 26, Beltre’s previous NFL experience came after the Chargers signed him as a UDFA out of Towson in 2013. The Raiders signed the Dominican Republic native to a reserve/futures contract in 2014 before cutting him a few months later. He served as a part-time starter in three seasons in Calgary.

Texans, Bill O’Brien Could Part After Season

January 7th, 2017 at 7:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

SATURDAY, 7:44pm: Texans owner Bob McNair said O’Brien will be back next season, via Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com (on Twitter). “I’m not going to fire him,” McNair said (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, on Twitter) after the Texans’ 27-14 wild-card win over the Raiders.

The 49ers, however, were intrigued by the possibility O’Brien could have been a late-arriving coaching free agent, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets.

SATURDAY, 8:15am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that several teams with head coaching vacancies are waiting to see how everything will play out in Houston before they make a hire. If O’Brien is fired, Rapoport notes that he “may soar to the top of the list” for many teams.

THURSDAY, 4:52pm: Although the Texans just reeled off their third straight nine-victory regular season and second consecutive AFC South-winning campaign under head coach Bill O’Brien, his job is in jeopardy, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. O’Brien is currently preparing for a wild-card round showdown with the Raiders, which could be his last game with Houston if the team loses. Even a win over the banged-up Raiders wouldn’t necessarily save O’Brien, suggests La Canfora.

O’Brien’s problems with the Texans are related to a less-than-ideal relationship with general manager Rick Smith and an unenthusiastic view of quarterback Brock Osweiler, per La Canfora. The Texans guaranteed Osweiler, an ex-Denver backup, $37MM last offseason, but the 6-foot-8 signal-caller has been a colossal disappointment thus far.

Osweiler was among the league’s worst starters throughout the regular season, leading O’Brien to bench him in favor of Tom Savage toward the end of the year. Savage suffered a concussion in Week 17 and won’t be available against the Raiders, meaning O’Brien’s fate is back in the beleaguered Osweiler’s hands. The Texans will likely be stuck with Osweiler in 2017, too, as the team would incur $25MM in dead money by releasing him this offseason.

In the event the Texans do move on from O’Brien within the next couple weeks, it could significantly impact coaching searches around the league. The 47-year-old O’Brien is a proven commodity, having succeeded in leading roles with both Penn State and the Texans, and the offensive mind would surely draw interest from teams with head coaching vacancies if he were to hit the market. Of course, with the Texans joining the hunt for other candidates, it would also lead to an increase in clubs searching for head coaches. Both Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, an ex-Texans assistant, and former Chargers head coach Mike McCoy would be names to watch, according to La Canfora.

Brock Osweiler To Start Next Week

January 7th, 2017 at 7:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

There won’t be any speculation about the Texans turning back to Tom Savage for their divisional-round date against either the Patriots or Chiefs. Houston will stick with Brock Osweiler next weekend, Bill O’Brien said postgame (via Mark Berman of Fox 26, on Twitter), halting a potential quarterback controversy on the heels of the Texans’ first playoff win in four years.

Osweiler lost his job late in the regular season to Savage but was summoned back into duty after the younger backup suffered a concussion in Week 17. The maligned free agent signing received his first playoff start today and completed 14-of-25 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another in the Texans’ 27-14 win.

Savage stepped in initially for the slumping Osweiler and gave the Texans a spark during their Week 15 and Week 16 victories over the Jaguars and Bengals, helping the franchise secure its second straight AFC South title. He threw for 260 yards against the Jags but hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass this season and remained in concussion protocol leading up to Houston’s wild-card game. Had the third-year passer not encountered concussion trouble, he likely would have been the starter against Oakland.

Instead, the quarterback who has been benched late in each of the past two regular seasons will make his another playoff start and continue an attempt to live up to the four-year, $72MM deal he signed this offseason.

Chiefs Blocked Chris Ballard/49ers Meeting

January 7th, 2017 at 7:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Nick Caserio declined an interview request for the 49ers’ GM job, Chris Ballard did not receive the opportunity. The Chiefs blocked their director of football operations from interviewing for the 49ers’ GM vacancy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

This runs counter to a previous report indicating Ballard turned down the opportunity, so San Francisco has now run into issues on multiple fronts in bringing some of its top candidates in for an interview for Trent Baalke‘s former job. Teams can block front-office execs from interviewing for GM jobs until their respective seasons end. So, the 49ers could wait until the Chiefs’ season concludes, but that would mean stalling their HC search as well while other teams vie for the available candidates.

This looms larger than the Patriots’ player personnel director turning this potential opportunity down. A source told Florio that Ballard was the 49ers’ “first choice, second choice and third choice” for the position. Ballard has been an NFL personnel man for 16 seasons and is finishing up his fourth with the Chiefs. Interestingly, Ballard was given permission to interview for the Titans’ GM job — one that ultimately went to Jon Robinson — last year.

Ballard spent 12 years with the Bears, the first 11 as a southwest area scout and in 2012 ascended to the role of director of pro scouting with the franchise prior to joining John Dorsey in Kansas City.

Nick Caserio Declines 49ers GM Interview

January 7th, 2017 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots look set to retain player personnel director Nick Caserio despite earlier reports of 49ers interest. The longtime New England staffer turned down an interview request from the 49ers, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

San Francisco representatives interviewed Patriots OC Josh McDaniels earlier today, and a report emerged previously the 40-year-old play-caller viewed the 49ers’ job as his top option compared to the Rams’ or Jaguars’ positions. But Caserio declining this opportunity could throw some cold water on that. The 40-year-old McDaniels and 41-year-old Caserio are close, going back to their days playing football at John Carroll University.

Florio, though, notes Caserio turning down an interview could lead to the 49ers offering McDaniels more power. The reporter adds that Caserio, who interviewed with the Dolphins in 2014, hasn’t shown serious interest in leaving New England despite not having final say over the Patriots’ 53-man roster — a responsibility Bill Belichick has long since possessed.

The 49ers remain connected to several candidates for their GM vacancy, but the Caserio road appears to have hit a dead end.

ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, Colts VP of football operations Jimmy Raye III, Panthers assistant GM Brandon Beane, Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf and Vikings assistant GM George Paton represent the other candiates for the 49ers’ GM position. Raye will interview with the team on Sunday.

Coach/FO Notes: Caserio, Jets, Panthers

January 7th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers‘ summit with Josh McDaniels occurred today, but the team did not meet with Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, whom it was curious about pairing with the 40-year-old coach. A Caserio/49ers summit — one the team requested — did not appear on the San Francisco brass’ docket, either because the Patriots denied an interview request or Caserio turned down the offer, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee notes.

A Patriots staffer since 2001, Caserio was a college teammate of McDaniels’ at John Carroll University. The longtime Patriots employee is signed through 2020 and interviewed for the Dolphins’ GM job in 2014. He makes approximately $2MM per year, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports, adding that a 49ers job could interest the 41-year-old personnel man.

Howe notes the 49ers are hoping to bring Caserio aboard as their GM, writing interview requests will continue to come his way due to the Patriots’ success and his current job title permitting those requests. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, Colts VP of football operations Jimmy Raye III, Panthers assistant GM Brandon Beane, Packers director of football operations Elliot Wolf and Vikings assistant GM George Paton represent the other candiates for the 49ers’ GM position. Raye will interview with the team on Sunday.

Here’s more from the NFL hiring period as the playoffs commence.

Bears outside linebackers coach Clint Hurtt agreed to a two-year deal with the Jets to lead their outside ‘backers, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports (on Twitter). A Bears staffer for three seasons, Hurtt declined a contract extension in Chicago this week. The Bears denied Hurtt permission to interview with the Dolphins last season.
The Panthers do not plan to make any coaching changes despite being the latest Super Bowl loser to miss the playoffs the following season. “This is a damn good coaching staff,” Dave Gettleman said, via David Newton of ESPN.com. “We went 17-2 last year. We didn’t get stupid overnight.” Carolina could have to deal with at least one change if DC Sean McDermott lands a head coaching job. He’s booked a second interview with the Chargers. Secondary coach Steve Wilks also will interview with the Redskins for their DC job.
A Kyle Shanahan defection to become a head coach would leave the Falcons with an OC vacancy, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter) quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur and offensive assistant Mike McDaniel are in-house candidates to ascend to that position. Of course, Shanahan could want to take a Falcons staffer with him, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets McDaniel would be a name to watch in that event. McDaniel has worked with Shanahan with three teams, joining him on the Redskins’ and Browns’ staffs before coming to Atlanta in 2015.

AFC West Notes: Shanahan, Raiders, Chargers

January 7th, 2017 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Shanahan followed Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub in conducting a four-hour interview with Broncos brass, John Elway relays (on Twitter). While the Falcons’ OC will continue on the interview circuit — having already interviewed or being set to do so with the Jaguars, 49ers and Rams — he remains focused on landing this job. And past tensions between the organization and his father won’t stand in the way, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

Klis notes Elway and Mike Shanahan are friends, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Broncos president Joe Ellis won’t stand in the way if Elway wants to hire the 37-year-old son of the franchise’s winningest head coach. Ellis was with the Broncos when they made the decision to fire the elder Shanahan after 14 seasons following the 2008 campaign. Elway worked with Mike Shanahan during the successful coach’s three stints in Denver — the first two coming as the team’s top offensive assistant in a four-year 1980s stay and again for two seasons in the early ’90s — before returning to take a leadership position with the franchise two years after it fired Shanahan.

The Broncos are set to meet with Vance Joseph sometime after Sunday’s Dolphins-Steelers wild-card game.

Here’s the latest coming out of the AFC West as the Raiders are set to play in their first playoff game in 14 years.

The Raiders will present details of their Las Vegas project on Wednesday at a meeting involving the NFL’s finance and stadium committees, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (on Twitter), adding (Twitter link) the team will not apply for relocation until its playoff run concludes. Underdogs with their third-string quarterback at the helm against the Texans today, that decision could come soon. Last we heard, the sides had made significant progress on the long-discussed Las Vegas stadium after some hiccups between the Raiders and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson emerged.
Donald Penn said he sustained a small fracture in his knee but doesn’t need surgery, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Penn also eyes a return for a divisional-round game if the Raiders win today, per Schefter. The Pro Bowl left tackle will miss the first game of his career and his first opportunity to suit up for a playoff contest since his rookie season with the Buccaneers in 2007. Menelik Watson will slide over and start on the left side, with the previously supplanted Austin Howard returning to his right tackle spot.
Wade Phillips has been connected to the Browns’ DC job after his Broncos contract expired, and while it hasn’t been ruled out the veteran DC could return to Denver, the Raiders are another name to watch for the 69-year-old assistant’s services, Pelissero tweets. This is an indication second-year Raiders DC Ken Norton Jr. could be on the hot seat after his unit, one fortified by the additions of Bruce Irvin and Sean Smith in the offseason, finished 26th in total defense for the second straight season. Phillips’ Broncos finished as the top DVOA defense for the second straight year.
The Chargers will bring Panthers DC Sean McDermott in for a second interview, Eric Williams of ESPN.com reports. He initially sat down with Bolts brass on Friday. Patriots DC Matt Patricia will meet with the team next.

Extra Points: Bears, Colts, Dolphins

January 7th, 2017 at 12:27pm CST by Ben Levine

As we await the start of playoff football, let’s check out some assorted notes from around the NFL…

Bears coach John Fox has another hole to fill on his coaching staff. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that outside linebackers coach Clint Hurtt recently declined a contract extension. The former Louisville coach is leaving the organization to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Hurtt previously coached the Bears’ defensive line during Marc Trestman‘s tenure in Chicago.
35-year-old Trent Cole recently indicated on Twitter that he wants to play in 2017. The veteran was solid in his seven games with the Colts this season, compiling 17 tackles and two sacks. The long-time Eagles standout is set to be a free agent this winter, and Kevin Bowen of Colts.com says the team’s desire to get younger may prevent Cole from returning to Indy.
Ohio State LB Raekwon McMillan announced that he is declaring for the NFL Draft, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The junior finished the 2016 campaign with 102 tackles, two sacks, and five passes defended. A recent mock draft by Yahoo’s Eric Edholm had McMillan going 56th overall to the Raiders.
Players who are signed to reserve/future contracts rarely get any guaranteed money, but Deon Lacey is apparently an exception. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the Dolphins linebacker received a $200K signing bonus when inking his contract.