2018 January - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers Eyeing Norv Turner For OC Job

January 9th, 2018 at 3:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers need a new offensive coordinator to replace Mike Shula, who was fired on Tuesday morning. Head coach Ron Rivera is hoping that Norv Turner will be the man to replace him, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Turner’s time as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator ended abruptly in November 2016 when he stepped down following a professional disagreement with head coach Mike Zimmer. Turner was reportedly interested in getting back to football soon after, but he was waiting for the right opportunity with the right quarterback.

Cam Newton could be the right QB to get Turner back on the sidelines, but one has to wonder if the team’s lack of receiving weapons could deter him from joining the Panthers. Due to a lack of depth and injuries, the Panthers’ season ended with Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard, and Brenton Bersin as the team’s top three WRs.

Turner has had several stops as an OC in the league, including with the Cowboys (1991-1993), Chargers (2001), Dolphins (2002-2003), Raiders (2004-2005), 49ers (2006), Browns (2013), and Vikings (2014-2016). He also served as the Chargers’ head coach from 2007 through 2012.

Raiders Make Offer To Eliot Wolf

January 9th, 2018 at 2:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Eliot Wolf didn’t get the Packers’ GM job, but he remains a popular man around the league. Wolf has an offer to join the Raiders’ front office, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Wolf is currently in Cleveland, where he is interviewing with GM John Dorsey. Meanwhile, the Packers and newly-promoted GM Brian Gutekunst want to retain the 35-year-old, but they will not stand in the way of him going elsewhere in the NFL.

Wolf is obviously blocked from taking the top job in Oakland or Cleveland, but he might be able to eek out a better salary from those clubs and exercise more authority over the scouting department than he would in Green Bay. If he does join either one of those teams, it’s a safe bet that he’ll demand a contract with the ability to interview for any GM opportunity that comes his way.

In the past, the Packers kept Wolf from opportunities with the Eagles and Lions. After being made to pass up those jobs only to get passed over, Wolf does not want to wind up in the same position again.

Raiders Interviewed USC’s Tee Martin

January 9th, 2018 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Before the Raiders hired Jon Gruden, they interviewed a pair of minority candidates to satisfy the league’s Rooney Rule. Initially, the only coach identified was tight ends coach Bobby Johnson. We now know that the other “mystery” coach was USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).

Martin, 39, played quarterback at the University of Tennessee and spent his first two years in college as Peyton Manning‘s backup. In 2000, he was drafted in the fifth round by the Steelers. His NFL career didn’t go as planned, but he did go on to spend time with the Eagles and Raiders. He also has the dubious distinction of being one of six QBs to be drafted before Patriots superstar Tom Brady in ’00.

This past year, Martin’s Trojans offense ranked 13th nationally. For all of his football acumen, it’s unlikely that he ever had a real chance of getting the Raiders’ head coaching job.

Gruden, GM Share Raiders Roster Control

January 9th, 2018 at 2:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this month, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie turned down an opportunity to interview for the Packers’ GM vacancy. That was our first indication that McKenzie would maintain at least some control over Oakland’s 53-man roster, despite the arrival of Jon Gruden as head coach.

At Tuesday’s introductory press conference for the new (/old) head coach, Gruden confirmed that the two will “work together” to make roster decisions. McKenzie, meanwhile, was upbeat about the new arrangement.

Since taking over as Raiders GM in 2012, the team has gone a combined 36-60, including three seasons with four victories or less. But, in 2016, the team turned a corner and made the playoffs with a 12-4 record. The Raiders fell short this year, but they still wanted to keep the 2016 NFL Executive of the Year in the fold.

McKenzie and Gruden both say they’re excited to collaborate on building the team, but it will be interesting to see how well the two men will handle roster disagreements. McKenzie has been at the helm for five years, but one has to wonder if the $100MM man will have the upper hand on most matters.

Packers Request Interview With Gus Bradley

January 9th, 2018 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have requested permission to interview Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley for their own DC vacancy, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schefter adds that the Seahawks and other clubs also have interest in Bradley.

It should be noted that the Chargers do not have the ability to block Bradley from interviewing since his contract expired on Tuesday. The Bolts will fight to keep Bradley, however.

“We’d like to keep this together if we can,” Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said recently. “I know some guys, the contracts are up. We’re working on that right now. We’re trying to keep this staff together, this nucleus together, because I think we got better as a coaching staff as the season went on.”

The Packers reportedly view Vic Fangio as their top target, though they are also considering a trio of current assistants (Winston Moss, Darren Perry, and Joe Whitt) plus former Browns head coach Mike Pettine for the job. The Seahawks, meanwhile, already have a DC in Kris Richard, but Richard has drawn head coaching consideration elsewhere. If Richard leaves, Bradley could be the pick to replace him.

The 2017 was Bradley’s first as L.A.’s defensive coordinator. The team finished ninth in defensive DVOA, a big reason for their success later on in the year.

Panthers Fire OC Mike Shula

January 9th, 2018 at 11:15am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers announced that offensive coordinator Mike Shula and quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey have been fired.

Shula spent the past seven seasons with the team, working as quarterbacks coach for two seasons before becoming offensive coordinator in 2013. Last year, Carolina finished 19th in total offense (323.7), 17th in offensive DVOA, fourth in rushing offense (131.4), 28th in passing (192.3), and 12th in points (22.7). Ultimately, it wasn’t good enough as the Panthers were eliminated in the first stage of the playoffs.

Dorsey has been the Panthers’ QBs coach for the last five seasons. Although he has groomed Cam Newton into one of the league’s finest quarterbacks, the Panthers believe that they can do better.

The staff shakeup comes just days after a multi-year extension for head coach Ron Rivera. Between the firing of Shula and Dorsey and the likely departure of Steve Wilks, the Panthers will see serious turnover in 2018.

The Panthers join the Bears, Browns, Packers, and Giants as teams in search of a new offensive coordinator.

Packers Eyeing Vic Fangio For DC

January 9th, 2018 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers are casting a wide net in their search for a new defensive coordinator, but one candidate stands at the top of their wish list. Vic Fangio is considered Green Bay’s top choice for the job, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

As of this writing, the Packers have yet to schedule an interview, but they’re pushing to set one up. Meanwhile, new Bears head coach Matt Nagy is working to keep the highly respected coordinator in Chicago. The two NFC North teams may have to slug it out over Fangio and it may result in a bidding war.

Fangio, 60 in August, has NFL coaching experience dating back to 1986 and defensive coordinator experience beginning in 1995. He is a big proponent of the 3-4 defense, making him a natural fit for the Packers.

As shown on PFR’s Defensive Coordinator Tracker, the Packers are also considering former Browns head coach Mike Pettine for the job along with three assistants already on staff Winston Moss, Darren Perry, and Joe Whitt.

Giants Chairman To Sit In On Steve Wilks Interview

January 9th, 2018 at 9:54am CST by Zachary Links

If the Giants want to, they can close things out with Steve Wilks today. Giants chairman Steve Tisch will sit on on Tuesday’s interview with the head coaching candidate, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Garafolo cautions that Wilks is not necessarily the favorite for the job. This is also his first interview, so he’ll have to really blow the Giants away in order to secure the job. Then again, the Giants know that they’ll risk losing Wilks if they allow him to continue his tour. The Cardinals, Lions, and Colts all plan on speaking with Wilks in the coming days, as shown on PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker.

In addition to Wilks, the G-Men are also considering Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Jim Schwartz (though his interview has been put on hold), Pat Shurmur, Steve Spagnuolo, and Eric Studesville.

Packers Won’t Stop Eliot Wolf From Leaving

January 8th, 2018 at 7:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Eliot Wolf missed out on the Packers’ GM job, but it sounds like the team won’t stop him from going elsewhere. During his introductory news conference on Monday, newly appointed GM Brian Gutekunst hinted that he will allow Wolf to pursue other jobs in the NFL, though he would prefer to keep him in Green Bay.

“I would envision him kind of being a right-hand man to me,” Gutekunst said. “We have a great relationship. I’m very fond of the person, and the scout is excellent. I’ve told him that. I really want him to be here. But I also know he has other opportunities, and I wouldn’t hold him back from that because I care about him. But if he was here, I’d like to get him more involved in the college side of stuff and have a broader approach to what he’s been doing.”

The Browns, led by former Packers exec John Dorsey, are reportedly interested in adding Wolf to the front office. At the same time, the Packers appear to be offering him an improved title.

Coaching Rumors: Chiefs, Packers, Bengals

January 8th, 2018 at 7:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs could promote running backs coach Eric Bieniemy to offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (on Twitter). Rapoport adds that he has “the inside track.” The vacancy opened up this weekend when Matt Nagy agreed to become the next head coach of the Bears.

Here’s the latest coaching news from around the NFL:

Packers secondary coach Darren Perry interviewed for the team’s defensive coordinator position on Monday, according to Alex Marvez of The Sporting News (on Twitter). The interview was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was delayed due to the team’s front office reorganization.
Contrary to a previous report, former Bengals offensive coordinator Ken Zampese was not interviewed by the Browns on Monday, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. When he does interview with the team, it will be for an offensive assistant job and not necessarily for the OC position.
The Raiders will officially ink contracts with offensive coordinator Greg Olson and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther before the big Jon Gruden press conference, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Bengals announced the signing of Bob Bicknell as the team’s new wide receivers coach. Bicknell, who has 25 years of professional and collegiate coaching experience, was Baylor University’s WRs coach in 2017. Meanwhile, defensive line coach Jacob Burney has been retained with a new two-year contract extension (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of The Sporting News).