2021 February - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Jaguars Plan To Hire Bob Sutton

February 2nd, 2021 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after making Joe Cullen a first-time NFL defensive coordinator, the Jaguars are bringing in some experience to work with him. They are finalizing a deal to add Bob Sutton to their defensive staff, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets.

Sutton, 70, spent the past two seasons as a senior defensive assistant with the Falcons. He stands to serve in a similar capacity in Jacksonville, per JLC. Sutton has been in coaching since the early 1970s and on NFL staffs since 2000. He recently interviewed for the Packers’ defensive coordinator position.

Best known for his six-year stay as Chiefs defensive coordinator, Sutton spent his first 13 NFL seasons with the Jets. The Jets also employed Sutton as DC during Eric Mangini‘s tenure, from 2006-08, and Rex Ryan kept him on board as a position coach during his run as Gang Green’s HC. New Jags hire Brian Schottenheimer worked with Sutton in New York for several seasons.

Sutton’s first four Chiefs defenses ranked as top-10 scoring units, helping Andy Reid quickly turn the franchise around in the mid-2010s. However, the Chiefs saw their defense regress significantly as Sutton’s tenure waned. Their 2018 defense played the lead role in keeping MVP Patrick Mahomes from reaching the Super Bowl that season, with the Chiefs leading the league in total offense and ranking 31st in yards allowed.

Colts Work Out DL David Irving

February 2nd, 2021 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

David Irving‘s comeback from his latest suspension produced only two Raiders games and a subsequent release from Las Vegas’ practice squad. He secured another tryout opportunity Tuesday.

The Colts are hosting the free agent defensive lineman, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Raiders released Irving from their practice squad last month. Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was in Dallas during Irving’s time with the team, giving the free agent D-lineman an interesting potential path to Indianapolis.

Prior to the Raiders signing Irving midway through last season, the former promising Cowboys pass rusher spent nearly two years in free agency. Drug suspensions have dogged the ex-UDFA, but once the NFL reinstated him in October, he landed a Raiders visit and contract offer within a few days.

Irving, 27, played only 40 defensive snaps with the Raiders. He spent time on the franchise’s reserve/COVID-19 list later in the season and did not return to action.

With the Cowboys, Irving ran into PED and substance-abuse suspensions but showed promise between the 2017-18 seasons. He racked up 11 sacks in that time, including a seven-sack 2017 season — during he which the interior rusher only played eight games.

Coaching Notes: Steelers, Jags, Bruschi, Jets

February 2nd, 2021 at 2:58pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Offensive line coach Mike Munchak left the Steelers for Denver after the 2018 season, and Pittsburgh’s O-line immediately declined. Shaun Sarrett initially replaced Munchak, but after two disappointing seasons he wasn’t retained this offseason. It was a big hire for Mike Tomlin that was talked about a lot, and in the end he opted to promote from within. The Steelers are promoting Adrian Klemm to the role, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Klemm had spent the past two seasons as an assistant offensive line coach. A second-round pick of the Patriots back in 2000, Klemm spent a handful of years in the league as a player. He then started coaching in the college ranks, and was the run game coordinator and associate head coach at UCLA for a while under Jim Mora.

Here are a few more coaching notes from the NFL universe:

Urban Meyer continues to build his inaugural Jaguars staff, and now he’s settled on a secondary coach. Chris Ash has agreed to fill that role, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Ash, the former head coach at Rutgers, is a pretty big name by secondary coach standards. Meyer continues to surround himself with guys who have coordinating and head coaching experience, most recently adding Brian Schottenheimer to the staff. Ash has an extensive college coaching history, but this will be his first NFL gig. He was Meyer’s co-defensive coordinator for a couple of years at Ohio State, so there’s plenty of familiarity here. He’ll work under new Jacksonville DC Joe Cullen.
Legendary Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi is getting into the college coaching game. He’ll serve as a senior adviser to new Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch, the university announced. Bruschi is an Arizona alum and Fisch served under Bill Belichick as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach this past season, so this isn’t totally out of left field. Bruschi will apparently be staying on as an analyst at ESPN, so you’ll still be seeing him on your TV screens.
Robert Saleh is adding two people he’s familiar with to his new Jets staff. New York is hiring Marquand Manuel as safeties coach and Tony Oden as senior defensive assistant/cornerbacks coach, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. As Pelissero points out, Manuel and Saleh coached together in Seattle while Oden was DBs coach in San Francisco with him last year. Manuel was the Falcons’ defensive coordinator for two seasons from 2017-18, and spent last season coaching DBs in Philly.

Extra Points: Smith, Easterby, Ogunjobi

February 2nd, 2021 at 1:42pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Perhaps the best story of the unprecedented 2020 NFL season was the improbable return of Alex Smith. Not only did Smith shockingly return to the starting lineup for Washington, something nobody in their right mind saw coming, he also went 5-1 as a starter and led them to a playoff berth. He didn’t always look too mobile, and a calf injury to the same leg he had his devastating infections in cut his season short prematurely. But if you were expecting Smith to ride off into the sunset after his incredible triumph, you might be in for a surprise. In a recent interview with the Rachel Ray show, the quarterback certainly didn’t sound like someone dead-set on retiring.

“For me, this year was such a crazy rush to be out there, practicing out there every single day. To be able to put on my cleats and helmet. But for me, the crazy thing was how well my body responded to that. I just feel like I continued to get stronger and stronger and better and better,” the Washington signal-caller said. “I still feel like I’m kind of a kid right now headed into the offseason. I’m excited for this offseason to see what I can go do — football and everything else. Skiing, snowboarding — I plan on doing as much as I can. I had such an amazing time playing. I felt so good out there. It was crazy after that first game how comfortable I felt back out on the field.”

If Smith does want to keep playing he might have to do it with a new team, as Washington appears to be looking to upgrade at the position. They reportedly were aggressive in going after Matthew Stafford, offering their first-round pick and then some. Smith is under contract for two more seasons, but Washington can get out of it fairly easily this offseason. No matter what happens next, Smith has already shattered all expectations and can hold his head high.

Here’s more from around the league:

If you were a Texans fan hoping that controversial exec Jack Easterby would quietly slink into the background after all the Deshaun Watson drama, you might be disappointed. “Easterby is still making calls to agents on behalf of the team and is very much involved in football side,” Lance Zierlein of NFL.com hears (Twitter link). As Zierlein points out, that would conflict with Houston’s stated spin that Easterby is merely a pastor and ‘character coach’ of sorts. He seems to be very much involved in football ops alongside new GM Nick Caserio. For whatever reasons, Easterby seems to be sitting pretty in his role and clearly has a great deal of influence with owner Cal McNair. We haven’t heard the last of him, and this saga has no end in sight.
The Browns are coming off an incredibly successful season that saw them make it back to the playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years, but there will still be changes coming in Cleveland. One of the biggest could be the departure of defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. Ogunjobi will likely be allowed to hit free agency and the Browns “probably won’t want to pay him what he can get on the open market,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Ogunjobi has been a very solid player for Cleveland, starting at least 15 games each of the past three seasons, but with Sheldon Richardson still also manning the middle and fellow defensive tackle Andrew Billings set to return from COVID opt-out in 2021, Kay Cabot thinks he’s expendable.
Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy has gotten a lot of attention for getting passed over for head coaching jobs, but Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is similarly upset about the other offensive coordinator coaching in the Super Bowl. “I was very, very pissed that Byron [Leftwich] didn’t at least get an interview this year for the job that he’s done,” Arians said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “I get way too much credit and so does Tom Brady for the job that Byron has done.” Strong words from Arians in support of his OC, the former quarterback who spent 10 years as a player in the league from 2003-12. Leftwich got his coaching start as Arians’ quarterbacks coach with the Cardinals in 2017, and was then hired as his OC when he took the job in Tampa in 2019. If the Bucs have this kind of success again in 2021, Leftwich probably will start to get some serious head coaching buzz next cycle.

Saints Hire Kris Richard To Staff

February 2nd, 2021 at 12:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints lost secondary coach Aaron Glenn when he left to become Dan Campbell’s defensive coordinator in Detroit, and now they’re bringing in a big name to replace him. New Orleans is hiring Kris Richard to be their new secondary coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.

We just learned yesterday that Richard was talking to the Packers about their defensive coordinator job, but obviously he won’t be getting that gig. He also interviewed with the Raiders last month for the DC position that ended up going to Gus Bradley. Still only 41, Richard will have a lot more high-level experience than your typical secondary coach.

He served as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator from 2015-17, and then was the passing game coordinator and defensive play-caller with the Cowboys from 2018-19. A third-round pick by the Seahawks out of USC back in 2002, Richard spent six years in the league as a player with a few teams.

He spent 2020 out of the league before landing on Sean Payton’s staff. Current Saints DC Dennis Allen interviewed with the Eagles about their head coaching vacancy this cycle, and Richard could be a prime candidate to succeed him should Allen move on in the near future.

Dolphins Name Co-Offensive Coordinators

February 2nd, 2021 at 11:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins searched for an offensive coordinator. Ultimately, they found two. The Dolphins are set to split the job between running backs coach Eric Studesville and quarterbacks coach George Godsey, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

With Chan Gailey out of the picture, the Dolphins are looking at their third offensive coordinator setup in three years. They considered upwards of six candidates in total, including Steelers quarterbacks coach Matt Canada, Chargers QBs coach Pep Hamilton, and 49ers run-game coordinator Mike McDaniel. Instead of going out-of-house, the Dolphins have opted to keep things consistent with Studesville and Godsey.

Most of those candidates would have been first-time NFL OCs, but Godsey comes with previous experience, having served as Bill O’Brien‘s OC in Houston from 2015-16. He’s been a position coach since, including a turn as the Dolphins’ tight ends coach. Studesville — serving as a pro OC for the first time — has 24 seasons of NFL offensive experience under his belt.

Steve Spagnuolo Hoping For Another Head Coaching Job

February 2nd, 2021 at 9:35am CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is focused on winning yet another Super Bowl on Sunday. But, sometime in the future, Spags would like to be a head coach again.

“I’d like to get another crack at a head-coaching job,” Spagnuolo said (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post) “But…listen, I don’t stay up nights thinking about it.”

Spagnuolo, 61, served as the Rams’ head coach from 2009-2011. Unfortunately, his St. Louis teams combined to go 10-38 across three seasons. After that, he bounced around and returned to the Giants during the Ben McAdoo administration before joining up with old pal Andy Reid. Things have gone pretty well in KC, but Spagnuolo is still looking for a shot at redemption.

“I’m a competitor like anybody else,” Spagnuolo said. “It didn’t go as great as we wanted to in St. Louis, except for that one year. It’s a proving ground, the NFL is the greatest proving ground of all sports. So that part of it, I’d like another shot.”

Spagnuolo didn’t pop up in this past cycle, but he could garner attention next time around — especially if he’s able to keep a lid on Tom Brady this Sunday.

Jaguars Add Brian Schottenheimer To Coaching Staff

February 1st, 2021 at 8:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Urban Meyer is making some final touches to his coaching staff. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars are hiring Brian Schottenheimer as their new passing game coordinator.

In Jacksonville, the 47-year-old will likely be in charge of a new-look passing attack. It seems like a foregone conclusion that the Jaguars will select Trevor Lawrence with the first-overall pick, and the organization is still rostering Gardner Minshew and Jake Luton. Schottenheimer will be working under new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.

We learned last week that Meyer was eyeing a number of candidates for the role of quarterbacks coach, including Mark Brunell (who has since joined the Lions), former Chargers HC Mike McCoy, and former Buccaneers and Giants OC Mike Sullivan. It’s uncertain if Schottenheimer will inherit the responsibilities of that role, or perhaps the Jaguars will look to add yet another offensive mind to their coaching staff.

Schottenheimer has been coaching for more than two decades. He got his first crack at being an offensive coordinator with the Jets in 2006, and he proceeded to spend six years in New York. He later served as offensive coordinator for the Rams and at Georgia. Following his brief collegiate stint, he returned to the NFL as the Colts quarterbacks coach. In 2018, he was hired as the Seahawks offensive coordinator, where he replaced (coincidentally) Bevell. He spent three seasons in Seattle, and despite the Seahawks setting a franchise record for points scored in a season, he was let go following the 2020 campaign.

This Date In Transactions History: Seahawks Offer RB Marshawn Lynch “Huge” Extension

February 1st, 2021 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Marshawn Lynch was certainly unpredictable during his playing career. So, when it was reported six years ago today that the Seahawks had offered the running back a lucrative contract extension, not many were sure how the negotiations would unfold. Honestly, most fans and pundits were focused on Seattle’s Super Bowl matchup with New England scheduled for later that night.

Before we discuss how the story ultimately ended, let’s go back to February 1st, 2015. Lynch was coming off his fourth-straight Pro Bowl season, finishing with 1,673 all-purpose yards and a career-high 17 rushing/receiving touchdowns. He continued that performance in the postseason, including Super Bowl XLIX, when he ran for 102 yards and one touchdown. Of course, Lynch famously got snubbed when the Seahawks were within yards of a game-winning touchdown (and we all know how that game ended).

While the season may have ended in disappointment, there was no denying that Lynch was a key member of the Seahawks offense. With the veteran running back set to make only $5MM in 2015, Seattle’s front office understood that their star deserved a raise. So, they offered their running back an extension, and the terms started to leak out on this date six years ago. The new deal would pay Lynch $10MM in 2015 alone, and the “huge” extension was expected to keep Lynch in Seattle for the rest of his career.

Ultimately, Lynch signed that extension with Seattle in March of 2015, but it didn’t provide the long-term security that many expected, as the new deal was worth $24MM over two years. Unfortunately, Lynch was never really the same after inking his new contract. He was limited to only 417 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2015, and sports hernia surgery knocked him out of the lineup for the second half of the season. Lynch eventually made his return in the Divisional Round, a game the Seahawks ultimately lost to the Panthers.

A few weeks later, Lynch shocked the NFL by announcing his retirement. Of course, considering that aforementioned unpredictably, it didn’t take long for rumors to start popping up about a potential comeback. Ultimately, he returned to his hometown Raiders for the 2017 season, a deal that required the Seahawks to participate in a trade (considering they still held his rights). Lynch spent two seasons in Oakland, and he once against announced his retirement following the 2018 campaign.

Of course, that wasn’t the end for Beast Mode. With the Seahawks dealing with injuries to their running back corps, Lynch rejoined his former team late in the 2019 season. The veteran ended up playing in one regular season game and two postseason contests, and his three playoff touchdowns ultimately elevated him to fourth on the all-time list for postseason rushing touchdowns. Lynch seemingly learned from his previous retirements, as he kept the door opened for a potential return in 2020. As recently as December, the 34-year-old hinted that he’d still be willing to return to the league. However, he ended up sitting out the 2020 season.

We’ll probably never know the terms of the extension that was reported six years ago today, so it’s uncertain if either the Seahawks or Lynch ended up winning the negotiations. However, one thing is definitely certain: when news broke of an extension offer on this day six years ago, few would have guessed how the rest of Lynch’s career would unfold.

Coaching Notes: Eagles, STC, Bears, Seahawks, Colts

February 1st, 2021 at 5:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Nick Sirianni continues to flesh out his inaugural Eagles staff, and it’s a young one. The team has hired Michael Clay to be their special teams coordinator, they announced over the weekend. Clay, still only 29, has been the assistant special teams coordinator with the 49ers since 2016. Philly’s new offensive coordinator Shan Steichen is only 35, new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is only 37, and Sirianni himself is 39. As such, it may be the youngest staff in the league. Clay got his coaching start with the Eagles as an assistant under Chip Kelly. When Kelly was fired by the Eagles Clay went with him to San Francisco and was then retained by Kyle Shanahan after Kelly was fired there.

Here are more coaching notes from around the league:

The Bears recently promoted Sean Desai to defensive coordinator to replace the retiring Chuck Pagano, and now they’re adding to his staff. The team has hired Bill McGovern to be inside linebackers coach, a source told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). McGovern coached in the college ranks for a couple decades, spending some time as Boston College’s defensive coordinator, before becoming a linebackers coach with the Eagles in 2013. He then was as a linebackers coach with the Giants from 2016-19.
The Seahawks hired Rams quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Shane Waldron to be their new OC after firing Brian Schottenheimer, and Waldron wasn’t the only one they poached from Sean McVay. Waldron is taking Andy Dickerson with him to be the run game coordinator in Seattle, the team announced. Dickerson had spent the past nine seasons as an assistant offensive line coach with the Rams.
Another addition to the Eagles’ staff, as they’ve hired Dennard Wilson to be their secondary coach, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Wilson held the same position with the Jets most recently, and was also New York’s passing game coordinator. Philly will also be keeping wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead as a holdover from Doug Pederson’s staff, Geoff Mosher tweets, so there will at least be a little bit of continuity on offense.
To replace Gannon, who had been the Colts’ cornerbacks coach, Indy has hired James Rowe to fill the same role, according to Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. Rowe was most recently the cornerbacks coach at Appalachian State, and had previously been an assistant with Washington.

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