2022 February - Pro Football Rumors

Saints To Interview Robert Prince For OC Job

February 10th, 2022 at 6:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints have already revamped their offensive coaching staff, and it sounds like they’ll consider adding an offensive coordinator to a grouping that includes Pete Carmichael and Doug Marrone. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), the Saints will interview Cowboys wide receivers coach Robert Prince for their OC job.

Prince literally finalized his contract with the Cowboys yesterday, and he could already be on the move. The 56-year-old has been coaching since the 1980s, with his first NFL gig coming with the Falcons in 2004. He served as Boise State’s offensive coordinator between 2012 and 2013 before a long stint with the Lions.

Prince served as the Lions WRs coach for seven seasons, and he had a one-game stint as acting head coach in 2020. The veteran coach moved on to Houston in 2021, serving as the Texans wide receivers coach.

Carmichael was the Saints offensive coordinator for the past 13 years, and he is on track to stay on the staff under Dennis Allen. The veteran coach will serve in a different role, however, with Carmichael requesting the change. The team also added Marrone in an unknown role yesterday, and there were rumblings that they were eyeing ex-Jets OC John Morton.

Rod Marinelli Expected To Retire

February 10th, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Rod Marinelli is calling it a career. The former Lions head coach is planning to retire, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Rapoport cautions that the 72-year-old “had interest in continuing to coach.”

Marinelli started his coaching career back in the 1970s, and he got his first crack at the NFL when he was hired as the Buccaneers defensive line coach in 1996. He was hired as the Lions head coach in 2006, and he ended up having a historic stint in Detroit…not in a good way, though. The Lions went 3-13 during his first season at the helm, but there was some optimism when the team improved to 7-9 in 2007.

Perhaps the high point of the Marinelli era in Detroit was the 2008 preseason, when the team went a perfect 4-0. Of course, the Lions famously didn’t win a game during the regular season, and Marinelli was fired following that 0-16 campaign. With a record of 10-38, Marinelli has the second-worst record among coaches with at least three seasons on their resumes (behind Bert Bell’s 10-46-2 record and tied with Steve Spagnuolo’s 10-38 record).

The veteran coach bounced around the NFL a bit following his stint in Detroit. He served as the Raiders interim defensive coordinator in 2020 following the firing of Paul Guenther, and he served as the team’s defensive line coach in 2021.

Byron Allen, Alec Gores Named As Candidates For Broncos’ Ownership

February 10th, 2022 at 3:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after the Broncos were officially put up for sale, the first two candidates to purchase the team have been named. According to multiple reports, media mogul Byron Allen and billionaire Alec Gores have plans to place a bid on the franchise.

Allen, whose bidding intention was first reported by Bloomberg, has been in the national spotlight dating back to his time on The Tonight Show. He has since acquired dozens of national and regional media outlets, raising the profile of the Allen Media Group, which he fully owns. The 60-year-old’s net worth is estimated to be $450MM, but he is said to be assembling a “who’s who” of fellow investors from across the business, sports and entertainment industries, though none of them have been identified as of now.

Allen’s name being linked to the Broncos is nothing new. As Troy Renck of Denver7 writes, he said, “[NFL commissioner] Roger Goodell and [Patriots owner] Robert Kraft came to me in November 2019 and asked me to take a good look at buying an NFL team. After serious consideration, I strongly believe I can effectuate positive changes”. Those “changes” are a reference to the fact that Allen, if successful, would become the NFL’s first Black owner.

The desire for added diversity in NFL ownership is a stated goal of Gooddell’s in this bidding process. “We would love to see a diverse owner of the team, whether that’s a person of color, or a female, or a Black man, we think that would be a really positive step for us. And something we’ve encouraged”, he said.

Allen’s interest in the Broncos isn’t simply because they are the only team up for sale, according to Mike Klis of 9News. “Oh my gosh. I love the Broncos“, he said in an interview. “And I have a great deal of respect for Pat Bowlen… I have an enormous respect for him and his family and what they’ve done… I wouldn’t get involved unless I believed I could grow on what they’ve built”.

Gores, meanwhile, is at the head of a triumvirate of investors – the other two being Dean Metropoulos and Mat Ishbia – involved in the competing bid. The 69-year-old owns the Gores Group, which is based in Beverley Hills and “purchases and sells companies”, according to the original report of his interest in the L.A. Times. The three men are reportedly valued at $10B. Gores’ brother Tom currently owns the Detroit Pistons.

Former Broncos quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning are still believed to be involved in a bid, but not for a controlling share. Renck adds that “there is expected to be an additional minority-led group bidding as well”.

Any successful bid would require the majority owner to hold at least a 30% stake in the team, which would equate to a cost of $1.2B if the total sale price ends up at the estimated $4B mark.

Vikings Officially Hire Ed Donatell As DC

February 10th, 2022 at 2:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

The coach thought to be taking over the defense in Minnesota has officially been hired. Ed Donatell is the new defensive coordinator of the Vikings, reports Ben Goessling of The Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link).

It was reported yesterday that Donatell was the favorite for the position. With the move now confirmed, soon-to-be head coach Kevin O’Connell will have a very experienced lieutenant on the defensive side of the ball. Donatell, 65, has been an NFL coach for 31 years; 10 of those have been as a DC.

Donatell had spent the past three seasons as the Broncos’ DC, although head coach Vic Fangio called the plays. In 2021, Denver allowed the third fewest points per game in the league (18.9), and ranked eighth in yards allowed (326.1). It had been his third stint with the team, having worked as a secondary coach at two points a decade apart from each other.

One of the most interesting aspects of this story is the fact that Donatell had agreed to take on an assistant role with the Seahawks not long after he interviewed with them. Instead of reuniting with Pete Carroll, he will change course to take a fourth DC position. The Vikings ranked 24th in scoring defense last season, and 30th in yards allowed. They will at least have a highly qualified coach leading the unit as they look to rebound in 2022.

Jaguars Hire Press Taylor As OC

February 10th, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the names immediately linked to Doug Pederson in Jacksonville is being hired, and for a notable role. Press Taylor is set to become the Jaguars’ new offensive coordinator (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

Taylor, the younger brother of Bengals HC Zac Taylor, was thought to be a candidate to join Pederson right away. The role he was expected to have, however, was lower ranking than that of OC. That made Pep Hamilton the first known candidate for the position when he was linked to the Jaguars on Monday. Instead, Taylor will indeed take on an OC role for the first time in his career.

Taylor’s connection to Pederson dates back to their time together in Philadelphia. The 34-year-old worked with the Eagles from 2013 to 2020, acting as passing game coordinator in his final season. He spent this past campaign with the Colts as a senior offensive assistant.

The news comes one day after it was announced the Jaguars are also hiring Jim Bob Cooter to be their passing game coordinator, a role for which Taylor was mentioned as a candidate. Now, the head assistants on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball are in place, as Mike Caldwell was brought in as Jacksonville’s DC earlier this week.

With most of the new staff assembled, Pederson and the Jaguars can now look to the offseason to begin reshaping the AFC’s worst team in 2021.

Dolphins To Hire Jon Embree As Assistant Head Coach

February 10th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

It appears the first addition to Mike McDaniel‘s staff in Miami will be a familiar face. Miami is hiring Jon Embree under the twin roles of assistant head coach and tight ends coach, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Embree has been an NFL coach dating back to 2006. He is most well known for coaching tight ends, the role he served in Kansas City, Washington, Cleveland and Tampa Bay prior to joining San Francisco in 2017. There, he not only coached the unit featuring George Kittle, but also worked alongside McDaniel, who was hired by the Dolphins earlier this week. Embree also had the assistant head coach title he will be retaining in Miami.

The success Kittle has had under Embree’s tutelage has garnered the 56-year-old plenty of praise around the league. That translated to interest from the Broncos, who interviewed him to be their TEs coach prior to this hire.

It surprised many that Embree was even available to leave the Bay Area to begin with. His contact expired at the end of the season, and he declined to take a significant pay cut to remain with the 49ers. Instead, San Francisco hired ex-Chargers’ HC Anthony Lynn to serve as assistant head coach. As Branch notes, the 49ers have yet to hire a new TEs coach.

Position Coaching Notes: Giants, Broncos, Jaguars

February 10th, 2022 at 11:53am CST by Adam La Rose

As the days go by, more and more position coaches are finalizing jobs with new teams. One of the busiest clubs remains the Giants. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is hiring former Vikings assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson as its defensive line coach (Twitter link). The 61-year-old has a wealth of coaching experience at the NCAA and NFL ranks. While he has a defensive background, Patterson also served as a head coach at two stops along the way to the pro level.

His first NFL coaching gig came in 1997 with the Patriots. After stints with the Vikings, Cowboys, Browns and Broncos, he returned to the college ranks. Following seven additional seasons, six of which were spread across three colleges, he came back to Minnesota in 2014. He remained there until now, serving as the team’s d-line coach, but also holding the co-DC title for the past two campaigns.

Here are some other updates to Brian Daboll‘s new staff, along with those of the Broncos and Jaguars:

According to Jonathan Alexander of The Observer, Tony Sparano Jr. is making a lateral move from the Panthers to the Giants as their new assistant offensive line coach (Twitter link). The 35-year old already has a decade of coaching experience in the NFL spent with five different teams.
One hire the Giants won’t be making is that of Adam Henry for the role of wide receivers coach. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the team will be heading “in another direction” after they interviewed Henry earlier. The 49-year old coached the position at LSU for three years, then at the NFL level with the 49ers, Giants, Browns and Cowboys. Many felt a reunion in East Rutherford was likely, but that won’t be the case.
As for the Broncos, they will be adding to their defensive staff from the college ranks. ESPN’s Pete Thamel tweets that Ola Adams is coming aboard as an assistant secondary coach. Adams spent spent seven seasons at Villanova, and his success there earned him a promotion to co-defensive coordinator at Temple recently. Now, he will be on the move again, but this time up to the NFL level.
Finally, the Jaguars are hiring Brentson Buckner as their d-line coach (Twitter link via Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson). It had been reported earlier this week that the 50-year-old was a candidate for the position, so the move is not a surprising one. Buckner has coached the position with three NFL teams previously, dating back to 2013.

Latest On Commanders’ Deshazor Everett

February 10th, 2022 at 10:52am CST by Adam La Rose

There has been a development with regards to Washington Commanders defensive back Deshazor Everett. As The Washington Posts’ Nicki Jhabvala tweets, he has been charged with involuntary manslaughter as a result of the fatal car accident he was involved in earlier this season.

As Grant Gordon of NFL.com adds, Everett turned himself into the Loudoun County Detention Center on Tuesday. He is being held on a $10,000 bond. The incident in question took place on December 23rd, and resulted in the death of Olivia Peters, who was Everett’s passenger. One day after the crash, the Commanders placed Everett on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list, as he suffered serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.

According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the 29-year-old was driving at more than twice the posted speed limit just before the crash. In a statement, the team said, “We are aware of these charges and are continuing to monitor the situation. We will have no further comment at this time“.

Everett continued his recent role of playing all-but exclusively on special teams in 14 games this season. He is under contract for one more season in Washington, the only franchise he has played for in the regular season during a seven-year career.

Bills’ Tre’Davious White On Track To Return In 2022

February 10th, 2022 at 9:54am CST by Adam La Rose

The loss of Tre’Davious White was a massive one for the Bills this season. In his absence, the team came within a play of a second straight AFC Championship game appearance, but there is encouraging news for the Pro Bowl cornerback. He is “on schedule” with regards to the recovery process from his torn ACL, writes Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News.

White suffered the injury in November, ending his fifth career season prematurely. It was a crushing blow to the Bills’ defense, of course, but also for the former All-Pro, since many of his coverage statistics were career bests at the time. In 11 games, he ended up with 41 tackles, one forced fumble, six pass breakups and one interception.

That certainly wasn’t what White or the Bills were hoping for after agreeing on a four-year extension worth up to $70MM heading into the final season of his rookie contract. On the positive side, though, head coach Sean McDermott stated that White has undergone surgery and is recovering well so far.

“It looks like, from what I’m hearing, both are on schedule”, he said, referring to White and defensive tackle Justin Zimmer. “I hate seeing them in that position, but their determination, their guts, their grit is on display every day, and it’s not an easy process, the pain they’re going through to get back”.

Assuming he is fully recovered by Week 1 next season, White will anchor a Bills defense which, if it stays intact, should keep Buffalo in position as a Super Bowl contender.

Rob Gronkowski Eyeing Bengals For 2022?

February 10th, 2022 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Rob Gronkowski is facing another decision regarding his playing career. With Tom Brady out of the league, the pending free agent is expected to follow his longtime teammate into retirement. If he does continue his career, though, Cincinnati may be his next destination.

During an interview published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, the 32-year-old expressed an admiration of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. “I watched him in college. I just love the way he presents himself out on the football field. In the pocket, he’s just so calm and he just slings it out on the field”, he said. “If I had to pick a quarterback, it’d be the young buck Joe Burrow. He’s killing it right now in the game“.

Gronkowski has repeatedly said – and proved, when he unretired to play in Tampa Bay – that he would only catch passes from Brady. He also made it clear before the beginning of this season that he is playing on a year-to-year basis. To that point, Chase Goodbread of NFL.com writes that Gronkowski “was leaning toward hanging up his cleats” after the team’s Divisional Round loss, but notes that he has not officially made a decision one way or the other.

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is leaving the door open to bringing Gronkowski back. ““I don’t think it’s going to be [dependent] on whether [Brady] came back or not” he said. “I know that Rob had an incredible experience here as well, and he was a big factor in us having the success that we did. We would welcome Rob back with open arms, but we’re giving him the space right now to decide what he wants to do”.

The fit with the Bengals could be a good one for Gronkowski. If C.J. Uzomah, who has earned himself a large payday with his production this season, leaves in free agency, there would be an opening at the tight end position in Cincinnati. Gronkowski, for his part, proved he can still be productive at this point in his career, posting 55 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games this year. The yardage total was his highest since an All-Pro 2017 campaign in New England.

If he does decide to keep playing, Gronkowski could be on the move for a second time, in this case to a team that will, at a minimum, enter 2022 as the reigning AFC champions. Whether he decides to retire a second time, or if the Bengals would even be interested in him, remains to be seen.