Bill Musgrave - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders Part Ways With OC Bill Musgrave

January 10th, 2017 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave will not be returning to the Raiders in 2017, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Musgrave had an expiring contract and the team allowed it to lapse. Now, quarterbacks coach Todd Downing could be an in-house candidate to replace him.

Under Musgrave’s command this year, the Raiders had the No. 6 ranked offense in the NFL. He was recently mentioned as a candidate to take over as the Broncos’ head coach in the wake of Gary Kubiak‘s retirement, but it is not clear whether Denver has reached out to him.

As shown in PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker, the Raiders are now the second team this offseason to be in search of an offensive coordinator, joining the Jets. Former Chargers coach Mike McCoy is said to be a candidate for the Jets’ gig and it will be interesting to see if the Raiders seek out an interview with him, given his familiarity with the AFC West. Before his four-year Chargers stint, McCoy spent three years with the Broncos. Now that he’s available, Musgrave could also garner consideration from Gang Green.

Musgrave, 49, has now completed two separate stints with the Raiders, though they were nearly two decades apart. In 1997, he was Oakland’s quarterbacks coach. In 2015, he was hired as OC.

Broncos HC Gary Kubiak Likely To Step Down

January 1st, 2017 at 8:14am CST by Rory Parks

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is likely to step down, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, largely due to health concerns. Troy E. Renck of Denver7 confirms the report.

Kubiak, the long-time Texans head coach, was fired by Houston towards the end of the 2013 season, and he enjoyed a successful one-year stint as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator in 2014 before his dream job became available. In January 2015, Kubiak signed a four-year contract to become head coach of the Broncos, and his first year at the helm ended in Super Bowl triumph.

This year, of course, has not gone as well, as Denver’s offense sputtered under the inexperienced hands of Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch and the team gradually fell out of playoff contention. But Kubiak’s job was certainly not in jeopardy, even if, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets, several of the Broncos’ offensive coaches were likely to be dismissed.

However, as Schefter writes, the demands of the job have become too risky for Kubiak. The 55-year-old left the Broncos for a week in October and missed a Thursday night game in San Diego for what the team called a “complex migraine condition.” And in his last season as Houston’s head coach, he suffered a mini-stroke during a game and had to be rushed to the hospital.

It remains unclear whether Kubiak’s decision to step down means that he is also retiring for good. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Kubiak is “heavily weighing” retirement, and Schefter’s report concludes by saying that Kubiak’s family wants him to leave coaching and move to their retirement ranch in Texas. But Albert Breer of The MMQB says that Kubiak had “found contentment” as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator in 2014 and was unsure that he wanted the stress of being a head coach again, but he was unable to resist the pull of the Denver job (Twitter links). That suggests, perhaps, that Kubiak would consider returning to the NFL in some other capacity down the road, although the fact that his legacy is now secure as a Super Bowl-winning head coach could make such a return less plausible (for what it’s worth, Klis tweets that Kubiak did not appear to suffer a recent setback and could simply need a “break” from the job).

Klis (Twitter links) names Broncos special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis as a logical choice to replace Kubiak, along with Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. But the Denver job is arguably the most desirable one available this offseason, so GM John Elway should have plenty of options.

Kubiak has an 81-75 regular season record as a head coach, a 5-2 postseason record, and one Super Bowl win.

Extra Points: Shorts, Roddy, Allen, Titans, Bucs

March 2nd, 2016 at 9:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran receiver Cecil Shorts is expected to return to the Texans and finish out the second and final year of the two-year contract he signed prior to the 2015 season, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Shorts, 28, appeared in 11 games last year, catching 42 passes for 484 yards and two touchdowns. Houston could save almost $3MM by releasing Shorts, but with fellow pass-catcher Nate Washington heading for free agency, the club will need options out wide.

Let’s dive into a few more items from around the league…

Having already identified the Buccaneers as a possible for suitor for free agent Roddy White, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) also points to the Titans and Raiders as potential landing spots for the veteran receiver. It’s unclear if Rapoport is reporting or just making connections, but either way, each club makes sense — both Tennessee (Terry Robiskie) and Oakland (Bill Musgrave) field offenses run by former members of Atlanta’s coaching staff.
Pending free agent tight end Dwayne Allen hopes he doesn’t even make it to free agency, as he’d prefer to work out an agreement with the Colts before March 9, he told 1070 The Fan today (link via Kevin Bowen of Colts.com). Allen, along with fellow Indianapolis free agent Coby Fleener, would be one of the most sought-after tight ends on the open market. Allen recently hired agent Drew Rosenhaus, who has a history of getting deals done with the Colts, as his new representation.
The Buccaneers will not tender restricted free agent linebacker Danny Lansanah, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Lansanah has bounced around the league, and he’ll now become an unrestricted free agent next week. Per Auman, the Tampa Bay could re-sign Lansanah at a later date (and presumably, at a cheaper price than even the lowest tender).

NFL Quotes: Raiders, Pryor, Vikings, Packers

June 25th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Ben Levine

With OTAs finished, it’s been relatively slow in the NFL world (luckily we have the Tom Brady saga to distract us temporarily). Even with a lack of news, various beat reporters have still been able to come away with some excellent sound clips, and we’ve compiled those for you below…

Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave on team’s offense (via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com):

“We made some strides, but we have a long way to go. That’s probably the understatement of the year. … We have our moments, but we have to be much more consistent. I think we all recognize and acknowledge that. That will be our goal, of course, going up there to training camp so we can get good in a hurry.”

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel on Terrelle Pryor‘s quest to become a wideout (via WHBC in Canton, Ohio; quote via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com):

“If anyone can, he can. He certainly has tremendous athletic ability and a passion to help wherever he can be helpful. So if anyone can do it, he can. And, he could be the bonus of, he can be the team’s third quarterback, and that way they only have to carry two, which gives you a chance to have one more good player on special teams or whatever else. So I think he could be a bonus.”

Vikings wideout Charles Johnson on his job security (via Master Tesfatsion of the Minneapolis Star Tribune):

“In this business, you’re never secure. You never want to lie down and say, ‘Hey, I made it.’ I’m always working, and we’re always working together. Nobody here has been handed anything, and we’re just ready to come out here and work and become the best players we can be.”

Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari on his interactions with Aaron Rodgers (via Paul Imig of Fox Sports Wisconsin):

“I didn’t really talk to Aaron. I was like, ‘If he speaks to me, I’ll speak to him.’ If he didn’t speak to me, I didn’t want to go up to him unless he wanted to engage in a conversation.”

Raiders Hire Bill Musgrave As OC

January 19th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a couple weeks of speculation, Jack Del Rio is finally solidifying his coaching staff. The Raiders have hired Bill Musgrave as their new offensive coordinator, the team announced on Twitter. The NFL Network’s Michael Silver was the first to break the news (via Twitter).

Musgrave’s coaching career began with Oakland in 1997, when he served as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Since then, the 47-year-old has bounced around the league, including stints as the Jaguars and Vikings offensive coordinator. This past season, he served as the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach. Besides the Oakland connection, the hiring is also a reunion for Del Rio and Musgrave, as the two coached together in Jacksonville.

The team had previously expressed interest in Broncos coordinator Adam Gase, but those plans may have changed following his interview with the Ravens this evening. The team also reportedly pursued Marc Trestman, with recent reports suggesting that Trestman was going to be in for an interview later this week. However, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson tweets that there is a “lot of disappointment” surrounding the organization’s inability to add Trestman, so the former Bears coach may have rejected the opportunity in Oakland.

The Raiders haven’t officially parted ways with offensive coordinator Greg Olson, but the coach has consistently been mentioned in the rumor mill over the past month. It can be presumed that the 51-year-old will likely be released from his contract instead of accepting a demotion, though that’s only my speculation.

Coaching Notes: Quinn, Musgrave, Gailey

January 18th, 2015 at 7:11pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the Seahawks pulling out an impressive win today, their defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will have to wait until after the Super Bowl to sign on as the head coach of an NFL team. Our own Dallas Robinson told us that the Falcons are planning on hiring him whenever his season with the Seahawks is over, but will now have to wait until the first week of February to make it official. The team would not be able to sign or announce him as the new coach until after that time, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Quinn is set to have his second interview with the Falcons tomorrow in Seattle, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Here are some other NFL coaching notes from around the league:

The Raiders have expressed interest in Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave for the team’s offensive coordinator vacancy, according to Pat Sheridan of ESPN.com. Musgrave has served in either position with the Panthers, Falcons, Jaguars, Washington, and the Vikings.
The Jets have widely been reported to be close to hiring Chan Gailey to be the team’s offensive coordinator, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the hire is not a done deal (via Twitter).
The Jets are also close to finalizing a deal that would make Cardinals linebackers coach Mike Caldwell as the team’s assistant head coach, according to La Canfora. Caldwell will rejoin Todd Bowles in New York.
While it is already known that former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio left his interview with Washington without finalizing a deal to become their defensive coordinator, Zac Boyer of the Washington Times reports that he was not even offered the position (via Twitter).

Coordinator Updates: Kiffin, Gase, Musgrave

January 18th, 2015 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at a few notes regarding various coordinator vacancies:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has emerged as the favorite to land the 49ers offensive coordinator opening, with Colts special assistant Rob Chudzinski also under consideration.
Citing ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson tweets that Eagles QB coach Bill Musgrave has become a “hot contender” for the Raiders‘ offensive coordinator position.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Jim Schwartz will be very selective in choosing his next job, as he has two contract years left. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora adds (via Twitter) that he would not be surprised if Schwartz sat out the 2015 season altogether, though things may have been different if the Cowboys‘ defensive coordinator job had become available.
Rapoport tweets that Adam Gase is interviewing with the Jaguars today regarding their offensive coordinator vacancy, but he reiterates that the Raiders, Rams, Falcons, and Bears all have permission to talk to Gase. La Canfora, though, tweets that he would be surprised to see Gase land with Chicago or Oakland, where he would be reunited with former Denver coaches.
The Falcons are impressed with Gase, whom Teryl Austin would bring with him if Austin were hired as Atlanta’s head coach, according to a tweet from La Canfora. Although we heard earlier today that Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has established himself as the presumptive favorite for the Falcons’ head coaching vacancy, La Canfora tweets that, if Seattle wins today, Atlanta will have to weigh the risks of waiting two weeks to hire Quinn and possibly missing out on top coaching candidates like Gase.

Coaching Notes: Cowboys, Browns, Eagles

January 27th, 2014 at 8:50pm CST by Ben Levine

There were a handful of coaching moves today. Here are the highlights from around the league…

The Cowboys will hire former Lions‘ offensive coordinator Scott Linehan as their passing game coordinator, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Linehan had been Detroit’s offensive coach since 2009, but was fired at the end of the December. Rapoport also mentions that Linehan will be hired to call plays on offense, the Cowboys’ third playcaller in three seasons.
The Browns have continued to poach the Bills coaching staff, announcing today that linebackers coach Jim O’Neil will be joining Mike Pettine in Cleveland as the team’s defensive coordinator. Pettine will also take Buffalo coaches Brian Fleury and Jeff Hafley along with him. The Bills defense set a franchise record in 2013 with 57 sacks.
The Eagles filled some roles on their coaching staff, signing Bill Musgrave as their quarterbacks coach and promoting Mike Dawson from defensive quality control coach to assistant defensive line coach, according to Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Additionally, 22-year-old Michael Clay, will take over Dawson’s former role. Clay played for Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly at Oregon for four seasons.