HEADLINES

Brian Angelichio

Coach Updates: Henderson, Falcons, Browns

January 22nd, 2016 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson is interviewing for a position on the Falcons‘ coaching staff, but not for the defensive coordinator job — Richard Smith is staying in that role, Atlanta confirmed today (via Twitter).

Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who first reported that Henderson was interviewing for the DC role in Atlanta, tweets that his Cowboys contacts believed that was the case. Henderson has suggested he wouldn’t leave Dallas for a job that wasn’t a promotion, so there’s some confusion about what exactly his role with the Falcons would be.

According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, the Falcons may view Henderson as a potential defensive pass-game coordinator, a position currently held by Raheem Morris. Morris also has an assistant head coach title, which could give Atlanta the flexibility to bring Henderson aboard and move Morris to another role without technically demoting him.

As we wait to see whether Henderson decides to leave Dallas for the Falcons, here are some other coaching updates from around the NFL:

  • Former Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn, who recently interviewed with the Titans, is being hired by the Browns as their defensive line coach, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
  • Marvez passes along another Browns-related coaching update, tweeting that the Packers have hired tight ends coach Brian Angelichio away from Cleveland for the same position on Green Bay’s staff.
  • The Giants are expected to hire Packers assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari as their new offensive line coach, a source tells Newsday’s Tom Rock. We learned on Thursday that Solari was a “strong candidate” to join Ben McAdoo‘s staff.
  • The 49ers are looking at Titans offensive line coach Bob Bostad for the same job in San Francisco, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. As we heard on Wednesday, the Niners are also considering Pat Flaherty for that position.
  • The Saints have hired former Giants defensive backs coach and Rams defensive coordinator Peter Guinta as a senior defensive assistant, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Guinta has been out of the NFL since being let go by the Giants last January.

AFC Links: Gase, Broncos, Jags, Browns, Jets

January 14th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

With one team (the Bills) having introduced their new head coach today, and two more clubs (Jets, Raiders) closing in on their targets, there are four head coaching jobs still available, and it appeared coming into today that the 49ers were moving toward locking up Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. However, nothing’s done between Gase and the Niners yet, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who tweets that the Broncos OC met with John Elway to discuss Denver’s head coaching vacancy today. Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), it wasn’t a formal interview, but if there’s mutual interest between the two sides, that formal interview could still happen.

As we wait to see whether or not Gase sticks with the Broncos, let’s round up a few other notes from around the AFC….

  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links) have updates on a pair of offensive coordinator searches. Per Rapoport, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson will interview for the same role with the Jaguars, while Cabot reports that the Browns will speak to their tight ends coach Brian Angelichio about their offensive coordinator opening.
  • Steve Smith had a nice bounceback season in his first year in Baltimore in 2014, and remains under team control for 2015, but the Ravens want him to take a little time to decide whether or not he wants to continue his playing career, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. John Harbaugh said yesterday that the team would like Smith, who turns 36 this year, to take three weeks to see how he feels.
  • Texans GM Rick Smith praised new Jets GM Mike Maccagnan, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. “He has been a valued and trusted confidant over the years and is an outstanding talent evaluator,” the GM said. Maccagnan previously served as Houston’s college scouting director.
  • Maccagnan and the team’s new head coach (now known to be Todd Bowles) will each report directly to owner Woody Johnson, tweets Mehta. Maccagnan, meanwhile, will have final say over the 53-man roster. The setup in Buffalo will be similar, according to Mehta (Twitter links) — new head coach Rex Ryan will report directly to owner Terry Pegula, but GM Doug Whaley has final say on the 53-man roster.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com gave his thoughts on Maccagnan yesterday, prior to the Jets‘ hiring of Bowles as its head coach. While there are question marks about Maccagnan, Cimini is glad to see that the team didn’t hire a bean counter like predecessor John Idzik. Maccagnan is a football man with roots in player evaluation, rather than a cap guru.
  • In his second offseason as the Browns‘ general manager, Ray Farmer will have plenty of notable free agent situations to address, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, who identifies six unrestricted FAs and three restricted FAs that will be priorities in Cleveland.