Chip Kelly - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Washington, 49ers, Bears

March 26th, 2016 at 11:12am CST by Ben Levine

Washington probably isn’t done adding free agents, but coach Jay Gruden hinted that we may not see any official transactions until after the draft.

“I think there’s a lot of reasons for that,” Gruden told Washington reporter Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “You don’t want to go crazy signing a bunch of backs and then draft one and have to cut them anyway. So I think we want to find out exactly where we stand after the draft.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

Gruden acknowledged that Washington let go of “a heck of a running back” by allowing veteran Alfred Morris to sign elsewhere. As NFL.com’s Kevin Patra writes, the team will now have to rely on second-year running back Matt Jones. “We need him to protect the ball a little bit more,” Gruden said. “He’s a big, strong, powerful back that I think can handle the workload; time will tell on that. We’re taking a bit of a gamble here, but based on our professional opinion, we believe he can handle it and be very, very effective at it, toting the rock.”
With rumors surrounding 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, head coach Chip Kelly was quick to hand out praise to the team’s other signal-caller: Blaine Gabbert. “[I’m] impressed with Blaine,” Kelly said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “You watch him the last couple of games he started. He’s another guy, you look at his skill set…He’s big. I’d never really dealt with Blaine because he came into the league before I came into the league, but just how big and physical and impressive he is. He’s a 6-4, 245-pound guy that can really run. I thought the last part of the season he played really well. It’ll be intriguing to work with him, too.”
The Bears could use a young speed rusher off the edge, opines Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. Lamarr Houston, Willie Young and Pernell McPhee showed an ability to get to the quarterback, but Biggs notes that the trio used their strength to get past the opposition. The writer would prefer the team brings in a quicker lineman.

NFC Rumors: Kelly, Eagles, Randle, Cowboys

March 23rd, 2016 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chip Kelly told Philadelphia-area media, including Jeff McLane of Philly.com, he didn’t communicate directly with Howie Roseman last season before being fired by the Eagles. The current 49ers coach said owner Jeffrey Lurie constructed an arrangement where the then-demoted Roseman sent messages to the then-empowered Kelly through player personnel VP Ed Marynowitz.

Kelly also asserted he didn’t control the contracts given to Byron Maxwell and DeMarco Murray, with the three-year Eagles coach telling media Roseman, who has since traded both players, constructed those deals.

“I wasn’t the personnel guy. I was in charge of the 90-man roster,” Kelly said. “But I didn’t negotiate and say this guy gets this amount of money and that guy gets that amount of money. And Ed was the one who ran our personnel department. That really fell on Ed’s shoulders in terms of how he handled everything. And Ed communicated with him all the time.

Here’s some more on the Eagles and news from some additional NFC teams.

Former Eagles first-round linebacker Marcus Smith will move to defensive end in Jim Schwartz‘s 4-3 scheme, Zach Berman of Philly.com reports. Doug Pederson told media, including Berman, his linebackers right now will consist of Mychal Kendricks on the weak side, Jordan Hicks in the middle and Nigel Bradham on the strong side.
The Vikings inquired about Rueben Randle early in free agency, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets, but no substantial interest materialized prior to Randle choosing to trek to Philadelphia.
The Giants, however, had no interest in re-signing Randle, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. John Mara said last week the Giants were going to seek receiving help, but the market has been mostly raided in terms of notable first-time free agents. Veterans Roddy White, Marques Colston and Percy Harvin remain unsigned.
The Cowboys are expected meet with Paxton Lynch again before the draft after doing so in a productive meeting today, NFL.com’s Rand Getlin tweets. Dallas is allotted 30 visits with prospects.
Washington safety Kyshoen Jarrett‘s status is uncertain for this season, with Jay Gruden telling media — including JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com — he’s “very concerned” about the lack of strength in Jarrett’s shoulder presently. A key backup and part-time starter as a rookie last season, Jarrett was injured in Week 17 against the Cowboys.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Draft Notes: Browns, 49ers, Dolphins, Titans

March 19th, 2016 at 12:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns were in attendance for Cal quarterback Jared Goff‘s Pro Day, but Zac Jackson of ProFootballTalk.com notes that the team made the prospect go through an additional workout.

Associate head coach Pep Hamilton reportedly drenched several footballs with water and asked Goff to make additional throws. The request makes sense, as Cleveland can have unpredictable weather during the football season.

“Growing up in California, I’m sure they wanted to see that,” Goff said. “It makes sense. But at the same time I’ve played in cold weather before. I wouldn’t be the first quarterback from California to play in cold weather. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have done pretty well. They’ve been able to do it.”

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from around the league…

49ers coach Chip Kelly was also in attendance at the California Pro Day to watch Goff, tweets ESPN’s Michelle Steele.
Florida International cornerback Richard Leonard and Kansas running back De’Andre Mann will work out for the Dolphins, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Titans general manager Jon Robinson told reporters that it would take a “substantial amount of picks” for the team to consider trading the number-one selection in the draft (via Titans Online’s Jim Wyatt on Twitter).

Extra Points: 49ers, Steelers, Vikings, Texans

March 13th, 2016 at 10:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Despite having the second-most spending room in the NFL ($58.84MM, per Over the Cap), the 49ers have been quiet in free agency, and Eric Branch and Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle wonder if new head coach Chip Kelly is scaring players away. Right or wrong, Kelly wasn’t exactly seen as a players’ coach in Philadelphia, and some of his methods there – e.g., daily urine tests and a fast-paced offense – could be serving as roadblocks in the 49ers’ quest to add talent, Branch and Tafur opine.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

If the league ultimately suspends Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant for next season, teammate Antonio Brown could use his absence as leverage to secure a better contract, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Brown – who has combined for 375 catches and 31 touchdowns the last three seasons – is woefully underpaid relative to his production (he’s due $14.96MM the next two years). While Florio notes that the Steelers don’t negotiate new deals with non-quarterbacks who have more than one year left on their contracts, he counters that Brown could serve as an exception to that rule.
The Vikings are in talks with two of their own free agents, linebacker Chad Greenway and cornerback Terence Newman, according to general manager Rick Spielman (link via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com). Greenway, a Viking for all of his decade-long career, said earlier this winter that he’d like to play one more year. The 33-year-old logged 12 starts last season, giving him 135 overall, and totaled 68 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception. Newman, the league’s oldest defensive back (38 in September), also wants to play another year. The 13-year veteran made 16 starts for the Vikes last season, recording 62 tackles and three picks.
While the Vikings are interested in Greenway and Newman, the same isn’t true of free agent offensive tackle Ryan Harris, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Having met with Andre Smith on Sunday, Minnesota is clearly in the hunt for tackle help. Nonetheless, it’s not in on Harris, who will visit with Pittsburgh in the coming days.
The Texans are “monitoring” the offensive tackle market, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, who adds that they might add one in the draft instead of free agency (Twitter link). With Duane Brown, Derek Newton and Chris Clark in the fold, the position doesn’t exactly look like a major need for the Texans.

QB Rumors: RG3, Kaepernick, Jets, Hoyer

March 10th, 2016 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

If Colin Kaepernick leaves for the Broncos, Browns, or Jets, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) expects 49ers head coach Chip Kelly to have serious interest in Robert Griffin III. RG3 has already been connected to the Broncos, but it sounds like this week’s game of quarterback musical chairs could put the Baylor product in San Francisco instead.

Here are the latest QB rumors:

If the cannot re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) expects the Jets to inquire about Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer. As Rapoport notes, the Jets already traded for one Texans QB in Fitzpatrick last year. Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter) notes that the Jets talked to Hoyer last year, but they preferred Fitzpatrick to him.
Hoyer is expected to exit the Texans‘ roster “sooner than later,” a source tells Mike Florio of PFT.
The Jets have yet to “put their cards on the table” with regards to their talks for Kaepernick, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Before making a move for Kaepernick, the Jets could be waiting to see if they can first get a new deal done with Fitzpatrick.
Quarterback Scott Tolzien will visit with the Colts today, Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel tweets. The Bears are also showing interest in the Packers free agent.

Broncos, Browns, Jets Pursuing Colin Kaepernick

March 10th, 2016 at 10:53am CST by Zachary Links

10:53am: Even if the Browns landed Colin Kaepernick, they’d still be looking hard at drafting a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, according to NFL Network’s Michael Silver (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal).

Silver also says that the Browns are “far more serious” about acquiring Kaepernick than the Jets are (Twitter link via Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday).

10:29am: The offers for Kaepernick have not yet been good enough for the 49ers to make a deal, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). In addition to the Broncos, the Jets and Browns are involved. The Broncos are still the frontrunners, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets.

10:24am: The Broncos are out in front trying to trade for Kaepernick, but two other teams are involved on the QB, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

9:54am: Colin Kaepernick is the Broncos’ chief target at this time, according to Michael Silver of NFL.com (on Twitter), who believes that the Broncos will go after him via trade. The 49ers likely want a second-round pick while the Broncos may be willing to part with a third-round choice (link). Silver hears (link) that Kaepernick is likely willing to restructure his contract to the Broncos’ liking, though his deal is already somewhat team-friendly.

The 49ers received “some calls” on Kaepernick yesterday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, but nothing too serious. Things are expected to ramp up today when it comes to No. 7.

On Wednesday, a 49ers source told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report that the team has no interest in moving Kaepernick, though it seems possible that the team is only trying to build leverage in trade talks. The agents for Kaepernick requested permission from the 49ers to seek a trade late last month and there has been talk of new coach Chip Kelly not being too fond of him, so it stands to reason that the would listen on trade inquiries.

If the 49ers aren’t willing to move Kaepernick this week, things could linger on into next month. The QB’s $11.9MM salary for 2016 will become fully guaranteed on April 1st and that deadline could spur action on San Francisco’s part.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Saints, JPP, 49ers, Lions

February 27th, 2016 at 12:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

The Saints have interest in linebacker James Laurinaitis, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The team is hoping to have the 29-year-old in for a visit next week.
The Giants have been working to get a deal done with Jason Pierre-Paul before free agency opens, tweets ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
49ers coach Chip Kelly is Colin Kaepernick‘s best chance to “re-establish himself as a reliable NFL starter,” writes Mark Maske of The Washington Post. Therefore, the writer says the quarterback is wrong for asking for a trade, and he believes the 49ers would be wrong to consider the request.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn is optimistic that linebacker DeAndre Levy will be ready to go for the start of the 2016 season. “I’m fairly confident,” Quinn said (via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com). “I have not seen DeAndre in the building as of yet. I’m really interested to see when he comes back for the offseason program what kind of shape he’s in and how he’s looking. But we’re confident he’s going to be ready for the season.”

49ers Notes: Kapernick, Kelly, Norman

February 4th, 2016 at 7:23pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s anyone’s guess as to where Colin Kaepernick will be playing in 2016, says Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News writes. However, this much is clear: Kaepernick does not trust the Niners front office and the team’s top executives are not wild about him either.

Recently, a report out of New York indicated that Kaepernick could be a possibility for the Jets and Kawakami has heard for months that the Jets are a possibility for him. However, he has also heard that the Texans and Broncos could be other interesting potential landing spots, though he does not quantify either team’s level of interest. Of course, the Broncos have more pressing matters on their hands this week.

As we wait to see how things shake out with No. 7, here’s more out of SF:

Three years ago, the Niners and Chiefs agreed to a deal that sent Alex Smith to KC in exchange for two second-round picks. At the time, however, Smith was at the zenith of his career while Kaepernick is trending downwards. Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee ran down possible landing spots for Kaepernick, including the Jets, Browns, Broncos, Texans, and Eagles. Of course, Kaepernick could wind up staying put as well, but Barrows notes that new coach Chip Kelly has only spoken with the QB once since he was hired.
The Niners own the No. 7 pick in the draft this year and many have wondered if they could make a play for Cal product Jared Goff. However, he has yet to talk to anyone from the Niners. “I get this question a lot,” Goff told Jeff Faraudo of the Bay Area News Group. “I literally haven’t talked to anybody. Zero people I’ve talked to.“
Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, a pending free agent, has an affinity for the Bay Area, as Cam Inman of The Mercury News writes. The 49ers have tons of cap space this spring, but it’s pretty unlikely that Norman will reach the open market. The Panthers have the right to hit the cornerback with the franchise tag.
49ers tight end Vance McDonald is hopeful that Kaepernick can get back to his old form under Kelly, as Alex Marvez of FOX Sports writes. “I’m not saying we don’t all do it, but that guy just beats himself up over making a mistake harder than anyone else,” McDonald said. “I’ll be the first to always step up and say I’m right there in his corner. Any time he has a bad game or bad taste in his mouth or makes a bad play, I just want that guy to understand his potential because he can be a tremendous player.”

NFC Notes: Kaepernick, Schraeder, Henderson

January 22nd, 2016 at 7:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chip Kelly‘s official preference on Colin Kaepernick now that he’s in control of the 49ers hasn’t been established. But rival defensive coordinators are under the impression the former Eagles coach will extend an olive branch to the maligned quarterback once thought set for the trade market, given what the pair could accomplish together, NFL.com’s Albert Breer writes.

Whereas the DCs informed Breer that Sam Bradford did not evoke much fear in Kelly’s attack, the mobile Kaepernick could, considering how Kelly’s offense looked when he was coaching Marcus Mariota or Darron Thomas at Oregon.

“I think [Kaepernick] is a good enough passer, but obviously what’ll be a nightmare is his ability to run. That offense is straight ‘Freddy Krueger’ when you have a quarterback that can pull the ball and run at any given time,” one rival coordinator told Breer.

Kelly’s Philadelphia tenure began with Michael Vick at the controls, but Vick at that point did not represent the kind of dual-threat signal-caller Kaepernick has shown himself to be at his best. The former second-round pick’s strong arm will bring something else Bradford didn’t last season, per another rival DC, along with his ability to play a zone-read-style system alongside Carlos Hyde.

“Awesome — could be scary. You get the run threat back to keep the ball on zone read,” the coordinator said. “… And Kap can throw it deep. Chip stretched the field with [Nick] Foles vertically, and not as much with Bradford. … And Kap did a good job with simple reads and progressions early in San Francisco. Chip’s intermediate pass game in Philly had those features.”

Assuming Kelly wants to see how Kaepernick looks in his offense, the 28-year-old will enter the third year of his contract and cost the 49ers $15.9MM against their 2016 salary cap once he’s on the roster after April 1.

Here are some other items from around the league as 28 teams are in their early offseason phases.

With the Cowboys and Jaguars’ coaching staffs set to instruct sides at next weekend’s Senior Bowl, a source told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News secondary coach Jerome Henderson‘s status will be resolved by Monday when the staff leaves for the all-star game. The 46-year-old Henderson interviewed for the Browns’ head-coaching job, the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator role and on Friday spoke with the Falcons regarding an unspecified position with the Atlanta defense. Cowboys officials, however, have expressed desire to retain Henderson, however, according to Moore. His contract expires at the end of the 2016 season. Henderson and the Cowboys have discussed his contract, with the understanding that Henderson will only depart if he can become a coordinator somewhere.
Falcons restricted free agent Ryan Schraeder may require more than a second-round tender to keep after a dominant third season, McClure writes. A first-team All-Pro right tackle, according to Pro Football Focus, Schraeder receiving the second-round tender would cost the Falcons $2.47MM but would allow another team to sign him while surrendering only a second-round pick. An ex-UDFA, Schraeder made $585K last season. “Atlanta has given me an opportunity,” Schraeder told McClure. “I felt like I’ve tried to make the most out of it. Whatever happens in the future, happens. But I know deep down inside that I can play in this league. My agent [Joel and Justin Turner], I feel like I have the best agents in the business. They’ll handle a lot of that. And I’ll probably give them some input.” A first-round tender cost a team $3.354MM last year.
The Lions fired senior vice president of football operations Cedric Saunders, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. Saunders joined the Lions 10 years ago under Matt Millen and began overseeing the Lions’ budget with regards to personnel under Martin Mayhew. He’s one of several executives to be ousted since new GM Bob Quinn‘s arrival.
The Giants‘ ideal free agent targets, in the mind of NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan, should be Olivier Vernon, Danny Trevathan and Tashaun Gipson. Big Blue’s defense risks losing its most accomplished players this offseason in Prince Amukamara and Jason Pierre-Paul, although Raanan tabs Amukamara as having a “better than 50% chance” of staying, and hasn’t had much luck fortifying its defense with talent through the draft. Gipson went through a contentious stretch with the Browns last summer as a restricted free agent, and Trevathan faces a long road back to Denver next season due to potential eight-figure AAV players the Broncos have yet to sign in Von Miller and Brock Osweiler.

Schefter On NFL Head Coaching Searches

January 21st, 2016 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

While the Browns liked Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the team recognized the importance of upgrading its offense, which was one reason Hue Jackson was the choice as Cleveland’s new head coach, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, the Browns believe that by hiring Jackson they not only strengthened their own organization, but weakened a division rival, in the Bengals.

Schefter has some details on the rest of the head coaching decisions as well, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

The Giants “seriously entertained” the possibility of hiring Mike Smith as their head coach and keeping Ben McAdoo at offensive coordinator, says Schefter. However, when the Eagles expressed legit interest in McAdoo, the Giants knew they couldn’t risk losing him.
As for those Eagles, they were determined to be more patient this time around than when they hired Chip Kelly, but two of their top candidates – Adam Gase and McAdoo – were hired by other teams while Philadelphia was being patient. Since the club was already familiar with Doug Pederson, it was “completely comfortable” turning to him despite the fact that his initial interview was ordinary, according to Schefter.
The 49ers viewed Kelly, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin, and Anthony Lynn as viable candidates, and felt they would have been in good shape no matter which direction they went in. The fact that Kelly is the only one of the group without a Super Bowl ring was a factor in San Francisco’s choice, since the club feels he’ll be hungry to get that championship.
The Buccaneers took a week to hire Dirk Koetter even though most people expected him to be the choice all along, leading to some whispers that the Glazers “attempted a big swing” before officially promoting Koetter, says Schefter.
Despite a final push from Ray Horton last Saturday, the Titans‘ owners never wanted to get away from Mike Mularkey, who was their top choice all along.
As for the Dolphins, they entered their coaching search planning to be aggressive, and Gase’s desire to land a head coaching job – after being passed over last year – matched up well with that aggressiveness from the team, making him the first new coach hired this month.