Chip Kelly - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Dolphins, Lynch, Giants, Browns

January 1st, 2016 at 10:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As the Dolphins get their head coaching search under way, the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero lists a slew of candidates. Chip Kelly, Todd Haley, Josh McDaniels, Jim L. Mora, Jim Schwartz and Hue Jackson are those with NFL head coaching experience. The potential first-timers consist of three offensive coordinators – Carolina’s Mike Shula, son of legendary ex-Dolphins coach Don Shula, as well as Chicago’s Adam Gase and Tampa’s Dirk Koetter. The Dolphins are looking for a leader of men capable of assembling a great staff, according to Salguero.

More from around the league as the first day of 2016 wraps up:

Welcome news for the Seahawks as the playoffs near: Running back Marshawn Lynch should return to practice Monday, head coach Pete Carroll said (link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta). Lynch has been out since mid-November because of abdominal surgery.
Sunday could be head coach Tom Coughlin‘s last game with the Giants. The same holds true for a pair of the club’s defensive institutions, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, as end Jason Pierre-Paul and cornerback Prince Amukamara are both pending free agents. “I’d be lying if I said it’s never come up in my head or someone has never brought it up to me,” said Amukamara, whom the Giants chose in the first round of the 2011 draft. Amukmara added that he’d like to remain a Giant. “I love the organization, definitely treated first class here, so it’s been great.’’ There’s no word on whether the Giants want to retain Amukamara, but there was a report Thursday that they are hoping to keep Pierre-Paul, a 2010 first-rounder.
Browns pass rusher Paul Kruger indicated Thursday that the team’s coaching staff hasn’t deployed him properly this year. “Personally, I probably wouldn’t say so. I don’t have too much more to say about it, and I don’t put everything personally this year on that, but I don’t think I was utilized in the best way,” he opined, per Jeff Schudel of the Morning-Journal. Kruger has just 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks, his lowest total since 2010, though Schudel notes that he’s second in the league in quarterback hurries (33, up from 18 in 2014). Assuming Kruger’s with the Browns next season, he’ll probably work under a different staff than the one with which he’s currently disenchanted, as head coach Mike Pettine and coordinator Jim O’Neil are both on the outs.

East Notes: Bills, Jets, Eagles

January 1st, 2016 at 7:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Given his 2016 cap hit ($19.9MM) and apparent inability to fit into head coach Rex Ryan‘s scheme, there’s a strong likelihood defensive end Mario Williams will play his final game with the Bills on Sunday. The 30-year-old has totaled just 17 tackles and a career-low four sacks this season, grading a terrible 94th out of 107 edge defenders by Pro Football Focus’ standards (subscription required). Williams’ downturn in performance could be symptomatic of his attitude, as an anonymous teammate alluded to (Twitter link via The Buffalo News’ Tyler Dunne).

“We could easily have 5 solid players contributing than 1 guy who doesn’t give a s—,” the player stated.

Williams issued a retort (Twitter link via Dunne).

“I could just literally not be out there,” he said. “When I get my opportunity, do it. Everybody who said that, they’ll see.”

More from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Running back Bilal Powell‘s offseason decision to re-sign with the Jets on a one-year deal is paying dividends for both him and the team, the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta writes. Powell had to choose between the Bills (and Ryan, his ex-coach) and Jets, whose backfield was less crowded than Buffalo’s at the time. Powell ended up staying in New York, and has been an important dual-threat weapon for a club that could be headed to the playoffs. Powell is averaging 4.5 yards per rush this season and, as Mehta notes, leads all NFL backs in receiving yards (299) and broken tackles on passing plays (12) since Week 11. In assessing Powell, head coach Todd Bowles said, “He’s been more of a complete back than even I thought he was coming in. He can block. He can run. He’s not just a pass catcher. He does a bunch of things for us.” Of course, what’s bittersweet for the Jets is that, as a pending free agent, Powell’s success could lead him to a raise and a different uniform in the coming months.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie needs to clarify vice president of football operations Howie Roseman‘s role and hold him accountable for it – just as Lurie did with Chip Kelly – submits Jeff McLane of Philly.com. Lurie should give full control of the Eagles’ personnel department to Roseman and sink or swim with him in that position, according to McLane. Roseman’s say over the roster diminished when Kelly took the reins, which is ironic when you consider Roseman was key in the hiring of Kelly. He now has some of that power back with Kelly gone, but Lurie said that Roseman’s work with the personnel department will be “as a collaborator.” That isn’t enough for McLane, who believes someone needs to be in position to take the lion’s share of responsibility for building the roster. McLane also notes that Roseman could drive away potential head coaching candidates because he doesn’t have a scouting background and is perceived as a difficult person with whom to work. Nevertheless, Lurie and team president Don Smolenski will follow Roseman’s lead with respect to Philly’s coaching search, McLane reports.
Earlier this week, after the Eagles fired Kelly, offensive tackle Lane Johnson claimed strife between Kelly and Roseman took a toll on the players. Johnson also stated players were hesitant to approach Kelly. Safety Malcolm Jenkins, Johnson’s teammate, disagrees. Regarding Johnson’s opinion on the Kelly-Roseman feud, Jenkins said (per Les Bowen of Philly.com) that Johnson “reads too many articles.” On Johnson’s notion that Kelly wasn’t approachable, Jenkins added, “I think the perception was not necessarily the reality.”

AFC South Notes: Texans, Grigson, Titans

January 1st, 2016 at 6:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look around the AFC South:

Rick Smith has been the Texans’ general manager since 2006, but his role might change sometime during the offseason – perhaps after the draft – tweets Neil Stratton of Inside the League. According to Stratton, Smith could get a promotion (possibly to team president), thus elevating director of player personnel Brian Gaine to GM.
Speaking of AFC South GMs, Mike Wells of ESPN.com took a look at whether Ryan Grigson deserves to continue running the Colts. The reasons to fire Grigson exist in greater quantity than the ones to keep him, Wells writes. One excuse to let Grigson go: a 2013 trade that went horribly awry. Back then, Grigson sent a 2014 first-rounder to Cleveland for running back Trent Richardson, who spent two unproductive seasons in Indy and is now out of the NFL. Further, the imperious Grigson has meddled in the affairs of head coach Chuck Pagano – who’s also a candidate for the chopping block.
Titans interim head coach Mike Mularkey has a supporter in tight end Delanie Walker, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Walker, who easily leads the Titans in receptions (85), yards (994) and touchdowns (six), thinks Mularkey is capable of fixing the team’s problems if he is promoted to the full-time head coaching role. That seems unlikely, however, especially given Mularkey’s lack of results as a head coach. He’s just 18-37 in three-plus seasons with the Bills, Jaguars and Titans.
If the Titans do move on from Mularkey, Bob Brookover of Philly.com offers his version of the perfect replacement: erstwhile Eagles coach Chip Kelly. Of course, Kelly and Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota were together previously at Oregon and helped the Ducks to a 12-1 record and second overall ranking in 2012. Brookover thinks a Kelly-Mariota reunion should be too enticing for Tennesee to let go by the wayside.

Coaching Notes: McCoy, Giants, Titans, Dolphins

January 1st, 2016 at 10:52am CST by Rob DiRe

With “Black Monday” approaching, there should be a number of decisions made on coaches across the league. Kevin Acee of the Union-Times San Diego argues that Chargers head coach Mike McCoy should among those fired at season’s end.

Here are some other notes from around NFL head coaching positions:

Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly may have taken himself out of the running for the Giants’ head coaching job, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. He said he’d be unlikely to give up full control unless an NFL team was able to offer him the same privileges.
The Giants haven’t fired Tom Coughlin yet, but the head coach hasn’t turned to the media to make a case for himself, writes Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News. Rather than talk about his future, he’d rather focus on winning in Week 17.
While the Titans are exploring their next head coaching candidates, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 has picked out three potential fits among former NFL head coaches. He writes that Jim Schwartz, Chip Kelly, and Mike Smith would all be fits in Tennessee.
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald plays a similar game as Marvez, picking out potential head coaches for the Dolphins. He puts Sean Payton and Chip Kelly at the top of his wish list.
Speaking of the Dolphins job, if Chuck Pagano is fired in Indianapolis, Stephen Holder of IndyStar.com believes that Pagano could be a fit in Miami (via Twitter).
The Eagles have obstacles to climb in order to find a new head coach, as they are looking for a new leader without a quarterback of the future and without a second-round pick, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. If they beat the Giants, they won’t have a top-10 pick in this draft either.

Chip Kelly Notes: Eagles, Belichick, Navy

January 1st, 2016 at 10:02am CST by Rob DiRe

Reaction to Chip Kelly’s firing in Philadelphia has been widespread, as it is one of the biggest surprise decisions to come this season. Many have weighed in with opinions and theories as to what went wrong, and offered ideas for what the next step in Kelly’s career would be.

Here are a few more notes coming from the aftermath of that decision:

A lack of success ultimately doomed Kelly, but Jeff McClane of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines on a few other reasons the Eagles decided to move on from the embattled head coach. Chief among them was a lack of transparency. McClane points to Kelly’s insistence that he wasn’t the general manager, when everyone knew he had final say in personnel decisions. He also cited releasing DeSean Jackson because of his size, while re-signing the under 6’0″ Jeremy Maclin and targeting undersized receivers Josh Hugg and Nelson Algohor in the draft, and the challenged notion that LeSean McCoy wouldn’t restructure his contract.
Kelly seems to have had the support of another NFL coach in Bill Belichick, who was disappointed the Eagles were so quick to make a decision on their coach, writes Michael Whitmer of the Boston Globe. “Yeah, I would say it’s really disappointing,” said Belichick. “Chip Kelly is a good football coach, I think he’s done a good job with that team. It’s disappointing to see. Josh [McDaniels] in Denver, I mean there’s a lot of examples. Pretty much everyone is on a one-year contract in this league. I don’t know how you build a program in one year.”
While Kelly might want to stay in the NFL, Chris Mortensen of ESPN believes the former Oregon coach would be intrigued by the Navy coaching job if the position became available.

Breer’s Latest: Garrett, Shanahan, Titans

December 31st, 2015 at 8:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As he does weekly, Albert Breer of NFL.com has posted his latest column full of insights from around the NFL. Let’s dive in and take a look at the highlights:

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett will return for the 2016 season, team COO Stephen Jones told Breer on Tuesday. “He’s safe,” said Jones of Garrett. “Change isn’t always the right answer. We’re not big believers in it.” Despite Dallas’ poor record, the decision comes as no surprise, as the Cowboys’ struggles were largely due to the absence of quarterback Tony Romo.
Romo’s injuries only further signified the need for a stronger backup quarterback situation, and the Cowboys will certainly look at drafting a signal-caller with a high pick in next year’s draft. Jones was quick to caution that such a draft pick would be brought in to watch, rather than start immediately.
Former Broncos/Washington head coach Mike Shanahan could be an option for clubs with vacancies, according to Breer. Shanahan is 63 years old, which could force some teams to shy away, but he almost landed the 49ers gig last offseason. Additionally, now that Shanahan’s faith in Kirk Cousins seems to have been validated, clubs might show more interest.
Titans general manager Ruston Webster has a good relationship with Ed Marynowitz, the executive whom Chip Kelly selected to run the Eagles’ personnel department. Such a transitive connection could mean nothing, but it could also give Tennessee a leg up on securing Kelly’ services (to say nothing of the presence of quarterback Marcus Mariota).
Few in the Saints‘ organization know whether head coach Sean Payton intends to stick around, a source tells Breer. The club’s horrific cap situation could force them to part ways quarterback Drew Brees, a move that would portend a full-scale rebuild — something which Payton might not want to oversee.

East Notes: Chip, Dolphins, Bills, M. Williams

December 31st, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Hours after being fired as head coach of the Eagles, Chip Kelly released a statement reflecting on his tenure (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports). The statement, which can be read in full at the link, saw Kelly thank both owner Jeffrey Lurie and Philadelphia fans, while expressing regret that he wasn’t able to lead the club to a Super Bowl title.

Here’s a look at more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Alex Marvez of FOX Sports lists three potential candidates for the Dolphins‘ head coaching job, identifying former Lions coach Jim Schwartz, Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula, and UCLA coach Jim Mora Jr. as viable options for Miami.
Bills safety Aaron Williams‘ season is over, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), who reports that Williams’ practice period has expired. Williams, who was on injured reserve/designated to return, was said to be mulling retirement earlier this month as he deals with a neck injury.
Former Syracuse offensive tackle Sean Hickey, who has spent time with the Saints and Patriots this year, visited the Bills, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
Wilson also passes along a workout note on the Giants, tweeting that New York auditioned defensive back C.J. Conway this week. Conway is a familiar face for the Giants, having started the year on the team’s practice squad before being cut in Week 2.
We learned earlier today that the Bills plan to cut defensive end Mario Williams during the offseason, and that decision won’t disappoint at least of Williams’ teammates, per Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News (Twitter links), who quotes a fellow Bill as saying Williams displays “zero effort,” “doesn’t care about anybody but himself,” and has “totally checked out.”

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Community Tailgate: Chip Kelly’s Future

December 31st, 2015 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

As the NFL regular season nears its end, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

While the timing of the Eagles’ dismissal of Chip Kelly was surprising, it gave the team the opportunity to get a head start on its search for a new head coach, and it gave Kelly a chance to begin looking for work. There’s no pressure for Kelly to get a new job immediately, since he’s still owed more than $12MM for the last two years on his contract with the Eagles. But it sounds like he’ll explore some options this winter.

As we saw a year ago, when coaches like Rex Ryan and John Fox immediately found new head coaching jobs after being let go by NFL teams, a fired head coach doesn’t necessarily have to wait long for a new opportunity. This may be particularly true of Kelly, since a team interested in his services could easily convince itself that as long as he has a talented quarterback to work with, and doesn’t get full control of personnel decisions, he could have more success than he did in Philadelphia.

So what’s next for Kelly? Given the presence of Marcus Mariota in Tennessee, the Titans have obviously been the most-cited possible destination for the former Oregon head coach, and Kelly reportedly has interest in that position. But the Dolphins, Browns, 49ers, and Colts have also been brought up as potential landing spots, and there may be even more teams in the market for a new head coach this winter.

Kelly has said he wants to remain in the NFL, rather than returning to college, but not everyone is confident that’s the case, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Plus, if all the NFL teams looking for a new head coach in the coming weeks decide to go in another direction, Kelly would have a decision to make — would he be willing to consider a role as a club’s offensive coordinator, or would he rather take a year off and reassess his options down the road?

What do you think? Is Kelly to Tennessee a foregone conclusion, or will the Titans opt for someone else? What do you expect Kelly’s next step to be? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Coaching Rumors: Meyer, Kelly, Saban, Coughlin

December 30th, 2015 at 7:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer told reporters Wednesday that he recently spurned an NFL team’s advances, Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk writes.

Asked if the team was the Browns, Meyer said, “I’m not going there. I’ll just say [a team] reached out.”

Meyer added that he’s content at the college level and expressed wariness toward making the jump to the pros.

“The NFL, Chip Kelly is one of my closest friends, Greg Schiano is one of my closest friends. A lot of times they say college coaches don’t make it very well. I don’t know who makes it well. People are getting fired left and right. Pete Carroll has done very well.”

In other coaching news. . .

Although Kelly’s career in Philadelphia is over, he could end up with another head coaching job in the league in the coming weeks. With that in mind, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined some possible landing spots for Kelly. The Titans, Browns, 49ers, Dolphins or Colts could all be his next stop.
With coaching searches fast approaching, Albert Breer of NFL.com lists the candidates most likely to draw interest. Kelly is one of them. Interestingly, so is Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The Mara family is fond of him, per Breer, which might make the Giants a fit. The Colts are also a possibility, as they could offer Saban control over their roster – not to mention they have a 26-year-old franchise quarterback in place.
For Saban to end up with the Giants, they’ll first have to fire two-time Super Bowl winner Tom Coughlin. That appears likely to happen, as a source told the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano that plenty in the team’s front office want to move on from Coughlin. It’s believed that one of those people is co-owner Steve Tisch.

Eagles Notes: Kelly, Johnson, Bradford

December 30th, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson had plenty to say Wednesday on the heels of the Chip Kelly firing, per Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com.

Asked if the players were afraid to take any complaints to Kelly, Johnson said, “Yeah, I mean, to be honest, yeah. There’s always talk in the locker room you don’t quite say to the coach. We’ll say it to the position coaches, but I don’t know if it ever leaves that room.”

Johnson does think Kelly “had good intentions,” but he also labeled him as “standoffish” – particularly toward the media.

Further, Johnson says he and the players knew about the power struggle between executive Howie Roseman and Kelly.

“Chip and Howie weren’t happy together, didn’t deal well. Just a lot of tension up there that didn’t need to happen, because when you throw it up there it does trickle down to the team, and the team knows what’s going on. It’s just a negative energy that doesn’t need to exist.”

On whether Kelly’s practice schedule’s was too grueling, Johnson stated, “I definitely think so … It takes a toll on you.”

Johnson added Kelly’s moves last offseason contributed to the offense’s inability to function effectively in his high-tempo attack.

“The tempo’s very effective whenever you’re able to do it well. I think we did well the first two years. Made a lot of changes this offseason and I don’t know if everyone is the best fit for what it was.”

More on the Eagles as the post-Kelly era begins:

Quarterback Sam Bradford, whom Kelly traded for last offseason, said Wednesday he was “shocked” about Kelly’s ouster, according to Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com. Bradford, who called his relationship with Kelly “great,” isn’t sure whether he’ll be an Eagle beyond this season. “Obviously, I think a lot of it depends on who they hire as a head coach now and what type of offensive system he wants to run,” said the free agent-to-be.
Owner Jeffrey Lurie is making a mistake in handing the reins of the Eagles’ front office to Roseman and Tom Donahoe, opines Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. Frank cites Roseman’s questionable draft record and inability to coexist with others as reasons for concern. As for Donahoe, he hasn’t been associated with a playoff team since 1997 and had a less-than-stellar run as Buffalo’s general manager from 2001-05. Frank believes the Eagles need a fresh approach, which Roseman and Donahoe won’t provide.
Zach Berman of Philly.com took a look at possible Kelly replacements for the Eagles. Seven current NFL assistants, three of whom have head coaching experience in the league, and three college head coaches are listed as potential successors.
Bob Brookover, also of Philly.com, writes that the Eagles’ best selection to take over for Kelly is interim head coach Pat Shurmur – who went 9-23 with the Browns from 2011-12.