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Dennis Hickey

AFC Quotes: Hickey, Chudzinski, Richardson

May 23rd, 2015 at 12:25pm CST by Ben Levine
There were plenty of storylines in the NFL this past week. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill inked an extension with the Dolphins, just another big deal handed out by the franchise. Colts associate head coach Rob Chudzinski started his new job, adapting to the peculiar role. Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson hasn’t shown up to voluntary OTAs, prompting some to question the player’s motives.
We’ve collected some interesting quotes regarding these three stories, which you can find below:
Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey on the team’s longterm planning for this offseason spending spree (appearing on 104.3 The Ticket, via Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald):
“As you put together a strategic plan, even going back to when I first interviewed for the job, you look ahead and you try to be strategic with how you try to allocate your resources. What are next year’s decisions? What are the following year’s decisions? And so we went through that.”
Dennis Hickey on the Ryan Tannehill extension:
“Having stability in the quarterback position. Our philosophy is we want to have sustained success and a quality quarterback and a proven quarterback that you believe in that’s also young and improves every year, and even within the year.
“Compare the first four games [of 2014] to the last 12 games and the growth that we saw in Ryan. Having all the tools and all the things that he brings, he’s definitely someone we believe in and want to commit to.”
Rob Chudzinski on his new role with the franchise (via Steve Andress of Colts.com):
“It’s a little bit different role than I’m used to. I’m usually out front of everything, but again, whatever I can do to help in any way. Support, be a resource for, do work for, whatever it is around the building, I can do. That’s what I want to do to help us win.
“There’s a lot that goes into it, and a lot of different things I do around the building. It’s the type of role that if everybody doesn’t know what you do, then you’re probably doing a good job.”
Sheldon Richardson on his absence from OTAs (via Twitter):
“I have a life outside of football n I chose to enjoy my family a little longer so to u fans that know everything please worry bout yourself.”
“All I’m hearing from ppl is get to OTA’s etc. like I jus wasn’t at practice yesterday putting in wrk tho.”

Extra Points: NFLPA, Mayo, Van Pelt, Raiders

January 23rd, 2015 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL Players Association has formally filed a grievance against the league challenging the NFL’s new personal conduct policy, which was adopted in December despite the NFLPA’s objections, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The union contends that it didn’t have an opportunity to collectively bargain many key points of the new policy, arguing that the policy violates the CBA and that it was adopted “without the consent, and over the objections, of the NFLPA.”

While we wait to see what comes of the union’s grievance, let’s round up several items from across the NFL….

  • Injured Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo has been prioritizing his rehabilitation after a season-ending knee injury, and fully intends to get back on the field in 2015, but he has also developed an interest in coaching during his time spent on injured reserve, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “I’m just trying to learn as much as I can,” Mayo said. “If I do choose to go down that road, hopefully I can apply some of these principles that I’ve learned from coach [Bill] Belichick in my coaching career.”
  • While a previous report revealed the Packers turned down the Rams’ request to speak to Alex Van Pelt about their offensive coordinator job, St. Louis wasn’t the only team rebuffed by Green Bay. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the Jaguars and Bears were also denied permission to interview Van Pelt.
  • The Raiders have officially confirmed a handful of new additions to Jack Del Rio’s staff, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired Todd Downing (QB coach), Marcus Robertson (DB coach), Sal Sunseri (LB coach), and Mike Tice (OL coach).
  • The Jets also announced several new assistants in addition to their new coordinators. According to the team, Mike Caldwell (assistant HC/ILB coach), Mark Collins (OLB coach), Joe Danna (DB/S coach), and Karl Dorrell (WR coach) are among the new arrivals.
  • Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey isn’t phased by the fact that 2015 could be a make-or-break season for him and head coach Joe Philbin, suggesting that he approaches every season as if it’s make-or-break, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • The Texans have made some front office changes, promoting Jon Carr to director of college scouting and hiring Matt Jansen to the new position of college scouting coordinator, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links).
  • We learned yesterday that Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett met with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl, but Miami is far from the only team to interview Lockett. The wideout, who is generating plenty of buzz in Mobile, tells James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he spoke to 28 NFL teams this week.

Coach/GM Notes: Falcons, Bears, Jets, Eagles

January 7th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Luke Adams

According to our head coaching search tracker, there are eight candidates involved in the Falcons‘ hunt for Mike Smith‘s replacement, and if no new names are added to that list, the team’s first round of interviews should conclude tomorrow after a meeting with Todd Bowles. So it makes sense that Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests today (via Twitter) that Atlanta intends to bring in its finalists for a second round of interviews. According to Rapoport, Rex Ryan will be among those finalists, though it’s not clear yet who will join him.

Here are a few more items from around the league related to coaches and front offices:

Coaching:

  • Todd Bowles and Frank Reich completed their interviews with the Jets today, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). Bowles’ next visit will be with the Bears.
  • A Tuesday report indicated that the Bears would likely meet with Mike Shanahan about their head coaching position after hiring a new general manager, but despite Shanahan’s past success with Jay Cutler (and Brandon Marshall), he’s not currently on Chicago’s list of candidates, says Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We’ll have to see if anything changes on that front after the team makes its GM hire.
  • After sitting in on the Raiders‘ interview with Shanahan, John Madden is expected to be in attendance for Tony Sparano‘s meeting with the club as well, tweets Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com.
  • In the wake of Perry Fewell‘s dismissal, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com offers a few suggestions for the Giants to consider for their defensive coordinator job, including Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, who Graziano thinks could be among New York’s top candidates.

Front office:

  • The Bears confirmed that they interviewed Chris Ballard and Ryan Pace for their GM vacancy, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
  • Jon Robinson‘s interview with the Jets will take place tomorrow, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
  • The Jets announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve lined up an interview with Buccaneers personnel executive Jon Robinson for their general manager position. The club also confirmed the candidates they’ve spoken to so far: Chris Grier (Dolphins), Trent Kirchner (Seahawks), Bill Kuharich (Browns), Mike Maccagnan (Texans), Rick Mueller (Eagles), and their own Rod Graves.
  • The Jaguars have granted pro director Chris Polian permission to interview with the Eagles for their GM job, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network (via Twitter).
  • The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which works with the NFL on minority hiring issues, has filed a complaint with the league over Washington‘s general manager search, writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. Washington spoke to Jets executive Rod Graves about the GM job, but didn’t run the request for permission by the league, and seemed to do it only as a formality while working out an agreement with Scot McCloughan, so as to abide by the Rooney Rule.
  • Meanwhile, the Dolphins appear to have evaded a Rooney Rule violation by changing the role of recently-hired Mike Tannenbaum, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains. The club has altered Tannenbaum’s and Dennis Hickey‘s duties since first announcing the hiring, so that Tannenbaum doesn’t qualify as a GM-type hire, meaning the club wouldn’t have needed to meet the Rooney Rule.

Reactions To Dolphins Shakeup

January 6th, 2015 at 7:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum will join the Dolphins’ front office full-time. Tannenbaum, who has been working as a sports agent in recent years, served as a consultant for Miami during the 2014 season. Now, he takes on a much more significant role. Here’s more on that and related news out of Miami..

  • Tannenbaum made a point to praise GM Dennis Hickey and coach Joe Philbin on multiple occasions in a conference call with reporters earlier today, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. Still, it’s no secret that this upcoming season is playoffs-or-bust for Hickey and Philbin or significant changes could be made, Walker writes.
  • “I don’t think we’re far away,” Tannenbaum said, according to Walker. “I think it’s really critical that we have our self-evaluation of where the roster is. I think it starts with that. … We have to attack our needs aggressively.”
  • The Dolphins (on Twitter) announced that Hickey will report directly to Tannenbaum and continue to lead the personnel and scouting departments. He’ll also maintain control of the 53-man roster.
  • Beasley (on Twitter) wonders what will happen if Philbin and Hickey want Mike Wallace out but Tannenbaum wants him back in 2015.
  • Tannenbaum says he will not be involved in the negotiations of his coaching candidate clients, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. That would include Dan Quinn.
  • The Dolphins’ hiring of Tannenbaum to head the team’s football operations is a move that “creates more questions than it offers answers,” writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • In another piece, Walker wonders if the Dolphins truly believe in Hickey.
  • A Dolphins official spoke with Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) and said,”I’m surprised you were surprised. No one around the team is surprised one bit.“

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Tannenbaum To Head Dolphins’ Football Ops

January 6th, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

3:35pm: According to James Walker of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Dolphins have officially confirmed the hiring of Tannenbaum, who will be the team’s new executive VP of football operations.

1:55pm: After working as a consultant for the Dolphins during the 2014 season, Mike Tannenbaum will join the team full-time for 2015, according to Mike Garafolo and Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. The duo reports that Miami is expected to hand over its football operations to Tannenbaum in the near future.

Michael Wilkering of Pro Football Talk confirms the move and provides additional details on Tannenbaum’s anticipated role in Miami, writing that the Dolphins will name him their executive vice president of player personnel. Per Wilkering, Tannenbaum will officially start his work with the Dolphins on February 1.

Tannenbaum, a former general manager of the division-rival Jets, has been an agent for NFL and NBA coaches at Priority Sports for the last couple years, and represents a few coaches in the mix for new jobs this offseason, such as Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Sources tell Garafolo and Marvez that Tannenbaum is expected to see his work with those clients through the interview process before transitioning into his full-time position in Miami.

With the season winding down last month, there was speculation that Tannenbaum’s voice in the Dolphins’ decisions was becoming more prominent — Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald wrote that the ex-Jets GM would “obviously have say” in what happens with the club’s head coaching situation, which ultimately resulted in Joe Philbin being retained.

At the time, I noted that the role of Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey in the team’s major decisions was unclear. Now, it appears as if Hickey will remain in his current role, but will report to Tannenbaum, who will oversee Miami’s football operations. While Hickey will report to Tannenbaum, Philbin is expected to continue to report directly to owner Stephen Ross, says Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).

AFC Notes: Jets, Philbin, Tannehill, Sparano

December 22nd, 2014 at 1:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jets have hired NFL Network analyst and former general manager Charlie Casserly as a consultant, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Owner Woody Johnson brought in Casserly as a football mind as an offseason approaches that could see the team potentially firing head coach Rex Ryan as well as general manager John Idzik.

Casserly has previous experience as the general manager in Washington and for the Houston Texans.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • Dolphins‘ head coach Joe Philbin got the vote of confidence from owner Stephen Ross yesterday, and will be returning to the team in 2015. At the same time, Philbin has declined to offer the same guarantee to his coaching staff, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Philbin did not say whether or not he planned on bringing back his coordinators for another season. It does appear that general manager Dennis Hickey will be back with the team though, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • At one point early this season, Ryan Tannehill‘s future with the Dolphins was uncertain. Things have changed since then, and Tannehill has solidified himself as the franchise quarterback in Miami, write James Walker of ESPN.com. The team will now likely exercise his fifth-year option, which was not a given before the season.
  • Raiders‘ interim head coach Tony Sparano would like the word “interim” removed from his title, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Many of his players agree that he has earned a chance at the job for real. Defensive end Antonio Smith, quarterback Derek Carr, and safety Charles Woodson all came out in support of their current leader. The Raiders are rumored to be interested in Jim Harbaugh for their head coaching job next season.

Latest On Joe Philbin, Dolphins

December 15th, 2014 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Alex Marvez of FOX Sports notes in his latest column that as of a few weeks ago, Dolphins owners Stephen Ross “wasn’t itching to make a coaching change,” and had spoken highly of Joe Philbin. However, since then, the Dolphins barely squeaked out a win against the Jets and then lost two key games against AFC contenders, all but eliminating their playoff chances. If Miami wins its final two games, Philbin could survive to coach the club in 2015, but if the team loses one or both, “all bets are off,” writes Marvez.

Although Marvez suggests there’s still some hope for Philbin in Miami, beat writer Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald paints a much bleaker picture, writing that the head coach’s “days are numbered,” and adding that it’s hard to imagine Philbin getting a pat on the back for winning two meaningless games to finish the season. For his part, Philbin says he’s focused on those two games, rather than his future, though he acknowledged that both he and Ross were disappointed after the team’s showing in New England yesterday (Twitter links via James Walker of ESPN.com).

As Philbin’s future in Miami hangs in the balance, it’s also worth keeping an eye on which members of the organization will have a say in the head coach’s fate, writes Salguero. According to the Miami Herald scribe, Dan Marino – a special advisor to Ross – and Mike Tannenbaum – a front office consultant – were both seen talking to the team’s owner after this weekend’s loss to the Patriots.

Pointing out that Tannenbaum still acts as an agent and has several potential head coaching candidates on his roster of clients, including Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, Salguero writes that Tannenbaum and Marino will “obviously have say” in what happens with the head coaching situation. As such, general manager Dennis Hickey finds himself in an interesting situation — Hickey was hired in January of this year, meaning he inherited Philbin, and it’s not clear how much input he’d have in the hiring of a new head coach. Typically, a team’s GM plays a significant role in that process, but with so many voices seemingly involved in the Dolphins’ decision-making, there’s no guarantee of that for Hickey.

East Notes: Vick, Smith, Jets, Bills, Cowboys

May 3rd, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Peter Sowards

It appears that the much-anticipated battle between Michael Vick and Geno Smith for the Jets starting quarterback job is over before it even started.

“Geno’s the starting quarterback for that football team,” Vick told Dom Cosentino of NJ.com at a family fitness event Saturday.

“Ultimately our goal is to try to help Geno become the best quarterback that he can be. Myself and [third-stringer Matt Simms] are all trying to put him in a position where he can get better from year one or year two.”

Vick, who signed a one-year deal worth $5MM with the Jets in March, was expected to push Smith for the job in training camp.

More notes from the AFC and NFC East divisions…

  • Despite a brew of veteran (Vick), potential (Smith) and developmental (Simms) quarterbacks on the roster, the Jets are not ruling out the possibility of adding another signal-caller in the draft, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.
  • Three months could be all that stands in between the Bills and a new owner, the Associated Press’ John Wawrow reports. It’s possible that a sale could come by July, and approval of the sale by October.
  • In more Bills ownership talk, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News says the former owner of the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado businessman George Gillett, is not expected to attempt to purchase the team.
  • The Cowboys are unlikely to throw max money at running back DeMarco Murray, ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer writes in his Twitter mailbag. Murray’s in the final season of a four-year rookie deal, having entered the league in 2011 as a third-round draft pick from Oklahoma.
  • Look for second-year player J.J. Wilcox to be Dallas’ starting safety opposite Barry Church in 2014, says Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. Drafted No. 80 overall in 2013, Wilcox totaled 38 tackles in 13 games played as a rookie, but lost his job to undrafted rookie Jeff Heath midway through the season.
  • Alex Smith of PhiladelphiaEagles.com previews the team’s offensive line situation, dishing out insight on depth behind the starters and what year No. 2 will be like for 2013 first-round pick Lane Johnson.
  • With not much of a track record to go off, Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey has Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel stumped as to how the team’s No. 1 personnel man will work the upcoming draft.

AFC Notes: Beckham, Dolphins, Chiefs

April 19th, 2014 at 8:45pm CST by Peter Sowards

A source confirmed to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald today that the Dolphins will host LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham, using one one of the team’s 30 allotted non-local visits.

Beckham caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013 for the Tigers and is projected as a first-round pick.

Does Beckham’s visit mean Miami is souring on Mike Wallace just one year into his contract? That’s the logic argued by Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith, noting that Wallace wasn’t signed by current GM Dennis Hickey and that Hickey “probably” doesn’t have any intentions with Wallace beyond this season. Or, the Dolphins are just doing their due diligence and trying to find out as much about as many worthy draft-eligible prospects as possible.

More news and notes from the American Football Conference…

  • A position-by-position look at the Chiefs‘ cap situation by Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star, as well as each player’s base salary, cap number, Pro Football Focus grade and contract expiration date.
  • The Chiefs may need to be prepared to draft a quarterback with the No. 23 pick, Paylor writes.
  • Four Patriots — Brandon Browner, Rob Gronkowski, Logan Mankins and Jerod Mayo — have an offseason workout bonus of $250K, and the team begins its offseason workouts on Monday, writes Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com. 15 players are eligible to receive offseason workout bonuses if they participate in at least 80-90% of the workouts with a total possible payout of $1.74MM.

Dolphins Rumors: Grimes, Patterson, Tannehill

February 7th, 2014 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

Rookie general manager Dennis Hickey will have his work cut out for him in Miami, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who takes a detailed look at the offseason decisions facing the Dolphins. La Canfora’s piece is filled with notable tidbits, so let’s dive and round up some of the highlights….

  • Several team and league sources tell La Canfora that bringing back cornerback Brent Grimes is a top priority for the Dolphins. Grimes will be eligible for free agency next month, and could earn the franchise tag if he and the team can’t work out a long-term deal.
  • It’s “virtually certain” that Dimitri Patterson won’t be back at his current salary ($5.4MM), though he could return to the Dolphins at a lesser figure.
  • Defensive tackles Randy Starks and Paul Soliai are both free-agents-to-be, and the Dolphins will likely only keep one of the two, sources tell La Canfora.
  • Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey “might not be inclined” to play for his current 2014 salary of $1.7MM, and figures to seek an extension that will put him among the highest-paid players at his position, says La Canfora.
  • Said one person who interviewed for the Dolphins’ GM job: “It’s a total rebuild on the offensive line. They seemed to understand that there. Total rebuild. I’m not sure exactly how much of their budget they were planning to put into the line, but it had better be substantial.”
  • Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin “definitely wants to push [Ryan] Tannehill more,” according to one source, who adds that the club could turn to highly-paid backup Matt Moore if Tannehill doesn’t show noticeable improvement.
  • According to La Canfora, Hickey’s contract with the Dolphins is for two years, with a team option for year three, as I speculated earlier in the week.
  • If 2014 doesn’t go well for the Dolphins, there’s a possibility that the team could jettison Philbin and renew its pursuit of an A-list coach, such as Jim Harbaugh, Bill Cowher, or Jon Gruden, writes La Canfora.
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