HEADLINES

James Bettcher

Extra Points: Panthers, E. Sanders, Cards, Bills

June 15th, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Josh Norman out of Carolina thanks to a contract dispute and defensive tackle Kawann Short now angling for a big-money deal, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman fired a warning shot at player agents Wednesday. “I’d like to think agents have figured out they can’t scare me; they can’t squeeze me. I’m not going to panic. It’s a waste of time,” he defiantly told Black & Blue Review (Twitter link).

More from around the NFL:

  • Given the high-paying extensions awarded to Fletcher Cox, Keenan Allen and Brandon Marshall within the last week, Conor Orr of NFL.com highlighted other notable players who could cash in this summer. Up next might be the Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders, whom multiple league sources expect to become the next wideout to land an extension, per Orr.
  • After spending last season in Arizona, free agent linebacker LaMarr Woodley tore into Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher in May, referring to the coach as “dumb.” Woodley doubled down on that today, albeit in a less trenchant way, telling NFL Media’s R&B Podcast, “I just felt like the defensive coordinator didn’t listen to his players” (via Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic). Woodley added that all-time great defensive mind Dick LeBeau, who coached Woodley for years in Pittsburgh, listens to his players and makes in-game adjustments based on their input.
  • Bills legend Jim Kelly opined last week that Rex Ryan is coaching for his job in Year 2 with the franchise, saying the team has to break its league-worst 16-season playoff drought for Ryan to return in 2017. Ryan responded Tuesday, telling reporters (including Mike Rodak of ESPN.com), “I think if you ask Jim, Jim knows I’m a hell of a coach and a good coach for this team and this community. I think he would tell you that. I hope he would.” In typical confident fashion, Ryan also stated that he “expects to win big-time” this season, per Rodak. Under Ryan last season, the Bills fell from 9-7 to 8-8 and unexpectedly saw their defensive performance decline precipitously.
  • Today’s biggest story: The Ravens released offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, whom the Giants are now pursuing. PFR’s Dallas Robinson tried to find a fit for the 29-year-old, listing eight teams (including the Giants) that could sign him.

West Notes: Woodley, P. Lynch, Cards, Raiders

May 6th, 2016 at 9:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent linebacker Lamarr Woodley offered scathing reviews of two of his former defensive coordinators, the Cardinals’ James Bettcher and ex-Raiders assistant Jason Tarver (now with San Francisco), on the latest edition of his podcast (per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic).

“In Oakland, we had a dumb defensive coordinator and in Arizona, we had a dumb defensive coordinator,” he said.

Woodley didn’t mention either Bettcher or Tarver by name, but given that he only spent one year with both teams, it’s clear he was referring to them.

He continued, “They thought we were like Madden players. They’d draw something up and on paper it looked good, but the players still have to go out there and run it. Those guys didn’t really listen to their players. They wanted to do it their way and their way only.”

Woodley also ripped into Bettcher for his game plan in the Cardinals’ 49-15 loss to Carolina in the NFC championship.

“It wasn’t because we had bad players. No, our defensive coordinator he didn’t have the common sense to talk to his players to make the adjustments. Because he just wanted to do things his way those are the results we got, bottom line,” he said.

Woodley didn’t play in the title round (or any Cardinals game beyond Nov. 22) because he was on injured reserve. The 31-year-old appeared in just 16 contests over the previous two seasons with the Raiders and Cardinals, combining for 15 tackles and a sack. Woodley was a far more productive player from 2007-13 in Pittsburgh, with which he piled up 58 sacks.

And now the latest from the AFC West:

  • Quarterback Mark Sanchez might not be at the Broncos’ helm for long if first-rounder Paxton Lynch forces the team’s hand, which is something general manager John Elway believes the ex-Memphis standout is capable of doing. “We think he’s going to be ready quicker than a lot of people think,” Elway told Denver Sports 760 (link via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). On why the Broncos decided to trade up in the first round for the 6-foot-7 Lynch, Elway said, “He’s a young guy with tremendous athletic ability, he’s got the strong arm, can make all the throws, he’s smart, and he’s a guy that can fit into this offense real well.”
  • While Elway sees the Lynch era approaching, Troy Renck of the Denver Post cautions that patience is in order. As Renck writes, Lynch hasn’t played in a pro-style offense since his freshman year at Memphis – which is the last time he was even in a huddle – and his play calls there were far less complicated than they will be in Denver. Moreover, the Broncos would be unwise to rush Lynch into the lineup to serve as a game manager, Renck opines. The club should instead wait until the 22-year-old is truly ready and let him take advantage of his strengths, namely his big arm and elusiveness.
  • Raiders defensive end Mario Edwards has been given medical clearance to resume his career, he announced Friday on Instagram (via Marc Sessler of NFL.com). A serious neck injury brought a premature end to Edwards’ rookie campaign after he had started in 10 of 14 appearances and tallied three forced fumbles and two sacks. For his work last season, the second-rounder from Florida State ranked an impressive 32nd out of 110 qualifying edge defenders at Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Cardinals Promote James Bettcher To DC

February 4th, 2015 at 2:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 2:11pm: The Cardinals have officially named Bettcher the team’s new defensive coordinator, per a team release. The team also confirmed Sanders’ hiring as a linebackers coach, and promoted Mike Chiurco to a defensive assistant/assistant DBs coach role.

SUNDAY, 1:58pm: The Cardinals are set to promote outside linebackers coach James Bettcher to defensive coordinator, according to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Bettcher will replace Todd Bowles, who was hired as the Jets’ head coach. Per Jurecki, the club will officially announce the Bettcher’s hiring tomorrow, and will also hire Bob Sanders as a linebackers coach.

We heard last week that Arizona would likely promote a new DC from within following the Super Bowl, meaning that Cardinals coaches Brentson Buckner, Kevin Ross, Nick Rapone, and Tom Pratt were viewed as candidates alongside Bettcher. Head coach Bruce Arians & Co. ultimately settled on the 36-year-old Bettcher, who’s been on the Cards’ coaching staff since 2013. A longtime college coach, Bettcher served as the special teams coordinator at New Hampshire in 2011 before acting as a special assistant to Chuck Pagano, Arians, and the Colts in 2012. Last year, Bettcher contributed to an Arizona defense that played extremely well (7th in DVOA) despite numerous injuries; as OLB coach, Bettcher coaxed impressive performances out of veterans like John Abraham and little-known players such as Sam Acho.

Bettcher will oversee a Cardinals defensive unit that could see significant change in 2015. Antonio Cromartie, Dan Williams, Tommy Kelly, and Acho are all free agents, and Arizona might not have the cap space needed to retain them. Veteran linebackers Abraham and Larry Foote are also impending FAs, and both could strongly consider retirement. Given the club’s financial restraints, it will likely have to rely on under-the-radar veteran signings, as well as developing draft picks, to maintain its success next season.

In addition to internal candidates, the Cardinals also had flirtations with two veteran defensive coaches before settling on Bettcher. The club had discussions with ex-Steelers coordinator Dick LeBeau, and nearly hired him as either a LB coach or a senior defensive assistant, but those negotiations ultimately fell through. Arizona also reportedly had interest in former Falcons DC Mike Nolan, but he instead took a position on the Chargers’ staff.

Per Jurecki, Sanders will be hired “as one of the LB coaches,” so it’s possible he’ll be brought in to directly replace Bettcher. The 61-year-old Sanders, not to be confused with the former Colts safety of the same name, served in the college ranks from 1978-2001. He acted as the Packers’ DC from 2006-08, and most recently was the Raiders’ LBs coach from 2013-14.

Cards To Name New DC After Super Bowl

January 26th, 2015 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

While most teams hiring new defensive coordinators this offseason are making a change due to disappointing 2014 campaigns, that’s not the case in Arizona. Former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who was named Assistant of the Year by the PFWA, had such a strong season that it buoyed him into a head coaching job with the Jets. Now that they have to tab a replacement for Bowles, the Cardinals will try to maintain the status quo as much as possible, and will promote an internal candidate to DC next week, head coach Bruce Arians confirmed today in an appearance on ESPN’s NFL Insiders (link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).

“The defensive coordinator will come off our staff,” Arians said. “It’ll be one of the young guys. And we’ll bring in some guys to help him. We’ll wait until the Super Bowl is over but we’ve got everything in place and we’re ready to go.”

The Cardinals’ in-house options include James Bettcher, Brentson Buckner, Kevin Ross, Nick Rapone, and Tom Pratt, and while Arians didn’t specify which of those coaches would be promoted to defensive coordinator, it sounds like he has someone in mind. As Urban writes, the fact that the head coach referred to “one of the young guys” indicates that Bettcher, a highly regarded assistant who currently coaches the team’s outside linebackers, could be the Cards’ man.

As for the guys who will be brought in to “help” the new coordinator, one candidate for such a role was Dick LeBeau, but as we heard over the weekend, he won’t be reconnecting with Arians in Arizona after all. In fact, Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that it now appears that LeBeau will join the Titans, though that’s not official yet.