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Jim Tomsula

West Rumors: Chargers, Raiders, Manning, Tomsula

December 21st, 2015 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Cardinals and Seahawks having traded places in the standings from last season’s playoff bracket, the NFC West has been settled. The AFC West, suddenly, hasn’t, as the Chiefs are now one game back of the reeling Broncos and hold the tiebreaker.

Here’s what’s developing out of the Western teams’ locales as Week 15 concludes.

  • Between six and 14 owners have yet to decide which way they’ll vote on the relocation issue in January, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The majority of the six owners who comprise the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities, however, are behind the Chargers‘ and Raiders‘ Carson-based project, and their opinion will have the most sway among the 32 voters, Acee offers. San Diego, in the NFL’s opinion, being unlikely to approve public funding to be allocated toward a new Chargers stadium provides a significant stumbling block in the city’s efforts to retain the team.
  • Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wonders if the Raiders, who have expressed no desire to replace the Rams in St. Louis, would consider a San Diego relocation if the city became serious about financing a new stadium. With the Chargers, in Florio’s view, not being inclined to wait on the city to decide on a stadium solution in order to find a more-lucrative landing spot in Los Angeles, the city won’t merely shut down football operations. Like Baltimore and St. Louis after the cities lost their teams in 1984 and 1988, respectively, Florio expects San Diego to keep pushing to land a team if the Chargers depart.
  • Gary Kubiak is open to Peyton Manning returning next week at less than 100%, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. “Absolutely. We are trying to work him back to where he feels like he can go play, and go be himself,” Kubiak said. “That’s been the plan all along but we are not there yet.” The first-year Broncos coach’s view of Manning’s health led him to maintain the status quo of Brock Osweiler atop the depth chart going into this week’s practices. Osweiler failed to lead the Broncos to any second-half points in their past three games.
  • 49ers first-year coach Jim Tomsula appears to be safe, with the team in full-on rebuilding mode, after a rocky debut, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. Although owner Jed York told media, “We’ll talk about everything at the end of the season,” CBS sideline reporter Jay Feely‘s conversation with 49ers COO Al Guido can be interpreted as the 49ers showing faith in Tomsula’s process. “They knew what they were getting into when they had all the defections,” Feely said, describing Guido’s view of the offseason chaos that consumed the team. “(Guido) said they underestimated a little bit the impact that it had in the locker room, specifically the lack of leadership. . . But I think they’re confident with Jim Tomsula going forward.”

Job Status of 49ers’ Jim Tomsula “Muddled”

December 19th, 2015 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A 24-10 loss to the lowly Browns last week has “muddled” the 2016 status of 49ers rookie head coach Jim Tomsula, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch, who writes that Tomsula was a good bet to return next season prior to the Cleveland game. However, a listless showing in which the 49ers were outgained 481-221 and fell to 4-9 means Tomsula could be coaching for his job over the season’s final three weeks.

Outside of the 49ers’ horrid performance in Ohio and their lousy overall record, certain postgame comments aren’t helping Tomsula’s cause, Branch notes. Two 49ers – left tackle Joe Staley and linebacker Ahmad Brooks – said the team was too excited over its victory in Chicago the prior week and didn’t take the Browns seriously enough, which is obviously a problem for a club that shouldn’t be overlooking anyone. Moreover, opposing head coach Mike Pettine said the Browns outcoached and outplayed the Niners.

All isn’t yet lost for Tomsula, according to Branch, as the 47-year-old could retain his job if his team avoids another horrible outing down the stretch. On paper, that shouldn’t be overly difficult for the 49ers. They host playoff-bound Cincinnati on Sunday, but the 49ers have been semi-respectable at Levi’s Stadium this year (3-3, minus-14 point differential), while the Bengals will be without starting quarterback Andy Dalton. After that, San Francisco closes the season with a pair of bottom feeders – Detroit (road) and St. Louis (home).

NFC Notes: 49ers, Breaux, Seahawks, Packers

December 18th, 2015 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Rookie 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula is at the helm of a 4-9 team and certainly not a lock to return for a second season, but two of the club’s respected veterans spoke out Friday in support of the 47-year-old, according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.

“Yeah, I love Tomsula,” linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. “I’ve been with him for a long time. He knows me. I know him. It’s always been a good relationship.”

Tomsula has been with the 49ers since taking over as their defensive line coach in 2007, so he and Bowman – drafted in 2010 – are well-acquainted.

Receiver Torrey Smith, on the other hand, signed with the 49ers last offseason and obviously hasn’t spent nearly the amount of time with Tomsula that Bowman has. That didn’t stop Smith from endorsing Tomsula.

“He’s been one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had,” Smith said. “I think he’s a great man. It sucks that we haven’t had the results that we need, but I think he’s a great guy. So I want the best for him.”

More on the Niners and a few of their NFC counterparts:

  • The Lions missed a golden opportunity last offseason to sign standout cornerback Delvin Breaux, who was unable to pass a team physical, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Breaux, formerly of the CFL, went on to sign with the Saints and has been a bright spot on a porous defense. The 26-year-old has 38 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games, and currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 13th-best corner (subscription required).
  • Running back Christine Michael‘s recently signed deal with the Seahawks expires at the end of the season, but he’ll be still be under team control as a restricted free agent, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). With fellow RBs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson potentially out of Seahawks uniforms in 2016, Michael could stick around as Thomas Rawls‘ backup. He’ll have a chance to impress the organization in the coming weeks with both Lynch and Rawls injured.
  • 49ers rookie Jarryd Hayne is encouraged by his progress and plans to return to the NFL next season, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. “To come this far in seven months, give me 12, 14 (and) it’s going to be completely different. And I think anyone who’s seen my growth will tell you how much I’ve changed and developed,” the 27-year-old said. The native of Australia and former professional rugby player signed with the Niners as a running back/return specialist last offseason. He appeared in six games for the team this year before it cut him and brought him back as a member of its practice squad last month.
  • The Packers spent Friday looking at free agent special teamers, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports. The Pack worked out two punters – Will Johnson and Kasey Redfern – a pair of long snappers in Rick Lovato and Sam Rodgers, and kicker Andy Wilder.

Sunday Roundup: Murray, Tomsula, Spiller

December 13th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some links from around the league, starting with more news on the Eagles‘ running back drama:

  • During DeMarco Murray‘s recent and much-ballyhooed conversation with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the embattled running back told Lurie that head coach Chip Kelly was “unapproachable.” When speaking with the owner, Murray openly questioned the abilities of Kelly and running backs coach Duce Staley.
  • According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter links), Murray did have a lengthy meeting with Kelly earlier this week, but Kelly made no assurances to Murray regarding his role for the remainder of the season. In fact, Murray is listed as the fourth back on the Eagles‘ depth chart today.
  • As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the message that the Eagles have sent to the rest of the league is clear: Murray is available. On a related note, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explores the Eagles‘ options with regards to Murray’s contract, ultimately concluding that trading Murray in 2016 is the strategy that would work best for Philadelphia.
  • The 49ers‘ improved play over the last few weeks has lightened the mood in the locker room and has likely bought head coach Jim Tomsula another year with the club, per Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. The team has appeared more engaged and has given the front office tangible signs of hope, which means Tomsula will probably be back in 2016.
  • La Canfora writes that many league owners are concerned about the strength of the Raiders‘ ownership group and would prefer that the Chargers either move to Los Angeles by themselves or partnered with the Rams. Although that seems unlikely at this point, the overall “trepidation” surrounding the Raiders and the prevailing belief that Oakland remains a viable NFL market could mean that the Carson project–which would see the Raiders and Chargers move to LA together–may not get the requisite 24 votes at the league meetings in January to move forward.
  • Tim Hightower has stepped in for the injured Mark Ingram in the Saints‘ backfield today, which represents yet another blow to free agent addition C.J. Spiller. Per Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune (citing The NFL Network), Spiller is a “long shot” to return to New Orleans next season.
  • Although the Seahawks of course have been delighted with Thomas Rawls‘ performance thus far, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Marshawn Lynch is progressing and the team is very open to Beastmode’s return.
  • Mark Potash of The Chicago Sun-Times writes that Bears GM Ryan Pace will have a tough decision to make with Matt Forte this offseason, and Potash examines Pace’s options in that regard.

Extra Points: Tomsula, Rawls, Bills, Cassel

November 27th, 2015 at 9:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from around the NFL…

  • The 49ers are 3-7 and bound to finish with one of the league’s worst records this season, but it might not be the team’s win-loss results that decide if head coach Jim Tomsula will return for a second year. Instead, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (video link), it could come down to how well some of the 49ers’ young players progress over the final six games. As Maiocco notes, the 49ers chose Tomsula over Adam Gase, among others, in the offseason – a pick they were happy with at the time. They wanted Tomsula because of his teaching skills. Thus, it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that they’ll get rid of him because of one subpar year.
  • With Marshawn Lynch injured, the Seahawks are especially fortunate to have rookie sensation Thomas Rawls as a member of their backfield. Rawls could have signed elsewhere as an undrafted free agent last spring, though, as the $15,000 the ex-Central Michigan standout got from Seattle wasn’t his highest offer, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Dallas was among the teams interested in Rawls – who chose the Seahawks because he wanted to learn from Lynch, according to his agent. If not for off-field issues, Rawls might have been drafted and unable to choose his destination.
  • The Bills shut down four-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kyle Williams for the season Friday because of a knee injury, and the 10-year veteran isn’t a lock to return to Buffalo for an 11th season in 2016. He does intend to keep playing, though, and he hopes to remain a Bill. “I want to see everything, every dream, every goal I’ve had since I’ve been here 10 years ago, I want to see it come true,” said Williams, according to The Buffalo News’ Tyler Dunne. “We’ve got a great staff and we’ve got a lot of guys who believe in one another.”
  • The 3-8 Cowboys have gone 0-7 in games not started by Tony Romo this year, and they’ll have to play the final five weeks of the season without the injured Romo. That means Matt Cassel will be under center, which hasn’t been a positive for Dallas this season. Cassel, who has underwhelmed statistically in addition to going winless, might not be a Cowboy next year. Regarding the upcoming offseason, owner Jerry Jones said (via The Dallas Morning News’ Brandon George), “We’ll look at certainly where we are at our backup quarterback position, which probably if I could redo some of the thinking there this year, that would be the first place I’d start looking in my mirror.”
  • 49ers running back Carlos Hyde – sidelined since the end of October with a stress fracture in his foot – is a candidate for season-ending surgery, per Maiocco.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap took a look at the upcoming class of free agent tight ends. Cleveland’s Gary Barnidge is among the players highlighted. While Barnidge is having a big year (48 catches, 667 yards, seven touchdowns), Fitzgerald doesn’t expect him to cash in to a significant extent because of his lack of track record relative to his age (30).

NFC West Notes: Bailey, Tomsula, Kaepernick

November 25th, 2015 at 6:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC West:

  • Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey is out of surgery after several hours of extensive work, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The wide receiver will be in the ICU for 3-5 days and doctors are hopeful about his recovery. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) heard from another person that Bailey’s surgery lasted close to nine hours. Overall, the news is positive given the situation.
  • 49ers coach Jim Tomsula says that he isn’t concerned about his job security, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. “No, we haven’t had conversations about any of that,” Tomsula said. “Just to your point right there – we’re in a performance-based business. And all of us in it get it. So I don’t think or work that way. Just keep on moving. (My) long-term goal is Sunday. That’s just where I stay.” The remaining six games of the season could have an impact on Tomsula’s future in SF, but the organization seems likely to keep him, so long as the team doesn’t totally fall apart.
  • Cardinals defensive back Tryann Mathieu strongly feels that the 49ers offense is better with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback instead of Colin Kaepernick. “Not to take anything away from Kaepernick, but it seems like Gabbert has a little better grip on what’s going on,” Mathieu said, according to Cam Inman of the Mercury News. “If he gets in a situation, he knows where the ball needs to go. He’s a hell of a passer. He’s underrated when you talk about how well he can throw the football.” Mathieu accounted for two of the four interceptions the Cardinals had against Kaepernick in a 47-7 rout back in September.

    • 49ers Notes: Kaepernick, Tomsula, Bush

    November 8th, 2015 at 8:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

    Blaine Gabbert played well enough to win, but no matter how he fared the bigger story is the tension that has risen between Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers organization. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that based on the current climate, “it is virtually certain [Kaepernick] is not back in San Francisco in 2016, according to team and league sources.”

    Kaepernick’s 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed on April 1st, and it is unlikely the team would want that number on their books if they aren’t committed to him, and La Canfora describes the situation as beyond repair.

    Here are a few more notes coming out of San Francisco:

    • While La Canfora believes the situation cannot be turned around, Conor Orr of NFL.com writes that the 49ers coaching staff still believes in Kaepernick as the starting quarterback going forward.
    • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the idea behind Kaepernick’s contract, and what direction the 49ers will go in from here. One option Fitzgerald believes the team could explore would be asking Kaepernick to take a pay cut in the offseason by threatening to release him in late March, when he’d be unlikely to receive a contract comparable to what they can offer.
    • Even though Gabbert played well and got the win, head coach Jim Tomsula would not name him the starter going forward, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayAreas.com. “Gabbert was our starter today,” said Tomsula. “And I don’t have a comment past that.”
    • Kaepernick has been the focus of much of the 49ers’ woes this season, but Tim Kawakami of InsideBayArea.com writes that he is far from the only one on the hot seat during a bad start to the season. He points out that Tomsula, offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, general manager Trent Baalke, and owner Jed York as members of the organization in a no-win situation.
    • 49ers’ running back Reggie Bush is planning to sue the city of St. Louis after suffering a possible career-ending injury after slipping on the concrete at the Edward Jones Dome, writes La Canfora. Bush will likely seek gross negligence, given the danger of having the slippery surface so close to the field.

    NFC Notes: 49ers, Kaepernick, Bears, Vikings

    November 2nd, 2015 at 9:23pm CST by Zachary Links

    49ers coach Jim Tomsula declined to give embattled quarterback Colin Kaepernick a vote of confidence on Monday, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. In past weeks, Tomsula has shot down speculation that there could be a QB controversy in SF. He didn’t do that this time around.

    “We’re evaluating everything right now,” Tomsula said when asked about his team’s quarterback situation. “We’re in the middle of it right now and I don’t have any comments on any position on our field right now. We’re evaluating everyone.”

    Kaepernick has completed just 59.3 percent of his pass attempts for 1,615 yards in eight games and he has six touchdown passes against five interceptions.

    Here’s more from the NFC:

    • 49ers running back Mike Davis will have surgery on Tuesday on his broken hand, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. After surgery, Davis be given an idea of how long he’ll be sidelined.
    • Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if Bears outside linebackers Lamarr Houston and Willie Young are on their way out of Chicago after playing a combined 11 defensive snaps on Sunday. One could point to their lack of usage as a sign that they’ll be traded, but I would argue that the Bears would have been better off auditioning them to interested teams if that is their intention.
    • Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press wonders if the Vikings might dangle tight end Chase Ford prior to Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Ford started five games last season and caught 23 passes for 258 yards in 11 games overall. However, he hasn’t taken a single snap this season and “some believe” that he could be worth a late-round pick, Tomasson writes. Ford is the team’s No. 4 tight end behind Kyle Rudolph, Rhett Ellison, and rookie MyCole Pruitt.

    NFC Notes: 49ers, JPP, Lions, Bears

    October 31st, 2015 at 5:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

    A quick look around the NFC…

    • If the 49ers – losers of five of their first seven games – continue their downward spiral through the rest of the season, first-year head coach Jim Tomsula and his staff (notably offensive coordinator Geep Chryst and defensive coordinator Eric Mangini) could end up as the fall guys, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. While general manager Trent Baalke and quarterback Colin Kaepernick may also be under fire, Maiocco believes both have built up credit within the organization via past accomplishments. Thus, they have better odds than the coaches of remaining with the Niners in 2016.
    • Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, finally back with the team after a July 4 fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger, is confident his injury won’t affect his on-field performance. “There’s not going to be a major adjustment. As far as my hand goes, I’ll get used to it. I’m just fortunate to play football again,” Pierre-Paul said, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “The day I walked in here I already won. People said I was going to be out for the whole season,” the 26-year-old added. Pierre-Paul won’t play in the Giants-Saints game Sunday and it’s unclear at the moment when he’ll make his season debut.
    • New Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter had past run-ins with the law in Knoxville – a DUI in 2006 and an aggravated burglary charge in 2009 – but the records of his arrests mysteriously vanished, according to Robert Allen of the Detroit Free Press. “There’s no record. There’s nothing,” said Knoxville police spokesman Darrell DeBusk.
    • The Bears worked out free agent punter Zoltan Mesko on Friday, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Chicago brought in the left-footed Mesko in an effort to prepare for Vikings lefty Jeff Locke – whom the Bears will face Sunday.

    49ers Notes: Tomsula, Kaepernick, Bethea

    October 23rd, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

    The 49ers became a big talking point for media outlets today after an embarrassing 20-3 loss on Thursday Night Football. Here are some notes about the team:

    • The loss to the Seahawks last night put a spotlight on the problems the 49ers have, and head coach Jim Tomsula was put on the defensive. He said despite evaluating everything in the organization, he would not consider a change to the offensive coaching staff in season, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
    • Quarterback Colin Kaepernick was particularly bad on Thursday night, but coach Tomsula insists there will be no change under center in San Francisco, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). “Colin’s our quarterback,” said Tomsula. “No controversy.”
    • Antoine Bethea was placed on injured reserve today, with what was originally reported as a shoulder injury. Barrows reports that it is actually a torn pectoral muscle that will force him to miss the rest of the season (via Twitter).
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