Joe Philbin - Pro Football Rumors

East Notes: Dolphins, Eagles, Alonso, Jets

September 28th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

With Week 3 of the 2015 NFL season nearly complete, only one division has three teams over .500 — the AFC East currently features the 3-0 Patriots, the 2-1 Bills, and the 2-1 Jets. Of course, there’s plenty of concern about the one sub-.500 club in the division, so let’s round up the latest out of Miami, along with a few more notes from around the league’s two East divisions….

In the view of Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Sunday’s loss to Buffalo was the worst of the Joe Philbin era for the Dolphins, and it put the entire coaching staff on the hot seat. In a second piece, Salguero writes that the Dolphins have issues on multiple levels, pointing to ownership, coaching, and the team’s offseason personnel decisions as potential causes for concern.
If Dolphins owner Stephen Ross isn’t wondering what he’ll get out of the $210MM he committed to Ryan Tannehill and Ndamukong Suh this offseason, he should be, writes John Kryk of the Toronto Sun.
Eagles kicker Cody Parkey aggravated a preseason groin injury against the Jets, so the Eagles will bring in free agent kickers for workouts today, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso today is in Florida today, visiting Dr. James Andrews to get a second opinion on his knee injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As Schefter notes, Dr. Andrews’ diagnosis will help to determine whether or not Alonso will require surgery on the troublesome knee.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had his first bad game of the season on Sunday, throwing three interceptions in the Jets‘ loss to the Eagles. But even with Geno Smith on the way back, head coach Todd Bowles reiterated that Fitzpatrick is the team’s starter, and Newsday’s Bob Glauber says that’s the right call.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Bills, Dolphins

July 30th, 2015 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we learned that a Minnesota judge ruled that the NFLPA’s appeal on behalf of Tom Brady will be transferred to Manhattan, where the NFL first filed its own lawsuit. According to NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler, the union doesn’t view that as a big deal.

“It really doesn’t matter to us where the case is,” Kessler told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “What we finally have is a neutral forum. Before a neutral forum, we are very confident in our position.”

The NFLPA will have make some revisions when it re-files its appeal in New York, but “ostensibly we will be making the same arguments,” said Kessler, adding that the union is “very happy” to have Judge Richard M. Berman appointed to the case.

Let’s round up a couple more items related to the Brady situation, along with some other notes out of the AFC East….

Kessler spoke yesterday to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, broadly addressing the NFLPA’s appeal on Brady’s behalf and explaining the case the union will be making in court. As Pelissero writes, the NFLPA’s appeal quotes Patriots owner Robert Kraft at length, and Kessler said of Kraft’s statement from earlier this week: “I’ve never more agreed with Robert Kraft in my life, about anything.”
On the Dan Patrick Show today, NFLPA executive George Atallah said the NFLPA’s settlement offer involved Brady paying a fine instead of serving a suspension, and the NFL didn’t respond to that offer (Twitter link via Noah Coslov).
Appearing at a “Business of Sports” breakfast in Buffalo on Thursday, Bills owner Terry Pegula said work on a new stadium for his team is “nothing urgent right now,” writes Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News. Commissioner Roger Goodell and some NFL owners have said that a new stadium will eventually be a necessity in Western New York, but Pegula pointed to several upgrades made on Ralph Wilson Stadium in recent years, suggesting it would be “foolish” to pursue a new stadium right after renovating the current one.
Speaking today to reporters, including James Walker of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Dolphins owner Stephen Ross praised the talent on Miami’s 2015 roster, and said he and head coach Joe Philbin are expecting a payoff this year. While Ross didn’t specifically address Philbin’s job status, there has been plenty of speculation that the head coach will be on the hot seat if the Fins don’t make the playoffs this season.

East Notes: Brady, Philbin, Eagles, Beason

July 26th, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Tom Brady and the NFL Players Assocation are entitled to an independent decision on Brady’s appeal, so recent reports suggesting NFL team owners are trying to influence Roger Goodell’s ruling make it even more likely that the NFLPA will eventually take the league to court, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

As Florio obseves, if a truly independent arbitrator were handling Brady’s appeal, it would be highly irregular for a team owner to lobby that arbitrator one way or the other. The fact that owners are apparently lobbying Goodell as he contemplates his decision could become a central issue in the looming litigation.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin wants to win this year, but it’s “more for everybody else’s sake” than for his own job security, he tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. “For everybody, I’d like us to reap the rewards of our labor. It’s time for all of us,” Philbin said. “But I haven’t really thought about playoff or bust for me.”
It’s easy to realize that you have to fix a 4-12 team, but Chip Kelly‘s decision to revamp a 10-6 Eagles squad this offseason wasn’t quite so simple, as Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com writes.
Giants linebacker Jon Beason, who spent most of the 2014 season on injured reserve, talks to Steve Serby of the New York Post about his recovery from last year’s toe and foot injuries, Jason Pierre-Paul‘s status, and the impact that free agent signee Shane Vereen will have for the Giants, among other topics.

AFC Mailbags: Dolphins, Ravens, Jags, Colts

May 23rd, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start off with notes from the AFC…

James Walker believes Dolphins coach Joe Philbin‘s job could be in jeopardy if his team doesn’t succeed this season. The team spent money to improve their roster during the offseason, and the writer believes owner Stephen Ross won’t have much patience for another subpar season.
The Ravens certainly have the money to add another veteran to their squad, and Jamison Hensley thinks that’s a realistic possibility. The team will likely depend on their young players to compete for jobs, but the team could pursue an established player if any of those young players struggle. The writer points to wideout James Jones, running back Pierre Thomas, tight end Jermaine Gresham, defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora and defensive tackle Kevin Williams as the top available free agents.
When asked which undrafted rookies could make the Jaguars 53-man roster, Michael DiRocco focuses on the team’s group of young linebackers (Thurston Armbrister, Matt Robinson and Todd Thomas). The writer cites the lack of depth at that position, nothing that one of the rookies could contribute as a backup linebacker/special teamer.
If the Colts decide to keep four running backs, Mike Wells says the final spot will likely be between Vick Ballard and Zurlon Tipton. Frank Gore and Boom Herron have their spots locked down, and Wells believes sixth-round pick Josh Robinson has a good chance of sticking.
When it comes to the Colts‘ wideouts, Wells says Griff Whalen is likely the odd man out. The team seemingly has six receivers ahead of Whalen on the depth chart, so Wells believes it’s a “long shot” for the former undrafted free agent to make the roster.

Dolphins Extend Joe Philbin Through 2016

March 23rd, 2015 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins have extended the contract of head coach Joe Philbin by a year, keeping him locked up through 2016, owner Stephen Ross confirmed today to reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Philbin’s deal has previously been set to expire after the 2015 season.

After the Dolphins made the decision to bring back Philbin for 2015, a short-term extension had been expected, to avoid having him enter the season as a lame-duck coach. Explaining the decision, Ross noted that “you don’t get the best from someone when operating with a gun to their head,” tweets Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.

Still, there’s no guarantee that Philbin will still be in Miami for that 2016 season. Ross said today that “there has to be improvement,” but wouldn’t clarify whether that means Miami must have a better record or make the playoffs in 2015 (Twitter link). I’d expect that, after adding Ndamukong Suh in free agency, Philbin and the Dolphins will be in postseason-or-bust mode in ’15.

In his three seasons with the Dolphins so far, Philbin has failed to get the team a single playoff berth or a record above .500. Miami has a 23-25 record during his stint with the club, including back-to-back 8-8 seasons.

Coach Notes: Philbin, Ryan, Bowles, Trestman

January 8th, 2015 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross announced last month that the team would be retaining head coach Joe Philbin for the 2015 season, and the next step is to lock up Philbin with an extension. As Aramando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes, the Dolphins will indeed make an extension offer to Philbin, to ensure that he doesn’t enter 2015 as a lame-duck coach, and to make sure his price tag doesn’t go up if Miami has a strong ’15 campaign. Of course, if the Dolphins take a step back next season, Philbin could still be dismissed — Ross and the team would just have to eat the remaining cost of his deal.

Here are a few more Thursday coaching updates from across the league:

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle is hearing that Rex Ryan‘s first choice is the 49ers, followed by the Falcons (Twitter link). However, it’s not clear if Ryan would be atop the Niners’ list as well.
The Falcons pushed their interviews for Teryl Austin and Todd Bowles back to Friday and Saturday, respectively, due to the passing of Molly Blank, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. That’s why Bowles is meeting with the Bears today instead of Saturday.
Meanwhile, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says (via Twitter) that the Raiders have been “knocked off” Bowles’ list, while Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears the Cardinals defensive coordinator is making a “very strong impression” in his head coaching interviews. Bowles met with the Jets yesterday, and had the Bears on tap today, before he moves on to the 49ers on Friday and Falcons on Saturday.
Following Kyle Shanahan‘s departure from the Browns, Marc Trestman‘s name has come up as Cleveland considers new candidates, and the former Bears head coach would be interested in talking to the team, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
The Jaguars, on the other hand, aren’t leaning toward Trestman to be their new offensive coordinator, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
The Giants have requested permission to interview Washington defensive backs coach Raheem Morris for their defensive coordinator position, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Noting that the contract of Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver expires in less than two weeks, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) says Tarver is a DC target for some head coaching candidates around the league. The Raiders would like to keep him, but Tarver could choose to pursue a DC job under a new head coach for another team, depending on who lands where.

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).

Volin’s Latest: McDaniels, 49ers, Reich, Jets

December 30th, 2014 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As reports continue to trickle in on the NFL’s five head coaching openings, as well as the GM vacancies in Chicago and New York, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe explores the rumor mill and passes along a handful of interesting tidbits in his latest column. Here are the highlights:

One league source tells Volin that without Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh in the mix for any of the current openings, there’s a “dearth of superstar candidates.” The source expects most teams to hire candidates with previous head coaching experience.
Volin hears from one source the Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be “very careful” about which opportunities he pursues. The source predicts that the Falcons will be the only club McDaniels seriously considers, given his relationship with general manager Thomas Dimitroff and the presence of a solid, risk-free quarterback in Matt Ryan.
An internal promotion remains a strong possibility for the 49ers, despite the fact that the team is reaching out to several outside candidates. Volin hears that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is a likelier candidate than defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.
According to Volin, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is the “most serious” candidate for the Jets‘ head coaching vacancy in the early stages of that search. Reich is also expected to be a top candidate for the Bills if Doug Marrone decides to opt out of his contract, though Marrone is considered likely to stay in Buffalo.
One source predicts to Volin that Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin isn’t yet completely safe, in spite of owner Stephen Ross‘ comments earlier this month.
Former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland could get a few interviews this offseason, but he has nothing lined up at the moment, says Volin.

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.