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John Fox

NFC Notes: Ihenacho, Washington, Brinkley

July 1st, 2015 at 6:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Washington safety Duke Ihenacho has been watching NBA free agency going crazy, and took to Twitter to express his opinions about minimum contracts for NFL players. Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post captured his tweets, where Ihenacho writes that NFL players have the highest risk of injury and brain trauma, and that the NFL is the richest league, and therefore the minimum salary for players should be $1MM.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • Washington D.C. wants their NFL franchise to return to the District, but they are unlikely to get support from the Obama administration as long as the team still bears a racial epitaph for their name and logo, writes Jonathan O’Connell of the Washington Post. The National Park Service owns the land beneath Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, and they are unlikely to accommodate the construction of a new stadium, according to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.
  • Former Vikings linebacker Jasper Brinkley decided to sign a two-year deal with the Cowboys this offseason, and the top reason for choosing Dallas is the opportunity to play for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I played in Minnesota for five years and I remember when he was in Chicago, just thinking about those defenses and the guys with the takeaways, a lot of takeaways,” Brinkley said. “You think about Charles Tillman, you think about Brian Urlacher, you think about Lance Briggs, you think about Tim Jennings, all those guys.”
  • Even though Deone Bucannon was a first round pick of the Cardinals in 2014, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) doesn’t see the Washington State product having a great career at safety. The draft expert feels that Bucannon should stay at linebacker, where he played the bulk of last season. In 16 games, the Washington State product racked up 86 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and three pass deflections.
  • Former Buccaneers linebacker Brandon Magee has been swinging the bat for the Boston Red Sox Class A affiliate, but he told Pro Football Talk that if an NFL team called him, he would give up baseball to try out, reports Mike Florio. Magee was released from the Buccaneers in March, and had also spent time with the Browns.
  • The Bears hired John Fox in the hope that he could quickly turn the organization around, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The turnaround starts with the attitude of every player on the roster, and the veterans are already buying in. “You go out and get John Fox and Vic Fangio and Adam Gase — you’re sending a message to every player in that locker room that we’re not messing around,” said Jared Allen. “We want to win. We want to win now. We certainly have the talent to win. So, get your heads right and let’s go play ball.”

Draft Notes: Vikings, Rams, Patriots, Bears

May 10th, 2015 at 12:21pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings could have an exciting offense next season, and that’s because the front office dedicated last year’s draft picks to improving their team on that side of the ball. Although the organization had acquired some foundational players, including quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, head coach Mike Zimmer said his team was still considering offensive weapons in the first round of this year’s draft. Via Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune…

“The Teddy thing was huge because that was really the number one priority of the organization. We had to get a quarterback we thought could take us to the next level. Honestly, we didn’t go into this draft saying this was going to be a defensive draft. We went in and we had offensive guys targeted, but they might have gotten picked before we could pick them.

When we picked Trae Waynes, there were three or four guys there we thought we would be happy with, but part of it with Trae was the position he plays. Typically when you draft those corners, you draft pretty high. Once it gets down lower, to the second round, they don’t produce like the higher picks. Knock on wood — we hope we’re drafting a little lower next year.”

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from around the NFL…

  • The Rams were involved in the bidding for undrafted free agent La’el Collins, head coach Jeff Fisher told ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “Yeah, we were involved in it,” Fisher said. “There were some things, we still had some unanswered questions at the time in which he made his decision but we were involved. We were told by them that we were in the final four, which is not necessarily a consolation but we were involved, yes.”
  • Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck contacted Collins to recruit him to their respective teams, tweets Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez. The reporter adds that the lineman seriously considered the Dolphins‘ pitch.
  • Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes the Patriots would have willingly traded their first-rounder if an inquiring team had sweetened their offer. Ideally, the Patriots would have preferred an early second-round pick and a third-round pick in return. Reiss clarifies that the team is still please with their selection of Malcom Brown.
  • The Bears had been eyeing quarterback Shane Carden during the draft, and ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson writes that the team was thrilled about the opportunity to sign the player as an undrafted free agent. “He was actually a guy that we had good grades on, a guy that could have potentially been a draft pick,” Bears coach John Fox told Dickerson. “Our scouts, obviously, saw a lot more of him than the coaching staff. But he was productive, smart. He has good moxie, being able to execute in a pass offense that throws the ball quite a bit and was very productive.”

NFC North Rumors: Packers, Peterson, Bennett

April 30th, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

News from the NFC North..

  • Veteran tight end Tom Crabtree took to Twitter to announce his retirement from football. “I’m officially retiring from football,” he wrote. “Thanks for all the support and criticism over the years. This means I can do dirty jokes on here now.” Crabtree spent parts of five seasons in the NFL, three of which were with the Packers. He took home a championship ring with Green Bay following the 2010 season.
  • Former Vikings receiver and Hall of Famer Cris Carter, hinted today on Mike & Mike that he has been given inside information about an Adrian Peterson trade, as Michael David Smith of PFT writes. “I’m under gag order on the Adrian Peterson situation, but I believe something’s gonna happen,” Carter said. “But I can’t talk about it.”
  • Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter), meanwhile, has heard nothing to suggest that anything has changed with Peterson and A source who spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) termed the speculation as “BS.”
  • When asked if he expects tight end Martellus Bennett to still be on the roster after the draft, Bears head coach John Fox responded in the affirmative, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported on Wednesday that the tight end is on the trade block.

NFC Links: Saints, Falcons, Eagles, Lions, Bears

February 15th, 2015 at 7:24pm CST by Rob DiRe

Whether you are watching the NBA All-Star Game, SNL 40, or something else, here is a roundup of some NFC links you might have missed today:

Bears Add Three To Coaching Staff

January 24th, 2015 at 4:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

SATURDAY, 5:58pm: In addition to Loggains and Pires, the Bears have now hired Bo Hardegree to their coaching staff, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Hardegree will join Gase and Loggains as an offensive assistant. He formerly coached with Fox on the Broncos staff in 2014 as a quality control coach.

FRIDAY, 9:09pm: John Fox promised he was giving his full energy to filling out his staff, and he seems to be coming through on his word.

The Bears have hired Dowell Loggains as their new quarterbacks coach and Glenn Pires as their new linebackers coach, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).

Loggains was the quarterbacks coach with the Browns, and formerly served as the quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator for the Titans under Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator under Mike Munchak.

Pires was the linebackers coach with the Falcons for seven years before coming to the Bears.

Loggains and Pires join Adam Gase and Vic Fangio, who were hired as the offensive and defensive coordinators for the team earlier this week.

John Fox Introduced As Bears Head Coach

January 19th, 2015 at 11:43am CST by Rob DiRe

John Fox was officially introduced as the Bears head coach this morning. He was introduced by the man who hired him, new general manager Ryan Pace.

Here are a few highlights from his press conference, all links via Twitter:

  • Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune writes that Fox commented on his relationship with Pace, saying that the Bears will be a “we” business.
  • Fox hasn’t spoken with quarterback Jay Cutler directly, but mentioned that the embattled quarterback texted him to welcome him to Chicago, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Campbell also writes that Fox is not revisiting what happened with him in Denver, instead preferring to look forward to his future with the Bears.
  • Since being hired, Fox has put all of his energy into the process of hiring his new staff, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Expanding on that point, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes that Fox has not examined the roster as of yet.
  • Fox has not yet decided whether the Bears will play a 3-4 or a 4-3 for their base defense, according to Wright.
  • When asked about his input on the offense, Fox remarked “As a head coach, my job is to motivate and manage the football team,” according to Campbell.
  • When it comes to current members of the Bears coaching staff, Fox has not decided whether or not he will be retaining their services, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. Wright does note that they are pursuing candidates to fill their staff.
  • The one assistant that has signed a contract is special teams coach Jeff Rodgers, who Fox says is already in Halas Hall preparing for next season, according to Biggs.
  • Discussing his age, Fox scoffs at the idea that he is too old to be a longtime coach in Chicago, writes Dickerson. “I’m very healthy. I’m very energetic. I stay away from mirrors. I truly feel 36,” said Fox according to Campbell. A number of reporters including Biggs thought they heard he stays away from beers, not mirrors.
  • When asked about what type of quarterback Fox wants in Chicago, he simply stated “one that wins,” writes Dickerson. Cutler’s record under Marc Trestman was a dismal 10-16. “I know everybody makes a big deal about the quarterback, and I get that, but it’s still a team game,” said Fox, according to Campbell.
  • Discussing who would have the final say on roster decisions, Fox believed it will be a group effort, according to Campbell. “If we have a building full of good evaluators…typically you come to the same conclusion,” said Fox.
  • Speaking on the offensive coordinator search, Fox said, “We will hire an outstanding offensive coordinator. We’re not going to predict how he does. We’re just going to go do it,” according to Biggs.
  • Fox also noted he planned on reaching out to two legends of the organization to bring them back in the fold. One is potential Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, according to Dickerson, and Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka, according to Biggs.

Bears Hire John Fox As Head Coach

January 16th, 2015 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

2:21pm: The Bears have officially announced the hiring of Fox and will introduce him to the media at a press conference on Monday.

1:37pm: It’s a four-year contract for Fox, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, who confirms (via Twitter) that it’s a “done deal.”

1:21pm: Fox and the Bears have officially reached an agreement to make him the team’s new head coach, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (Twitter link).

9:48am: The Bears are in negotiations with John Fox to to replace Marc Trestman as their new head coach, according to Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter, and Field Yates of ESPN.com, who report (via Twitter) that a deal is close, albeit not done yet. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) reported yesterday that the Bears were expected to hire the former Broncos head coach. If a deal is finalized today, it would come just five days after Fox coached his final game with the Broncos, and four days after he and the team agreed to part ways.John Fox (vertical)

According to Schefter (via Twitter), a deal between Fox and the Bears is “all but done,” with the two sides are expected to make things official soon. Fox would then be paired with Jay Cutler for the 2015 season, with the coach’s expected to be a positive influence as the veteran quarterback attempts to bounce back from a poor 2014 campaign, says Cole.

Although the Bears were one of the first teams to make a change once the regular season ended, the team’s coaching search didn’t ramp up right away, since Chicago let go of general manager Phil Emery along with Trestman. Most of the Bears’ head coaching interviews didn’t take place until after new GM Ryan Pace was on board, which allowed them to be well-positioned when Fox became available, since they weren’t far along with any other candidates. In addition to Fox, Chicago also interviewed Teryl Austin, Todd Bowles, Adam Gase, Doug Marrone, and Dan Quinn, according to our tracker.

Fox, who was linked to the Bears job almost immediately following his departure from Denver, spent four seasons coaching the Broncos, leading the team to an impressive 46-18 regular season record. His Broncos squads made the playoffs in all four seasons, but only had one extended postseason run, a year ago, when the team won the AFC before getting blown out by the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Fox’s stint in Denver improved his overall regular season record as a head coach to 119-89 (.572), which also includes his nine seasons with the Panthers.

With Fox poised to take over the Bears’ head coaching job, his next step will be putting together his staff, and recent reports have indicated that his top choices may be Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator and Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator. The team wouldn’t have to receive permission to speak to either of those coaches, since Shanahan and the Browns parted ways earlier this month, while Allen was let go by the Raiders earlier in the season.

Assuming the Bears finalize an agreement with Fox today, it would make Chicago the fifth team to reach an agreement with a new head coach this week, coming on the heels of hirings by the Bills (Rex Ryan), Jets (Bowles), Raiders (Jack Del Rio), and 49ers (Jim Tomsula). Only the Broncos and Falcons remain in the market for a head coach, with Gase, Quinn, Austin, and Gary Kubiak among the potential candidates still in play.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Peterson, Broncos, Fox, Tryouts

January 14th, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman made it clear earlier today that he wants Adrian Peterson on his squad next season, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.

“I don’t know if there’s a team in the NFL that wouldn’t want Adrian Peterson on the football team. If you can name me one. And I don’t want to speak for other teams. I’m being a little sarcastic with that. But I know he’s a pretty good football player.”

However, as the writer points out, Spielman did not specify what would happen to the star running back when he’s eligible to be reinstated in April…

“I’ve known Adrian his whole career and what type of person Adrian is. But I also know that we have to follow everything that’s put in place for us. Is there a resolution? Not right now. All I know is where we stand today. Does that change? I’m sure it’s going to change. Until those things change and get resolved, right now, we have Adrian Peterson, who is under contract for next year, who is currently suspended by the NFL. That’s pretty much all I can go into right now.”

Let’s take a look at some assorted notes as we wrap up this Wednesday evening…

  • Gary Kubiak is the wrong choice if Broncos GM John Elway wants a strong coach, writes Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports believes if John Fox gets the head coaching job with the Bears, he’d bring along Dennis Allen and Kyle Shanahan as his coordinators (Twitter link).
  • CFL defensive back Delvin Breaux worked out for the Buccaneers and Jaguars this week, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (via Twitter). Breaux has been a popular name in NFL circles and seems to have drawn some degree of interest from more than half the league.
  • Duron Carter met with the Panthers on Wednesday and will visit with the Browns on Thursday, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Following his workout with the Giants last week, outside linebacker Phillip Hunt worked out for the Titans recently, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Coach Notes: Quinn, Bears, Cowboys, Bills

January 14th, 2015 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Teams considering waiting for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to become available are wary about the possibility that, despite what they’re saying, the Dolphins could hire Quinn to replace Joe Philbin, given the presence of Mike Tannenbaum, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Prior to joining the Dolphins’ front office in an official capacity, Tannenbaum was Quinn’s agent, and according to La Canfora, that connection concerned the Jets to some degree.

However, a source tells La Canfora that there’s no chance Miami will hire Quinn if he’s available next month — if another team wants to wait on him, that club should have a shot at him (Twitter link). That team isn’t likely to be the 49ers though, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who tweets that San Francisco hasn’t talked about Quinn in several days. All signs are pointing to Adam Gase for the 49ers, per Cole.

Let’s check in on a few more coaching-related items….

  • John Fox‘s interview with the Bears is happening today, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, a source tells Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune that Kyle Shanahan will be one of Fox’s top offensive coordinator choices if he lands the Bears’ job.
  • According to La Canfora (Twitter link), the Falcons “love” Josh McDaniels, but the Patriots offensive coordinator still seems unlikely to leave New England.
  • Scott Linehan‘s deal with the Cowboys hasn’t been completed yet, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He’s waiting for his deal to get done before considering taking interviews and the sense is that it will be finalized soon (link). Linehan currently serves as Dallas’ passing game coordinator.
  • It’s not clear yet if Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will return to the Cowboys, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, who says that eight teams have expressed interest in Callahan. With Linehan now handling the offensive playcalls in Dallas, it’s unlikely that Callahan will be back, in George’s view.
  • Tony Sparano won’t be staying with the Raiders now that he didn’t get the team’s head coaching job, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) hears from sources that Jack Del Rio, who is expected to become Oakland’s coach, has been recruiting Marc Trestman for his offensive staff.
  • Jay Glazer of FOX Sports joined Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on PFT Live to discuss the events that led to the divorce of John Fox and the Broncos. Glazer explains that the breakup, while shocking on the outside, has actually been a long time coming. Glazer sensed back at last year’s Senior Bowl that it would be a “one and done” for Fox, unless he could win a Super Bowl this season.
  • Former Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is joining Rex Ryan on the Bills‘ staff, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com adds (via Twitter) that Pepper Johnson has been told there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s coaching staff if the Giants‘ defensive coordinator position doesn’t pan out for him. Speaking of Ryan, he said today at his introductory press conference that it’s not true that he preferred the Falcons and 49ers jobs to the Bills position, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Broncos Notes: Manning, Elway, Fox

January 13th, 2015 at 5:49pm CST by Zachary Links

What a difference a few days can make. The Broncos, who were viewed as one of the elite teams in the NFL, are in a state of flux. After being bounced by the Colts, coach John Fox is out and Peyton Manning sounds non-committal about returning to Denver next season. Meanwhile, the Broncos are having some reservations about No. 18 as well, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Broncos are worried about Manning’s quadriceps and, perhaps more importantly, his declining arm strength. Manning is owed $19MM for 2015 and some in the organization are wondering if that price tag is worth it for them. More out of Denver..

  • Broncos executive vice president and GM John Elway said that Jack Del Rio and Adam Gase are both candidates for the head coaching vacancy, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter). However, no interviews are scheduled just yet.
  • Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is a popular man. The Broncos have now requested permission to interview him for their head coaching vacancy, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Elway’s comments made it clear that he has faith in Manning, Renck tweets. He wants him back, wants him involved in the process to get back to contention, and believes that he can play another year in the NFL.
  • However, Elway went on to say that Manning will take the next four to five weeks to think about what he wants to do next, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (on Twitter).
  • When asked about his friction with Fox, Elway said, “We disagreed on how to get to the next level,” according to Pelissero (via Twitter).
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