John Idzik - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Links: Ryan, Idzik, Decker, Casserly

December 27th, 2014 at 3:18pm CST by Rob DiRe

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has cleaned out his office at One Jets Drive, reports Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. With the team set to finish the season no better than 4-12, most fans and pundits believe that it will be Ryan’s last game with New York.

Team owner Woody Johnson has hired Charlie Casserly to serve as a consultant, likely in an effort to help him to hire replacements for both Ryan and general manager John Idzik.

Here are some other notes from around Jets camp:

While Ryan has already cleaned out his office, many of his players are still giving their full support and effort to their head coach, reports Kimberly Martin of Newsday. One of his newest additions, Percy Harvin, was adamant about how much he likes playing for Ryan. “I love him. I loved him before I got here and I’m that much more in love with him now that I’m here,’‘ said Harvin. “I don’t think anybody in this locker room has anything negative to say about Coach. That’s why you see guys still playing hard these last few games, still giving their all for Coach. He’s a players’ coach and definitely a guy you want to play for.”
Idzik could very well be joining Ryan in packing up his stuff, and if he does get fired, he will have his 8-8 2013 to blame, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. Fitzgerald surmises that the surprise 8-8 season is more damaging than a three-win 2014 campaign because it elevated and highlighted Ryan’s gifts at a coach to take a bad roster to the brink of playoff contention, and it blurred the line between whether Ryan or Idzik was more to blame for the lack of success, and cost Idzik a chance at a high draft pick and a new coach this past offseason.
If Casserly has been contacting potential coach and general manager candidates, he may have committed tampering, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. He notes that the league has made no comment about the situation or the conflict of interest, as Casserly sits on the Career Development Advisory Panel. Florio’s source tells him that Casserly is calling about candidates, not contacting them directly. The influence Casserly has from sitting on that panel could be invaluable, and is considered a rare genius move by Florio.
This Sunday’s game against the Dolphins could be the last in green for a few of the Jets’ veteran player, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Some players who may not be back include Michael Vick, Willie Colon, Dawan Landry, Bilal Powell, and David Harris. Cimini also writes that Harvin, Chris Johnson, and Calvin Pace could be cap casualties this offseason.
Although Eric Decker will be missing the playoffs for only the second time in his NFL career after signing with the Jets this past offseason, he has no regrets about the decision, according to Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “I don’t have any regrets. When I made my decision to come to New York I wholeheartedly felt it was the best decision,’’ Decker said. “Even though the record is not the same and the stats aren’t the same [as they were in Denver], I still believe that my purpose is to be here. I believe there is a greater plan for me. I realize that is probably hard to see that in the moment.’’

Jets Reaching Out To GM, Head Coach Candidates

December 27th, 2014 at 10:25am CST by Ben Levine

10:25am: Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News disputes the report (all via Twitter), saying Casserly’s work has not been on behalf of the Jets. The writer notes that Casserly has been researching head coaching candidates as a member of the league’s “career development advisory panel,” which includes “exploring contract language” for at least one college coach.

8:11am: It seemed inevitable that change was coming in the Jets organization, and it appears like those moves will happen very soon. NJ.com’s Dom Cosentino reports that Charley Casserly, a newly-hired consultant to Jets owner Woody Johnson, has been reaching out to potential head coach and general manager candidates. Cosentino notes that both Rex Ryan and John Idzik are expected to be fired this weekend, and he adds that the current head coach has already cleaned out his office.

This matches up with the quotes from the New York Posts’ Bart Hubbuch, who claimed Ryan was addressing his job in the past tense during yesterday’s press conference.

“You do this to win it all, and there is no doubt about that,” Ryan said. “So obviously, I have come up short there that way. As far as all of the other stuff is concerned, I came in and I wanted to give a different identity to this team and I think we did accomplish that.”

As Cosentino observes, the situation is similar to 2013, when Ryan had discovered that Idzik was exploring potential head coach candidates. Ryan and the Jets ultimately finished the season with two straight wins, and the head coach kept his job. It doesn’t seem like we’re heading for any repeats this time around, considering the Jets can’t finish any better than 4-12 (the 2013 Jets finished 8-8).

Casserly was the former general manager in Washington and Houston, and he’s spent the last couple of years on the NFL Network. The team was rumored to be seeking Casserly’s guidance earlier this week.

AFC East Links: Jets, Patriots, Moore

December 26th, 2014 at 4:36pm CST by Rob DiRe

For the second time in two years, the Jets are expected to be in the general manager market, so Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com ran down the potential candidates. At the top of the list are some familiar names: Chiefs’ exec Chris Ballard, Falcons’ assistant GM Scott Pioli, and Patriots’ director of player personnel Nick Cesario. Former Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo and Ravens’ assistant GM Eric DeCosta – who would likely turn down an opportunity to interview with the Jets yet again – are also on the list of names.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC East:

Brian Costello of the New York Post offers up many of the same names plus a few more in his list of 15 Jets GM candidates. Beyond a GM change, he feels that the team also requires an overhaul of the scouting department. GM John Idzik has had his last two drafts picked apart, but the Jets’ draft woes go back much further than that. Dating back to 2008, the Jets have gotten weak returns on their draft classes.
Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com looked at some key contract notes for Patriots players. Quarterback Tom Brady has a big one coming up. Tomorrow at 3pm CT, his base salaries of $7MM, $8MM, and $9MM become guaranteed over the next three years. Sebastian Vollmer, Julian Edelman, and Vince Wilfork also have big incentives on the line this weekend.
Dolphins‘ backup quarterback Matt Moore is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and his future with the team is uncertain, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “I’ve enjoyed everything about my time here,” Moore said. “I’m not sure if that’s going to end or if there’s a new chapter. I don’t know yet. When that time comes, I will figure it out then.” Walker writes that Moore is considered to be one of the top backups in the league, and the Dolphins’ salary cap issures and commitment to Ryan Tannehill could force Moore out. “If the situation is right, that will happen,” Moore said of coming back. “If there’s a situation elsewhere that is intriguing, it might also happen. … I’m going to kind of feel my way through it.”
The Bills had a successful season despite missing the playoffs, starting 8-7 behind EJ Manuel and Kyle Orton and a porous offensive line. Still, new owner Terry and Kim Pegula could make changes during their first offseason with the team, and although head coach Doug Marrone likely did enough this season to keep his job, general manager Doug Whaley could be fired at the end of the year, writes Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News.

Coaching Rumors: Raiders, Harbaugh, Jets

December 24th, 2014 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NFL will celebrate Christmas tomorrow, but a more noteworthy “holiday” looms for a number of coaches and club executives, with Black Monday right around the corner. Here’s the latest on a handful of coaches and coaching situations across the league:

Having recently spoken to Raiders owner Mark Davis, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says the team has yet to conduct any interviews for potential head coaches yet, adding that the process will likely get underway next Monday and Tuesday (Twitter links).
Jim Harbaugh figures to draw interest from the Raiders, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report hears from several team officials that there’s still “great interest” in the 49ers’ head coach. However, Freeman cautions that interest has decreased slightly, as teams have done their homework on Harbaugh. While his coaching talent isn’t being questioned, clubs may be wary of Harbaugh’s “tendency to burn out people around him quickly,” writes Freeman. The Bleacher Report scribe adds that sources view Harbaugh’s odds of landing with an NFL team vs. coaching at the University of Michigan as a 50/50 proposition.
Clarifying a report from last night, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that the Jets haven’t actually reached out to Ron Wolf about a consulting role yet, but Charley Casserly has. Mehta adds that there’s a “growing sense” that general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan will both be let go at season’s end.
Speaking of Ryan, the current Jets coach may be out of work a week from now, but he still believes he’ll eventually win a Super Bowl as a head coach, as Dan Martin of the New York Post details.

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.

AFC Mailbags: Jets, Chiefs, Jaguars

December 20th, 2014 at 8:55am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes out of the AFC…

According to Rich Cimini, the vibe around the Jets organization is that owner Woody Johnson wants to replace general manger John Idzik. However, the writer suggests that Idzik could stick around in a reduced role.
Cimini writes that the majority of the Jets upcoming unrestricted free agents are replaceable, but he believes linebacker David Harris “still has value.”
As the Chiefs‘ contract negotiations with linebacker Justin Houston drag on, Adam Teicher is under the impression that the upcoming free agent is “headed for the franchise tag.”
Of the Jaguars upcoming free agents, Michael DiRocco gives defensive end Tyson Alualu the best chance of returning. The writer is not very optimistic about Cecil Shorts, Alan Ball or Marcedes Lewis re-signing.
Meanwhile, DiRocco focuses on positions the Jaguars will likely pursue in free agency. He points to offensive line, tight end and wide receiver as particular areas of need, and he throws out Patriots safety Devin McCourty as a “name to watch.”

AFC East Notes: Dolphins’ D, McCourty, Idzik

December 14th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Rory Parks

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, noting that the Dolphins defense is not the consistently stout force that defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle claims, took a look at the immediate future of each position in Coyle’s unit this morning. For instance, Jackson writes that defensive tackle Randy Starks is unlikely to return on his current contract, which creates a $6MM cap hit if Starks is on the team, and a $1MM hit if he is not.

Jackson adds that is is “highly questionable” if Miami will pay Jared Odrick what he could make on the open market, and the departures of both Odrick and Starks would force the team to go shopping for a run-stuffer like Dan Williams or Terrance Knighton in free agency. While the defensive end position is more or less set for 2015, Jackson notes that linebacker Dannell Ellerbe will either need to accept a pay cut or be released, and he points out that there is a strong class of free agent corners for the team to pursue as it seeks a reliable starter opposite Brent Grimes.

Now for a few more notes from the AFC East:

Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that there is “nothing happening” on an extension between the Patriots and Devin McCourty, and that New England is expected to use the franchise tag as major leverage.
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that one reason the Patriots might have agreed to a recent extension with Marcus Cannon is that it helps to thaw the team’s relationship with Cannon’s agent, David Dunn, a relationship that soured during the Wes Welker negotiations several seasons ago. Dunn, one of the game’s most successful agents, also represents Nate Solder, who will be a free agent in 2016, and Shane Vereen, who hits free agency after this season.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Jets GM John Idzik has been involved in the early stages of the team’s head coaching search, and La Canfora wonders if that might be a sign that Idzik’s job is safe. Although owner Woody Johnson could still parts ways with Idzik, particularly if the team lands a big-ticket head coach who wants a different general manager, Idzik’s early involvement and his ties to potential head coaching candidates are positive signs for him.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com takes a look at the Jets’ bad fortune in recent years, noting that the team’s worst seasons tend to coincide with fairly weak drafts or drafts with no elite quarterback prospects.
In the same piece, Cimini writes that nose tackle Damon Harrison, who has been one of the few bright spots for the Jets this season, is likely to receive the max tender (which is expected to be higher than 2014’s $3.1MM figure) as he hits restricted free agency.

Jets Notes: Harvin, Wilkerson, Mariota

December 13th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Rob DiRe

When the Jets traded for Percy Harvin earlier this season, it was unclear whether the team planned to retain him going forward past 2014. In addition to a base salary of more then $10MM, the team would also owe Seattle a fourth-round pick if they decided to keep the playmaker on the roster in 2015, as opposed to a sixth-round pick if they decided to move on from him.

If Harvin gets a say in it, he would like to stay with the Jets, writes George Willis of the New York Post. “I feel at home here. I’m comfortable with all the players,” Harvin said Friday. “I like the vibe around here.”

Here are some other notes about the Jets as they ready themselves for what their fans would hope will be an active offseason:

Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is still dealing with a toe injury that forced him to miss the last two games, but he shouldn’t try to rush back until he is fully healthy, according to Willis. With the team sitting at 2-11 with no chance of the playoffs, the best thing Wilkerson can do for himself and for the team is to be healthy and receive his extension to stay with the Jets long term.
The biggest move the Jets can make this offseason would be to find their franchise quarterback, and the best place to do that would be in the 2015 NFL Draft. If things break right that player could be tonight’s Heisman favorite, Marcus Mariota of Oregon, according to Burt Hubbuch of the Post. “If the Jets like me and it happens that they take me, I’ll be the best Jet I can be and play my heart out for them,” said Mariota. “I’ll do whatever it takes to win games. I would love to play for them.” Mariota is notlikely to officially decide to forego his senior season until after his season is over.
The Jets’ offseason will be an active one, and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com addresses a number of issues in his mailbag this morning. He writes that while the Jets may be interested in Bill Cowher as a head coach, Cowher would be a better candidate for the Giants. He also states that he would be surprised of general manager John Idzik survives with the team after only two short years.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Revis, Bills

December 11th, 2014 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

Jets owner Woody Johnson says he has yet to make up his mind about the respective futures of head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik in New York, and a source confirms to Gary Myers of the New York Daily News that indeed seems to be the case. However, in Myers’ view, it sounds as if the disappointed owner is set to make some major changes at season’s end.

“This is a results-oriented business,” Johnson said. “You try to put a package together to help you right the ship. We evaluate everybody. Everybody in football is evaluated. It’s going to happen at the end of the year, that’s the way we normally do it. That’s the way most teams do it.”

Ryan has long been considered a good bet to be fired, but it’s not clear yet whether Idzik will receive another year to try to right the ship in New York. As we wait to see what Johnson decides, let’s check in on a few other items out of the AFC East….

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has some suggestions for how Johnson can fix the Jets, suggesting the owner install a personnel man at GM and hire an offensive-minded head coach.
Darrelle Revis is getting rave reviews during his first season with the Patriots, but if the team hopes to keep him beyond 2015, he won’t come cheaply. Christopher Price of WEEI.com tries to get a handle on what an extension for Revis might look like, estimating that the standout cornerback could be worth $12-14MM annually, with a big chunk of guaranteed money.
Jets running back Chris Johnson has had this weekend’s game against the Titans circled on his calendar for months, and says he wants to “go out there and tear it up and show ’em what they missed out on” when they cut him in the offseason (link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
Examining potential suitors for Robert Griffin III, Matt Williamson of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) suggests the Bills and Jets would both be logical fits as trade partners for Washington.
Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon auditioned for the Bills this week, per Wilson (via Twitter).

East Notes: Revis, Briles, Cowboys

December 7th, 2014 at 10:49am CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots will have a big decision to make regarding the future of star cornerback Darrelle Revis this offseason, and Tom Curran and Mike Giardi of CSNNewEngland.com discuss in a video piece what that decision will entail. Although Revis has stated that he does not need to be the highest paid cornerback in the league to be happy, Curran and Giardi note that Revis is a shrewd businessman and that it will take a fair (read: highly-lucrative) offer to get a deal done.

Let’s take a look at a few more items from the league’s east divisions:

In the same piece, Curran and Giardi examine how the Patriots might negotiate with injured linebacker Jerod Mayo. They note that New England may approach Mayo with an incentive-laden offer based upon health, which was the team’s strategy when negotiating with Vince Wilfork.
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that losing Aaron Dobson for the season serves as yet another reminder of how difficult it has been for the Patriots to draft and develop quality receiving talent under Bill Belichick (though Belichick has usually done more than enough to compensate for that deficiency in other ways).
In a piece that will probably surprise no one, ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that Jets GM John Idzik has alienated members of his coaching staff and front office, further fueling the belief that the team’s administration will undergo a complete overhaul in the offseason.
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report notes (via Twitter) that if Washington fires first-year head coach Jay Gruden after the 2014 season (as PFR’s Rob DiRe discussed last night), the team should pursue current Baylor University head coach Art Briles, whose offense would mesh well with Robert Griffin III‘s skillset. Albert Breer of the NFL Network, however, tweets that it would be a “shocker” if Briles were to leave Texas.
Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com describes how the Cowboys might go about manipulating their salary cap in order to create enough room to retain Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, and Rolando McClain, but he notes that the player Dallas should really focus on is right tackle Doug Free.