HEADLINES

Kevin Patullo

Extra Points: Brown, Olsen, Lewis, Colts

February 4th, 2020 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Marvin Lewis is back in the coaching ranks. Doug Haller of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the former Bengals head coach has been named co-defensive coordinator at Arizona State.

Former defensive coordinator Tony White left for a new gig at Syracuse, providing an opening for Lewis. He’ll coach alongside fellow co-defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce.

After being fired by the Bengals following the 2018 season, Lewis joined his buddies Ray Anderson and Herm Edwards at ASU. He served last season as a special advisor, and the 61-year-old had said he didn’t intend to coach again. Despite his declaration, Lewis met with the Cowboys about their head coaching vacancy back in January.

While Lewis didn’t help the Bengals achieve any playoff success (0-7 in seven appearances) during his 16 years in Cincy, he did finish his tenure with a 131-122 record. Those 131 victories are the most all-time among Bengals coaches, while his seven playoff losses without a win is an NFL record.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

  • When Greg Olsen was released by the Panthers, it was described as a mutual parting. However, the veteran tight end said he would have been open to returning to Carolina in 2020. “I told them all along that if they wanted me back…obviously I would have been back,” the veteran said (via WFNZ-AM/FM on Twitter). “The ‘mutual parting’ might have been a little overblown. The reality was…they weren’t going to bring me back…I understood it but I didn’t force my way out of here.”
  • We learned this past weekend that former Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Groh was joining the Colts coaching staff. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the 48-year-old will be Indy’s new wide receivers coach. Groh was a natural fit for the Colts, as he actually replaced current Colts head coach (and former Philly offensive coordinator). Frank Reich in 2018. Kevin Patullo, who previously held the role of wide receivers coach, will remain on the staff in a different role.
  • Marquise Brown had a standout rookie campaign for the Ravens, but ‘Hollywood’ was battling an injury throughout the season. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley writes that the first-rounder never fully healed from a foot injury suffered earlier in the year. Despite the ailment, Brown still finished the season having hauled in 46 catches for 584 yards and seven touchdowns, leading quarterback Lamar Jackson to compare him to one of the NFL’s top receivers. “Even though he was hurt with his foot, he still felt like he should be Julio (Jones) already,” Jackson said. “I told him, ‘Bro, you’re good. Your foot not already 100 and you’re making plays.’ This year, he’s going to be dangerous.”

AFC South Notes: Colts, Melvin, Jaguars, Lee

February 28th, 2018 at 8:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a quick spin around the AFC South:

  • The Colts intend to allow free agent cornerback Rashaan Melvin hit the open market, general manager Chris Ballard told reporters, including Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). That’s perhaps unsurprising given that Melvin is one of the more intriguing and unproven players scheduled to hit free agency next month. Melvin, 28, had appeared in only 12 games and made two starts before joining the Colts in 2016. He’s since started 19 games over the past two seasons, and was outstanding in 2017, grading as the NFL’s No. 17 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. While Melvin could certainly become a diamond in the rough for a team who trusts him as a full-time starter, it’s also possible he turns back into a pumpkin, so there’s risk involved in his free agent case.
  • While the Jaguars hope to retain free agent wideout Allen Robinson, they’re “far more likely” to to sign several cheaper options than pay up for Robinson, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who points to fellow Jacksonville free agent Marqise Lee as an alternative for general manager Dave Caldwell & Co. The Jaguars are reportedly open to using the franchise tag on Robinson, which would enable them to keep their top pass-catcher for a one-year cost of ~$16MM. However, Jacksonville is relatively cap-strapped, so adding multiple low-cost options could make more financial sense for the team.
  • The Colts have continued to fill out Frank Reich‘s staff by hiring Tom Rathman as running backs coach and Kevin Patullo as wide receivers coach, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (multiple stories). Rathman previously served two stints with the 49ers, but he won’t coaching his former pupil Frank Gore, whom Indianapolis does not plan to re-sign. In addition to his work in San Francisco, Rathmaan has also coached in Detroit and Oakland. Patullo, meanwhile, has led quarterbacks and wide receivers in stops with the Jets, Titans, and Bills, but spent 2017 as an analyst for Texas A&M.

Jets Notes: Pryor, Draft, Coaching Staff

January 28th, 2017 at 11:55am CST by Ben Levine

Darryl Slater and Connor Hughes of NJ.com wonder if the Jets could decide to trade former first-round pick Calvin Pryor this offseason. The 24-year-old just completed his third NFL season, but the safety has yet to establish himself as a “huge difference maker.” The Jets will eventually have to decide whether they want to pick up the player’s fifth-year option, and the organization could ultimately decide to put that responsibility on another team.

The two writers suggest a trade with the Seahawks that would send Pryor to Seattle and offensive lineman Germain Ifedi to New York. The 2016 first-round pick played in six games (six starts) for the Seahawks this past season.

Slater and Hughes touch on a number of additional topics in their latest column. We’ve compiled some of the notable tidbits below…

  • The Jets “love” Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson. The 6-2, 253-pound defender had a monster season in 2016, compiling 61 tackles and 8.5 sacks. If Anderson drops to the second round, Slater and Hughes believe the Jets could zero in on him. The organization is also “doing their homework” on the tight end class.
  • The duo notes that the Jets’ two biggest needs are at quarterback and the offensive line. Unfortunately, the organization isn’t going to find elite talent from those positions in this year’s draft. While North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky would be an intriguing option, Slater and Hughes are doubtful that the player will fall to the Jets’ sixth-overall pick.
  • Todd Bowles has started to fill out his staff, but he still has a vacancy at defensive line coach. Slater and Hughes suggest that Cardinals defensive line coach Brentson Buckner could be an option, especially since the two coaches worked together in Arizona for two years. While Bowles is a big fan of Buckner, it’s unlikely that Cardinals coach Bruce Arians would just let him go.
  • The Jets were originally hoping to promote quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo to offensive coordinator following Chan Gailey‘s inevitable retirement. However, the Jets offense struggled mightily this past season, and the organization decided to look elsewhere to fill the vacancy. Slater and Hughes note that the Jets are still fans of Patullo, but they didn’t feel comfortable making him their offensive coordinator.

Jets OC Chan Gailey Retires

January 3rd, 2017 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets announced that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has retired. The Jets also announced that five coaches will not return: quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo, running backs coach Marcel Shipp, defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, outside linebackers coach Mark Collins, and defensive backs coach Joe Danna. Defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers, apparently, will be retained. Chan Gailey (vertical)

“I’m grateful to Chan for joining our coaching staff and enjoyed working with him,” coach Todd Bowles said in the statement. “The respect that I have for him as a person and a coach only increased during our time together.”

It seems possible that Gailey would have been forced out even if he did not retire this offseason. The soon-t0-be 65-year-old oversaw an offense that had the second-worst offensive DVOA in the NFL this year. However, in 2015, Gailey’s offense that amassed a franchise-record 5,925 yards and scored 387 points, the most in a Jets season since 1998. There was lots of frustration over Gailey’s play-calling this year, but the team’s shortcomings under center probably played a bigger role.

The Jets are expected to target Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and former Chargers coach Mike McCoy as OC options, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com and Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter links).

Jets Notes: Revis, Quinn, Bowles, Idzik

January 27th, 2015 at 7:21pm CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday at media day, Darrelle Revis was asked it must be like for a Jets fan to watch him play on game’s biggest stage after making a name for himself for his first six seasons in New York. Revis didn’t have much in the way of consolation for fans of Gang Green. “€œIt’€™s not really my fault,” Revis said, according to Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com. “I didn’€™t make the call. Management made the call at that time and they felt it was best to get rid of me. So that’€™s the situation. That’€™s how I look at it.” More on the Jets..

  • The Jets were heavily interested in Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for their head coaching vacancy, but they were never completely convinced that they were No. 1 on his wish list, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. Meanwhile, Todd Bowles clicked with new GM Mike Maccagnan and owner Woody Johnson felt comfortable with the former Cardinals defensive coordinator.
  • Seahawks GM John Schneider doesn’t think that John Idzik got a fair shake in New York. “I felt bad for him. I think that, it’s just my personal opinion that you should be able to hire a head coach,” the Seattle GM said, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • Veteran tight ends coach Jimmie Johnson told some coaching colleagues that he’s joining the Jets staff to coach their tight ends, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Three offensive position coaches have been named to Bowles’ coaching staff according to an announcement on Tuesday — Steve Marshall as offensive line coach, Kevin Patullo as quarterbacks coach, and Marcel Shipp as running backs coach.

Coach Notes: Broncos, Phillips, Schwartz, Jets

January 27th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

As our offensive/defensive coordinator search tracker shows, hirings of OCs and DCs have slowed down a little in the last few days — the teams that headed into this past weekend with job openings on either side of the ball have yet to name their new coordinators, and in some cases those clubs may wait until after the Super Bowl to announce any official decisions.

Still, that doesn’t mean there’s no forward movement on any coordinator searches. An update out of Denver headlines our latest round-up of coaching-related items, so let’s dive right in….

  • Former head coach Wade Phillips is in Denver today to interview for the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator position, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who notes that Phillips coached the team way back when John Elway and Gary Kubiak were players.
  • While Phillips is a viable candidate for the DC job in Denver, the Broncos‘ top choice still appears to be Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets that one potential scenario would see Phillips getting the job for 2015, then transitioning to a senior assistant role in 2016 when Joseph is freed from his contract in Cincinnati.
  • Former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz confirmed that he’s being selective about the next job he takes, as Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun writes. “I saw the opening up in Buffalo as a good opportunity, so I took it,” Schwartz said. “But no, right now, I can’t see myself doing anything else. Coaching is something I love, something I have a passion about. Another opportunity will present itself. I’m not too concerned.” Schwartz reportedly had two years remaining on his contract in Buffalo when the team let him go, which is perhaps contributing to his patient approach to finding another job.
  • Titans assistant receivers coach Kevin Patullo will be the new quarterbacks coach for the Jets, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Patullo previously worked with new Jets OC Chan Gailey in Buffalo.
  • Former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is currently considering multiple options, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The 49ers reportedly have an offer out to Fewell, and the Bengals could be in the mix as well, though Raanan writes that Washington may have the edge.
  • The Jaguars have fired running backs coach Terry Richardson and are interviewing former Raiders running backs coach Kelly Skipper for the newly-opened job, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Skipper worked with new Jags OC Greg Olson in Oakland.
  • Speaking of the Jaguars, their current defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker is drawing interest from other teams, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
  • Earlier today, we learned that Rob Chudzinski, an offensive coordinator target for both the Rams and 49ers, would stick with the Colts and receive a new title.