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Nick Caserio

AFC East Notes: Wallace, Caserio, Bills

December 28th, 2014 at 8:53pm CST by Rob DiRe

Dolphins‘ receiver Mike Wallace was benched during today’s game against the Jets for what was apparently an attitude problem, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Breer highlights this as a situation to watch going forward into the offseason.

Wallace is signed through 2017, with cap numbers of $12.1MM, $13.7MM, and $13.7MM the next three seasons. The team would only save $2.5MM by cutting him this offseason, according to OverTheCap.com.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC East:

  • The Patriots extended the contract of director of player personnel Nick Caserio earlier today, and one reason for this could be the opinion of head coach Bill Belichick, writes Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “He contributes in a lot of different ways, and I’m glad I have him. I need him,” Belichick said. “He probably does more than any other person in his position in the league in terms of his amount of responsibility and the number of different things at the coaching and scouting level. He’s really a valuable guy that has great working knowledge of really everything that we do on the scouting end and the coaching end.”
  • Bills‘ CEO Russ Brandon and head coach Doug Marrone both confirmed that they do not have any scheduled meetings with new owners Terry and Kim Pegula, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “I’m sure at some point we’ll get into some more in-depth meetings,” Brandon said. “There’s nothing scheduled at this point. I talk to Terry all the time, and I have nothing on the books right now for any meetings.” Marrone confirmed that he had not been contacted regarding a meeting.
  • Marrone has three days after the end of the season to opt out of his contract with the Bills due to a change in ownership, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio does not believe Marrone will exercise this clause in his contract.
  • Bills‘ running back Fred Jackson earned an incentive of $150,000 in the team’s Week 17 victory over the Patriots, reports Rodak (via Twitter).

Patriots Extend Nick Caserio

December 28th, 2014 at 10:53am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots have extended the contract of director of player personnel Nick Caserio through the 2020 season, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN. The deal is thought to be the longest for a front office executive in the NFL. Per Schefter, the pact was finalized weeks ago, but this is the first public report of the extension.

The contract has implications throughout the league, as Caserio was thought to be one of, if not the top, prospective general manager candidates on the market. He was offered the Dolphins GM post last season, but declined, paving the way for Miami to hire Dennis Hickey. He’s been linked to the Jets during this season, and just this morning, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com speculated that Caserio could be a fit with the Texans.

Caserio, 39, has been with New England since 2001, acting first as a coaching assistant, then area scout, and even served as the team’s receivers coach during the 2007 season. The John Carroll grad has been in his current position since 2008. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Caserio is a “respected, no-frills negotiator,” and though Bill Belichick and Floyd Reese have dealt with contracts since Scott Pioli left after the 2008 season, Caserio has been handed more responsibility as of late.

While Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Herald wonders (via Twitter) if Caserio”s extension includes a promotion to general manager, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe says (Twitter link) that the deal is largely symbolic, an indication on the part of Caserio that he’s committed to the Patriots. Additionally, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com speculates (on Twitter) that the contract could be an indicator of the end of Belichick’s tenure; in other words Belichick is ensuring his top personnel man will be in New England as long as he is.

La Canfora’s Latest: Texans, Browns, Harbaugh

December 28th, 2014 at 9:23am CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s check out the latest from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:

  • The Texans are expected to make a change at general manager during the offseason, with current GM Rick Smith shifting into a new role that doesn’t involve football operations. Head coach Bill O’Brien will have significant input on who is hired to fill the position, and sources tell La Canfora that the club already has several candidates in mind. Patriots executive Nick Caserio would likely be O’Brien’s top choice, as the two worked together in New England. Other external options include the Eagles’ Tom Gamble and the Pats’ Jon Robinson, while internal candidates could include scouting director Mike Maccagnan and director of pro personnel Brian Gaine. Texans vice chariman Cal McNair has denied La Canfora’s report, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
  • Meanwhile, changes could also be coming in Buffalo and Tennessee, writes La Canfora. Bills GM Doug Whaley doesn’t have a great relationship with head coach Doug Marrone, and given that the current Buffalo front office was responsible for the selection of E.J. Manuel, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club completely overhaul its management team. Meanwhile, the Titans could opt to fire general manager Ruston Webster, and replace him with executive Lake Dawson.
  • The Browns are growing increasingly frustrated with both Josh Gordon and Johnny Manziel, sources tell La Canfora. Gordon, who was suspended for today’s game after missing a walkthrough on Saturday, will file a grievance against the team in order to maintain his free agent status after 2015. But Cleveland officials say Gordon “has to go,” although La Canfora says it’s unclear whether owner Jimmy Haslam is willing to trade the talented wideout. For his part, Manziel was also absent yesterday, and team security was forced to go to his house to retrieve him. The rookie quarterback reportedly threw a team party Friday night (which led to several Browns being late on Saturday), the latest questionable decision by a player who recently vowed to take the game more seriously.
  • Five clubs — the Raiders, Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Bears — are expected to make coaching changes in the coming days. The Raiders still have their eye on Jim Harbaugh, but if he takes the Michigan job as expected, the club could bring in Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. And while the 49ers are expected to look at some of the younger offensive coaches during their search, the Jets, Falcons, and Bears are looking to hire an established head coach, per La Canfora. Rex Ryan is an option in Atlanta, though if the Falcons lose today and miss the playoffs, general manger Thomas Dimitroff could be axed there. In Chicago, the club could look to reunite Mike Shanahan with Jay Cutler.
  • The Raiders will indeed attempt to make their pitch to Harbaugh, and would even engage in trade talks with the 49ers if possible. La Canfora notes (via Twitter) that NFL executives won’t believe Harbaugh has a deal with Michigan until it’s officially signed.
  • Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is a name to watch regarding head-coaching vacancies. La Canfora says sources have compared Autin’s rise to that of Mike Tomlin, who went from an unknown position coach to leading the Steelers in rapid time. Austin is expected to garner several interviews, including one with the Falcons.

Extra Points: Colts, Ngata, Royal, Jets

December 20th, 2014 at 10:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Saturday evening…

  • While linebacker Jonathan Newsome has established himself this season with 4.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits, Mike Wells of ESPN.com says the Colts should still focus on selecting a pass-rusher in this year’s draft.
  • Ravens rookie Timmy Jernigan has played well recently, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes that the defensive end’s play over the final two weeks may determine whether the team keeps Haloti Ngata. Baltimore can clear $8.5MM by releasing the former Pro Bowler.
  • Chargers wideout Eddie Royal caught his 50th pass of the season during the first quarter of tonight’s matchup against the 49ers, activating a $500K bonus (via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego on Twitter).
  • Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News believes the Jets need a “culture change,” and the writer suggest owner Woody Johnson steals two members of a rival organization: Patriots player personnel director Nick Caserio and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
  • As Black Monday approaches, Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com compiles a list of coaches who shouldn’t be comfortable with their job security: Jim Harbaugh (49ers), Marc Trestman (Bears), Tony Sparano (Raiders), Rex Ryan (Jets), Joe Philbin (Dolphins), Jay Gruden (Washington), Tom Coughlin (Giants), Mike Smith (Falcons), Ron Rivera (Panthers), Gus Bradley (Jaguars) and Ken Whisenhunt (Titans).

AFC East Links: Wilkerson, Dolphins, Pats

October 23rd, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

As we look forward to a showdown of the AFC West’s leaders tonight, let’s shift our focus to the other side of the conference and round up a few items from out of the AFC East….

  • While the Jets recently locked up wide receiver Jeremy Kerley through 2018, defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson is the more notable extension candidate on the roster. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report suggests that because the Jets can keep Wilkerson under control at a relatively affordable price through 2016 due to his fifth-year option and the franchise tag, the team may not be willing to offer significant guaranteed money at this point.
  • The Dolphins could use a power running back, some help at linebacker, and a gunner on special teams, but it’s unclear if they’ll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, if they’re even active at all, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. If the Dolphins do decide to make a move, defensive lineman Jared Odrick looks like their most plausible trade chip, in Kelly’s view.
  • Rookie running back David Fluellen and former Tampa Bay defensive end Scott Solomon had workouts with the Patriots this week, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio is one of five NFL executives identified by Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post as potential general manager candidates this offseason.

More On Dolphins’ GM Saga

January 26th, 2014 at 3:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey will have complete control over roster decisions, a team source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. This news comes amid reports that several Miami GM candidates opted against taking the position due to lack of clarity regarding personnel management.

Salguero also reports that Titans VP of Football Operations Lake Dawson and Patriots VP of Player Personnel Nick Caserio turned down the job due to potential conflicts with Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin. Dawson reportedly would have been agreeable to keeping Philbin on for one season before wanting to clean house and hire a new coach. Caserio, however, wanted to install a new regime immediately upon his arrival. Neither approach was acceptable to Dolphins ownership, as they wanted a GM who would continue to work with Philbin as the head coach.

Hickey presumably agreed to keeping Philbin on staff, and will likely have no say in coaching matters. Hickey will report directly to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Vice president of football operations Dawn Aponte, rumored to be gaining power behind the scenes, will report to Hickey on all matters, not just the salary cap, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

Dolphins Interviewing Nick Caserio For GM Job

January 25th, 2014 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 8:41am: Caserio will continue interviewing with the team today, according to Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

FRIDAY, 12:38pm: The Dolphins officially announced (via Twitter) that they’ve completed their interview with Caserio.

11:56am: Unsatisfied with their list of general manager finalists, the Dolphins will interview Patriots director of pro personnel Nick Caserio today, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The news comes a day after one of the favorites for the job, Ray Farmer, withdrew his name from contention.

With Farmer out of the mix, Dolphins assistant GM Brian Gaine and Titans VP of player personnel Lake Dawson are believed to be among the finalists, with Bucs director of player personnel Dennis Hickey also potentially still in the running. The Dolphins were believed to be whittling down their list and approaching the final stage of the process, but by bringing in Caserio, it seems the team hasn’t finished adding to its list of candidates.

Multiple reports have suggested there’s some confusion or uncertainty among the Dolphins’ interviewees about how the power structure in the team’s front office would work, and Caserio has enjoyed plenty of success in his current role with the Pats, so it will be interesting to see if he’s open to leaving New England if the Dolphins decide he’s their man. Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post indicated yesterday that Miami is expected to make a hire next week.