Pete Carroll

Extra Points: Cowboys, Rams, Brockers, Lions, Dunlap

April 16th, 2018 at 9:29pm CST by Micah Powell

After much speculation, Cowboys defender Byron Jones confirmed on Monday that he will be switching from safety to cornerback in 2018, the Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota writes.

Viewed as a versatile defender coming out of college, Jones played cornerback as a rookie in 2015 and a safety the past two seasons. New defensive backs coach Kris Richard preferred him at the former.

“I think it will be a good move for me and the team. I’m always open to making position changes, as long as I’m in the best position to succeed. If [Richard] believes my best position is corner, then I’m down.”

Richard knows a thing or two about getting the best from bigger cornerbacks. With the Seahawks, Richard oversaw Richard Sherman’s ascent to one of the premier corners in the league. What remains to be seen is if the team prefers him on the boundary or in the slot. In 2017, rookies Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis showed plenty of promise on the outside.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

In a press conference on Monday, Rams defensive lineman Michael Brockers told reporters he tore his MCL in the team’s playoff loss to the Falcons in January, ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez tweets. During that game, the sixth-year defender sat out the second half. The good news for Los Angeles is that Brockers took part in team activities on Monday, but they’re not in pads until training camp.
If any Lions players are moved in draft-day deals, some of the names that make sense include Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick and Jake Rudock, ESPN’s Michael Rothstein writes. Those names all come to mind after the team added veterans in LeGarrette Blount and Matt Cassel in the offseason.
The goal is for the Bengals to sign both Carlos Dunlap and get a new deal with Geno Atkins, Bengals.com writer Geoff Hobson notes in a mailbag. Both Dunlap’s and Atkins’ deals run through the 2018 campaign.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to be deposed in the next two weeks in Colin Kaeperncik‘s collusion case against the league, USA Today’s A.J. Perez writes. Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll are also on the docket to be deposed.

West Notes: Reid, Broncos, Carroll, Rams

December 31st, 2017 at 2:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eric Reid looks set to become a UFA for the first time. The fifth-year safety’s 49ers contract expires after Week 17, and should the former first-round pick hit the market, he’ll be doing so at age 26 and with five seasons of full-time starter work. However, Reid is aware his protest participation over the past two years could play a role in his market.

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘concerned.’ I’d say I understand that that’s a possibility,” Reid said, via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, when asked about his potential UFA market diminishing because of his participation in the Colin Kaepernick-led protest movement. “And I’m completely fine with that. The things that I’ve done, I stand by. And I’ve done that for my own personal beliefs. Like I said I’m fine with whatever outcome comes because of that.”

Pro Football Focus rates Reid as a middle-of-the-pack safety this season. He’s suffered injuries in back-to-back years as well. But the ex-LSU cog started for an NFC championship game entrant as a rookie, earning Pro Bowl recognition, and has gone on to play both safety spots in San Francisco.

Here’s the latest from the Western divisions as the majority of those coalitions’ teams prepare for their seasons’ final games.

Vance Joseph‘s bid at a second Broncos season is suddenly at risk. After ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported the rookie HC was facing longer odds at returning, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the growing sense is Joseph will be canned after today’s finale. Several Broncos players have come out in support of Joseph, and a report earlier this month said Joseph was likely to earn a second season. But eight of Denver’s 10 losses have been by double digits, putting Joseph in line to possibly become the franchise’s first one-and-done coach.
Pete Carroll‘s obviously earned protection against being fired, but the eighth-year Seahawks coach doesn’t sound like he’s close to leaving the sideline especially soon. Seemingly in response to a rumor about a possible retirement floated by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, the 66-year-old HC said (on Twitter) “I ain’t old enough to think about retiring.”
Trumaine Johnson is finishing out his second franchise-tagged season, but he’s unsure the Rams will bring him back. The cornerback said at the beginning of the season it didn’t sound like he was in the team’s long-term plans, but he’s played a big role for a contending team this season. And Johnson, who turns 28 on Monday, pointed out this week he would like to stay in Los Angeles. “I’d love to be around,” Johnson said, via Rich Hammond of the Los Angeles Daily News. “But again, I understand the business side of it, so we’ll see. We’ll see in these next couple months.”
Sean McVay (via Hammond) isn’t sure Mark Barron will return for the Rams’ playoff opener next weekend. The linebacker’s battling an Achilles’ tendon injury and will be one of many players the Rams will rest today.
Jamaal Charles is inactive for the Broncos‘ season finale, and the 10th-year running back will fall just short of a $100K incentive, the Denver Post’s Nicki Jhabvala notes (on Twitter). Charles was to earn that bonus if he reached 500 yards from scrimmage, which was one of many thresholds in his incentive-laden contract. The 31-year-old back looked like a lock to get there at midseason, but he fell out of Denver’s rotation and will end his season with 425 yards. This could be the end for the two-time All-Pro, although he said earlier this season he wanted to play two more seasons.

Breer’s Latest: Black Monday Preview

December 28th, 2017 at 9:31am CST by GregGoldstein

With the final week of the NFL’s regular season approaching, that only means two things; 12 teams will soon be focusing on reaching the Super Bowl, while the rest will start to look ahead to next season. One major part of looking forward is addressing who on the coaching staff will be returning in 2018. Many of these coaching questions are answered on the day following Week’s 17 conclusion, conveniently called “Black Monday”.

Veteran reporter Albert of Breer of Sports Illustrated, gave a preview of the coaches he expects to stay and the ones that will likely be shown the door in his most recent column. Breer ranked the potential firings as “Likely/Done”, “We’ll See”, and “It’s Complicated”. In total, there were 15 head coaches mentioned who could see their situations change starting next week.

Here’s a quick look at Breer’s takes on some of the league’s hottest coaching questions:

There were five head coaches included in the “likely/done” category including: Bears‘ John Fox, Bengals‘ Marvin Lewis, Lions‘ Jim Caldwell, Colts‘ Chuck Pagano and and the Giants‘ interim coach Steve Spagnuolo. The four full-time head coaches on this list have all had their fair share of success in the league. In fact, three of them led their current teams to multiple playoff appearances during their tenure. However, Caldwell and Lewis have been unable to win a postseason game with Pagano and Fox having failed at continuing the past success they have shown during their careers in football. Breer notes that while the “expectation is that Fox will be gone”, the decision on the fate of general manager Ryan Pace is true question facing the franchise this offseason. There’s been rapid speculation about Lewis, Caldwell and Pagano throughout the year, so their inclusion on this list is no surprise. Finally, the Giants are currently interviewing general manager candidates who will almost certainly be looking to lead their own head coaching search once hired.
Breer puts six current head coaches in the ‘we’ll see” part of the list. This portion mentions the Cardinals‘ Bruce Arians, Broncos‘ Vance Joseph, Raiders‘ Jack Del Rio, Buccaneers‘ Dirk Koetter, Titans‘ Mike Mularkey and the Redskins‘ Jay Gruden. There’s a variety of situations going on here with Breer noting that Arizona could see Arians retire, which could lead them to other current NFL head coaches: Todd Bowles and Bill O’Brien. Del Rio and Gruden have had their fair share of success because of quality quarterback play, but both have managed to decrease confidence because of an inconsistent 2017 season. However, Breer points out that both are signed long-term so their owners would have to eat the remaining years of their current deals. Mularkey and Koetter were rewarded for the relationships they formed with their QB’s, but there’s been disappointment with how this season has unfolded for their teams. Breer notes that should Mularkey lose this Sunday, he could be on the chopping block come Monday morning with the team looking to hire an offensive-minded coach like Josh McDaniels. Finally, Joseph has forced himself to the hot seat even in his first year of coaching the Broncos, though Breer says himself that this situation is “unpredictable” given that team president John Elway is just “not pleased with how the season’s gone”.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson, and the two previously mentioned O’Brien and Bowles of the Texans and Jets, find themselves on the “it’s complicated” section of Breer’s roundup largely because of just the many factors are at play in regards to their situations. Jackson got a vote of confidence from owner Jimmy Haslam himself, but new general manager John Dorsey could have his sights on implementing his own guy after a winless season. O’Brien has made the playoffs before, but has struggled committing to a QB even after the team selected Deshaun Watson in the first round. Bowles has done a lot with a little in New York this season, but ownership could go in a different direction with a new starting signal caller likely walking into the building next year. Also, there is the potential that all three coaches could move onto new head coaching gigs with the number of openings that could be available this offseason. The final and definitely most surprising inclusion on this list was Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who Breer mentions could retire at age 66 with a roster about to see major turnover in the next few years. Although, I would venture that nothing he’s said this season would indicate that being the case.

Seahawks RB Chris Carson Suffers Setback

December 8th, 2017 at 8:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Seahawks running back Chris Carson‘s attempt at a 2017 comeback has been halted for the time being, as head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Carson suffered a setback in his recovery from a broken leg, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

“(Carson) a little bit of an ankle turn. Just caught it a little bit,” said Carroll. “So just got to make sure we know what that means as he bounces back from it. We were looking to try to find a time when we could put him back on the practice field next week or the week after that.

We were looking with real optimism. But I don’t know if that’s going to happen after the little setback. We’ll have to see when we get though the weekend. We won’t know until like Wednesday or something of next week where that fits.”

As Carroll alluded to, Seattle was hopeful that Carson would be able to return from injured reserve at some point this year. In fact, Carroll said earlier this week that Carson had been “unbelievably ahead of schedule” in his rehab. While a return now appears doubtful, Carson could conceivably come back if/when the Seahawks earn a postseason berth. Carson has already been sidelined for more than eight weeks (the league minimum when placed on IR), so he can return to Seattle’s active roster at any time.

Carson, whom the Seahawks selected in the seventh round of the 2017 draft, had seized the club’s starting running back job before going down with injury. On 49 carries, the 23-year-old Carson had managed 4.2 yards per carry while also handling seven receptions. Even though he’s been absent for two months, Carson’s 208 yards rushing are still tops among Seattle running backs.

Without Carson available, the Seahawks have tried a number of options in the backfield with little success, as the club ranks just 22nd in rushing DVOA. The latest candidate for playing time is former fourth-rounder Mike Davis, whom Seattle claimed off waivers from San Francisco before the season began. Davis managed 64 yards on 16 carries in Week 13 against the Eagles.

West Notes: Lynch, Staley, Buchanon

November 26th, 2017 at 10:08pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Broncos turned to another quarterback, but got the same results in today’s loss to Oakland. Second-year signal caller Paxton Lynch was the latest passer to rack up a defeat during the team’s seven game losing streak. However, the loss was not the only thing the former first round pick suffered on Sunday.

Lynch was forced to exit the game in the third quarter after an apparent right ankle injury, reports Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. The quarterback was seen very emotion on the sideline when he learned that his day would be done. It’s a crushing development for Lynch, who’d been waiting for his chance to get on the field as he’d been recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in the preseason.

Trevor Siemian was good in relief, but with the team at 3-8 and clearly out of the playoff hunt, I’m sure head coach Vance Joseph wanted to see what he had in his young gunslinger. It remains to be seen just how serious the injury actually is, though it appears to be distinct possibility that the team will have to switch starters again in Week 13.

The 49ers have dealt with a variety of injuries this year, but seemed to avoid another to one of the team’s best players. Left tackle Joe Staley left the game for just one play after an apparent leg injury, but was able to return without much issue. The veteran lineman clarified after the game that he simply hyperextended his knee and is fine, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link).
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians confirmed that linebacker Deone Bucannon has injured right leg, says Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. While the news is concerning on its own, there is added negativity because it’s the same leg that Bucannon had surgery on during offseason, which forced him to miss the first three games of the year. It’s not known just how long it’s expected to keep the 25-year-old out, but the team does have three reserves in Josh Bynes, Scooby Wright and Bryson Albright to take those snaps should the injury force Bucannon to miss time.
The Seahawks came out of their win over the 49ers with few injuries of their own. Head coach Pete Carroll said that defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson was “Ok” after leaving in the fourth quarter, reports Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. However, Henderson also passes along that second-string tight end Luke Willson suffered a bit more serious of an injury after he was removed in the second quarter with a concussion. Carroll did mention to reporters that the tight end has a chance to play in next week’s game, but he obviously must pass concussion protocol first. In the meantime, both Jimmy Graham and third-stringer Nick Vannett were able to find the end zone without Willson in the lineup.

Seahawks Pass On Colin Kaepernick

June 2nd, 2017 at 4:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks won’t be signing Colin Kaepernick. At least, not right now. Today, coach Pete Carroll told reporters that while the door remains “open” to a union with Kaepernick, there is nothing imminent on that front.

This jibes with a report from earlier this week which indicated that no deal would be coming together at this time. Still, all signs indicate that the Seahawks’ meeting with Kaepernick was not just done as a courtesy. The team had real interest in him, reports say, and Carroll insists that there is some degree of interest in the former 49ers signal caller. Carroll said that Kaepernick demonstrated that he is still a starting-caliber quarterback and he can’t imagine that he won’t get an opportunity to play somewhere in the NFL this year.

Austin Davis worked out for the Seahawks on the same day as Kaepernick, but he also remains unsigned. If the Seahawks want to continue looking at outside backup QB options for starter Russell Wilson, they could explore vets such as Robert Griffin III, Shaun Hill, and Christian Ponder.

NFC Notes: Wolf, Seahawks, Vikings, Rams

January 19th, 2017 at 2:13pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf has accepted a new contract in Green Bay and withdrawn from the 49ers’ search for a general manager, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He’s the second candidate this week to bow out of San Francisco’s hunt for a GM, joining Seahawks co-director of player personnel Trent Kirchner. One of Wolf’s colleagues in Green Bay, director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst, and Vikings assistant GM George Paton are continuing to vie for the 49er job and will conduct second interviews with the team next week.

10 Coaching Candidates For The Rams

December 13th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

In an iconic scene from season nine of The Simpsons, Krusty the Klown announced his retirement to a scrum of not-so-stunned reporters.

“But Krusty,” one reporter asks. “Why now? Why not twenty years ago?”

It wouldn’t have been out of place for any Rams beat reporter to channel that sentiment and ask a similar question of COO Kevin Demoff when he addressed the media on Monday. Jeff Fisher‘s dismissal was long overdue and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of the coach’s family who disagrees.

For now, the Rams will turn things over to special teams coordinator John Fassel on an interim basis. While this is ostensibly a chance for Fassel to impress team brass and land the head coaching job for 2017, most are expecting the Rams to hire a name brand coach that will energize the fan base and give the team some additional panache in free agency.

With a few weeks to go between now and the official end of the Rams’ season, here are ten names that could be considered for the job:

Jim Harbaugh, head coach at the University of Michigan: Some say that living well is the best revenge. Others say that the best revenge against your former employer is setting up shop across the street and destroying them. Santa Clara-to-Los Angeles is a lengthy drive, but you get what we’re getting at.

Harbaugh, in theory, could leave his alma mater and crush the 49ers by joining up with a divisional rival. The Rams have reportedly been loafing in practice and Harbaugh is the kind of throwback disciplinarian that the team badly needs. It’s fair to assume that the Rams will get in contact with Harbaugh, but it will be tough to get him to leave his lucrative job in Ann Arbor.

With National Signing Day around the corner, Harbaugh could publicly remove himself himself from consideration if he is not at all interested in an NFL return. Alternatively, if Harbaugh wants to get sweet revenge against the Niners, Stan Kroenke better have his checkbook ready. Signing Harbaugh could cost upwards of $10MM/year and that’s before factoring in his buyout clause with the Wolverines. If Harbaugh bolts, he’ll owe U-M the prorated portion of his $2MM signing bonus. With two of the seven years served, 5/7ths of that amount comes out to roughly $1.43MM.

Click here to read more from Zach Links..

Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator for the Patriots: Harbaugh figures to be one of the league’s hottest coaching candidates this offseason. His first foray into coaching didn’t go as planned with the Broncos, but he’s no longer a doe-eyed youngster in his 30s and he has rebuilt his rep as an offensive guru in New England. The Rams mortgaged their future a bit for No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff and it is imperative that they put him on the right track. The Rams could see McDaniels as the right man to groom the Cal product and McDaniels could be intrigued by the possibility of working with one of the league’s most talented young running backs in Todd Gurley.

Jon Gruden, former NFL head coach/current ESPN analyst: Gruden is under contract with ESPN through 2021, but his deal does not preclude him from pursuing coaching opportunities. The Monday Night Football color man has turned down coaching advances in the past, but those close to Gruden say he would listen to a pitch from the Rams, according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. Gruden has been in the booth for seven years, but anyone who has tuned into MNF knows that his passion for the game has not waned. Like McDaniels, Gruden could be a positive influence on Goff. Like Harbaugh, he’ll cost quite a bit of money.

Pete Carroll, Seahawks head coach: As unlikely as it sounds, there is precedent for this sort of thing. It’s not clear if Carroll is interested in going back to Cali, but the Rams would love to have him.

Kyle Shanahan, Falcons offensive coordinator: As the Rams consider coaches, they should probably give some thought to hiring the guy who embarrassed them into finally firing Fisher. Shanahan’s Atlanta offense ripped up the L.A. D on Sunday, giving the Falcons the highest offensive DVOA of any team in the league through Week 14.

David Shaw, head coach at Stanford University: If the Rams can’t land Harbaugh, how about getting the coach who replaced him at Stanford? Since taking over the job, Shaw is 63-17 and his credits include the collegiate grooming of Andrew Luck. Right now, there’s no indication that Shaw is looking to leave Stanford. It’s also worth noting that Stanford doubled Shaw’s salary from 2013 to 2014, so they have shown a willingness to do what it takes to keep him.

Jim Bob Cooter, Lions offensive coordinator: Blessed with the best name in the NFL, the Lions OC figures to garner tons of attention this offseason after guiding Matthew Stafford to the best season of his career. Cooter’s youthful energy will work in his favor. His age, however, could hurt him when it comes to head coaching consideration.

He won’t turn 33 until July and he would be the sixth-youngest man to ever become an NFL head coach in the modern era, slotting him ahead of McDaniels on that list. He’s also been arrested twice: once for a DUI and once for an aggravated burglary charge after he “climbed through a woman’s window, stripped down to his underwear, and got into bed with [a] woman,” according to CBS8. It should be noted that he has avoided all legal trouble since joining the NFL ranks.

Teryl Austin, Lions defensive coordinator: Always a bride’s maid, never a bride? Last year, Austin interviewed for four head coaching jobs and he implied that he felt two of those clubs were only talking to him to satisfy the Rooney Rule. This year, the Lions are 9-4 and atop the NFC North and this could be the year that Austin gets his big break. Popular thinking is that the Rams will go with an offensive-minded coach to help develop Goff, but it’s still possible that they could hire a head coach like Austin to get the most out of their talented D-Line.

Sean McVay, Redskins offensive coordinator: McVay won’t turn 31 until January, but this offensive guru has turned heads around the league now that he has gotten two strong seasons out of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Expect Washington to put up a fight if any team tries to swoop in on McVay. You can also expect some hesitation from interested clubs given his age and relative lack of coaching experience. If hired as a head coach this offseason, McVay would be the youngest man to ever hold an NFL head coaching job in the modern era. He might also be younger than a player or two on next year’s roster.

John Fassel, Rams special teams coordinator/interim head coach: As the man with the interim title, Fassel has to be included on this list. He may not offer the star power of the other coaches listed here, but he’ll at least be in the running if the Rams can find success in their final three games. L.A. closes out the season against the Seahawks (Thursday night), 49ers, and Cardinals. The Rams have not defeated an NFC West opponent since Oct. 2 when they beat the Cards 17-13. Since that intra-divisional W, the Rams have gone 1-8.

Other names to keep in mind: If the Rams want to go with a defense-oriented coach, they could be one of several teams to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia this spring…Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst has gotten some NFL buzz…Besides Austin, Fritz Pollard candidate Anthony Lynn (Bills) could be considered…Rob Chudzinski didn’t last long as Cleveland’s head coach, but the Colts offensive coordinator is highly-respected around the league.

Rams Eyeing Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll

December 13th, 2016 at 12:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Let the rumors begin. In a city dominated by celebrity gossip, it only makes sense that there will be rampant speculation about the Rams’ head coaching vacancy and several big names bandied about. The “power brokers” within the Rams organization have Seahawks coach Pete Carroll high atop their wishlist, multiple sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. That group includes owner Stan Kroenke and vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff.

There are a few important things to note here. One, Carroll is under contract with Seattle through the 2019 season, and the Seahawks aren’t about to give their star coach away to a divisional rival. Secondly, there’s no indication in Robinson’s report that the Rams have reached out to Carroll. Third, it’s not known whether the job would be of interest to the former USC head coach, though some believe that a return to California would appeal to him. Robinson’s report is clear on all of these points: the interest is there, but it is not necessarily mutual, nor is it particularly likely to come to fruition.

“Pete makes sense in a lot of ways,” one source said. “There is already a defensive core in place for him to work with. He has deep coaching ties across [the NFL] and knows how to build an offensive staff that can bring along [Goff]. … He’s a California guy at heart and has a track record there with the L.A. fan base [from his time at USC]. He’s also a great, great coach.”

Would Carroll consider leaving the Seahawks? Would the Seahawks even entertain the notion of sending a Super Bowl winning coach to another NFC West team? And, when push comes to shove, are the Rams ready to give Carroll a record-setting contract and forfeit several draft picks? It’s a situation to keep an eye on this offseason, but the roadblocks here are massive.

For what it’s worth, Carroll responded in the affirmative today when asked if he’d rule out any chance of wanting to coach the Rams (Twitter link via Jack Wang of the Daily News).

Seahawks Lose Fifth-Round Pick

September 19th, 2016 at 12:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks will lose their fifth-round pick in 2017 for violating the league’s rules regarding contact practices in the offseason, according to an announcement from the NFL. The Seahawks will also lose a week of OTAs and face a fine of $400K. Coach Pete Carroll personally will have to pay $200K in fines for his role.

The NFL and NFLPA’s agreement on excessive contact in offseason workouts was breached on June 6th when Carroll’s team doled out hard hits during OTAs. This is not the first team that the Seahawks have run afoul of these regulations and, therefore, they were docked a draft choice in addition to the fines.

In this year’s draft, there were three instances of teams losing draft picks as a result of rules violations. The Patriots (first round), Chiefs (third round), and the Falcons (fifth round) were all penalized for different infractions by the league office.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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