Robert Saleh - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Browns’ Head Coaching Search

December 31st, 2019 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns’ GM search is underway. On Tuesday, the Browns fired John Dorsey (or, mutually agreed to part ways with the veteran exec, depending on who you ask).

Before that, the Browns axed first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens. After that, the Browns wasted little time in requesting interviews. Here’s the latest on the names being considered for the job:

49ers’ run game coordinator Mike McDaniel is likely to interview with the Browns, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). No date has been set yet, but McDaniel figures to be one of three SF coaches to get a look. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and passing-game coordinator Mike LaFleur will also reportedly be interviewed this weekend.
In addition to that Niners trio, the Browns have also requested an interview with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, as Schefter tweets. It’s shaping up to be a busy bye week for Bienemy, who has also drawn interest from the Panthers and Giants.

Black Monday Rumors: McDaniels, Bieniemy, Browns

December 30th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants have fired head coach Pat Shumur, the Browns have fired head coach Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland GM John Dorsey‘s fate is up in the air, Bruce Allen is out with the Redskins, Ron Rivera looks like he’s in, and we have a lot more to pass along:

The Giants are rumored to be targeting Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, but they have requested an interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that the Panthers have also requested a summit with Bieniemy, a branch of the fruitful Andy Reid coaching tree whom Reid feels is ready for an HC job.
We heard this morning that the Browns have requested an interview with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and they also want to interview Ravens OC Greg Roman, per Schefter (via Twitter). Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets that Cleveland is expected to interview Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski again. Stefanski was a finalist for the Browns’ HC job last year before they elected to hire Kitchens.
Schefter says the Browns have asked permission to interview 49ers DC Robert Saleh (Twitter link), and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the team plans to interview Mike McCarthy as well (Twitter link). Cleveland had an interview scheduled with McCarthy last year, but by that time, the club had already zeroed in on Kitchens, so the interview never happened. McCarthy and Dorsey worked together in Green Bay, so Dorsey may be rooting for a McCarthy hire.
In addition to the Browns, the Giants and Panthers have also requested interviews with McDaniels, as Schefter tweets.
Despite recent reports indicating that he wants to stay in Baltimore, Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale is generating a great deal of HC buzz, as Rapoport tweets. If he is hired, Martindale would want to pluck LSU passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady from the collegiate ranks to be his OC. If you’ve watched college football this year, you can’t blame Martindale for that choice.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will meet with owner Shad Khan tomorrow to discuss his fate, as NFL insider Adam Caplan tweets.

Panthers Notes: Newton, HC Candidates, Bradberry

December 8th, 2019 at 10:43am CST by Rory Parks

Panthers QB Cam Newton will undergo foot surgery, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes, Newton is expected to be fully ready and able by March. Rapoport says Carolina has not ruled out retaining Newton — not that the team would publicly say anything different — but the expectation remains that the Panthers will look to trade the former No. 1 overall pick,

The QB market may be unusually robust in 2020, and Newton may be the most desirable piece. The Panthers will not give Newton away, but if they “get a large deal to make it worth their while,” they will pull the trigger.

Now for more out of Charlotte:

Of course, what the Panthers do with Newton may depend on who they hire as their permanent head coach. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reiterates his view that the Panthers will seek an offensive-minded or QB-driven coach, and what that person thinks of Newton, Kyle Allen, and Will Grier could impact the club’s offseason plans in a big way.
In the same piece linked above, Rapoport suggests that owner David Tepper will of course be on the lookout for a top-flight coordinator and someone who is unafraid to embrace analytics, but he suggests that Tepper’s top priority will be a strong manager of people. RapSheet names ex-Packers coach Mike McCarthy, 49ers DC Robert Saleh, and Ravens OC Greg Roman as just a few of the possibilities.
Even if the Panthers retain GM Marty Hurney — which is not a guarantee — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says Tepper, the former minority owner of the Steelers, could look to bring familiar faces from Pittsburgh to Carolina. Tepper plans to name an assistant general manager to focus on pro personnel evaluation and a vice president of football operations, and sources say he could be eyeing Steelers GM Kevin Colbert — whose contract is up at the end of the season — and/or vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan.
The Panthers have 28 players eligible for free agency this offseason, and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic examines the decisions that the team will have to make with respect to a few of those players. The club just signed LB Shaq Thompson to a four-year extension, and Rodrigue’s source says the Panthers have made CB James Bradberry their next top priority.

NFC Notes: Packers, Clark, Lynch, Giants

July 24th, 2019 at 6:56pm CST by Rory Parks

The Packers made the surprising decision to cut Mike Daniels earlier today, and GM Brian Gutekunst confirmed that the club did try to trade Daniels first (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). It sounds as if Green Bay made some headway in trade talks, but the talks broke down over the last couple of weeks. Gutekunst also mentioned Daniels’ foot injury as a factor in the decision.

Now for more from the NFC:

The decision to cut Daniels has opened the door for the Packers to sign NT Kenny Clark to a lucrative extension, as Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Silverstein suggests (via Twitter) that such a deal could happen at the end of the season.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic suggests that, although John Lynch is the 49ers‘ GM, he is primarily in charge of the defense, while head coach Kyle Shanahan picks the offensive talent. And Lynch has missed on a few major decisions on the defensive side of the ball, so if that unit should struggle again, not only will defensive coordinator Robert Saleh be in danger of losing his job, but Lynch could be as well.
The Giants worked out free agent safeties Johnathan Cyprien and Tre Boston several days ago, but Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com does not believe Big Blue is going to pay for a starting-caliber safety at this point (Twitter link). He thinks the club was simply doing its due diligence.
The Panthers will give Daryl Williams some reps at left tackle and left guard in training camp, per GM Marty Hurney (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic on Twitter). Williams signed a one-year deal in March to remain with Carolina, but Hurney is said to prefer Taylor Moton at right tackle — where Williams has spent most of his time as a pro — and the club drafted LT Greg Little in the second round this year. So if Williams is to earn the big FA contract that he missed out on this year, he may have to do so at an unfamiliar spot.
The Buccaneers have placed Jason Pierre-Paul on the active/non-football injury list, as James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets. Although a player on the active/NFI list can be activated from that list at any time before the start of the season, that will almost certainly not happen with JPP, who is expected to miss at least a chunk of the regular season.

Coaching Notes: Packers, Bucs, Broncos

January 1st, 2019 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Pat Fitzgerald emphatically proclaiming he was staying at Northwestern following Monday night’s Holiday Bowl win, the Packers are still going to make an attempt to interview him, Tom Silverstein and Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report. The Packers were expected to reach out with an interview request, with GM Brian Gutekunst expressing great admiration for the Northwestern coach and Packers president Mark Murphy having hired Fitzgerald when he was at Northwestern, but nothing has transpired yet. The 13-year Wildcats leader said Northwestern was “not going anywhere” and Chicago was “home forever.” Mike McCarthy made more than $8MM last season, according to Silverstein and Owczarski, who suspect the Packers may have to offer at least that — despite Fitzgerald having never coached in the NFL — to entice the 44-year-old college coach. The Packers have thus far requested interviews with Josh McDaniels, Mike Munchak, Dan Campbell, Matt LaFleur and Brian Flores.

Here is the latest from the coaching front on New Year’s Day:

The Buccaneers will have a chance to interview Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards. The parties will meet Thursday for a head coach meeting, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Thus far on the coaching carousel, Edwards — the Vikings’ DC for the past five seasons and formerly the Bills’ and Redskins’ DC — has only been connected to Tampa Bay’s vacancy.
Gary Kubiak may well be returning to the sideline, in a non-HC capacity. Kubiak stepped down from his role as the Broncos‘ head coach after the 2016 season, citing health concerns, but John Elway said his longtime friend may end up as part of Denver’s 2019 offensive staff. “We’ll see. We’re still in that process,” Elway said. “We still have a lot of things to go over before that, but I think it could be where it is, it could be on the offensive side [as a coach]. We’ll see what that role may be, but Gary will be around.” Kubiak has worked in the Broncos’ front office the past two years. Denver is expected to interview Vic Fangio, Flores and Chuck Pagano (while also set to meet with Rams QBs coach Zac Taylor and Steelers OL coach Mike Munchak). Going defense for a second straight hire would point to Kubiak being in line to take over as offensive coordinator.
Dan Quinn‘s Falcons staff continues to undergo changes. The Falcons have parted ways with tight ends coach Wade Harman, multiple sources tell Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Harman had served in this role for four seasons and had been with the Falcons for five, operating as Atlanta’s offensive line coach in 2014.
The Bills‘ offensive line coach and run-game coordinator the past two years, Juan Castillo received his walking papers on Tuesday, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. Castillo has worked on both sides of the ball, serving as the Eagles’ DC from 2011-12 before shifting back to offense in his roles since.
Despite going 4-12, the 49ers will not shake up their staff. Robert Saleh will stay on as San Francisco’s DC, doing so after his unit set NFL records for fewest interceptions (two) in a season and takeaways (seven) in a season. Kyle Shanahan said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) his entire staff will be back in 2019.

49ers To Retain DC Robert Saleh

December 23rd, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Robert Saleh hovered behind Gus Bradley and Vic Fangio in the 49ers’ search for a new defensive coordinator this offseason, but the first-time DC’s performance will ensure the franchise doesn’t look to upgrade that spot after the season.

Saleh will stay on as DC for 2018, Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).

“Yeah, there’s no doubt about that,” Shanahan said, on 49ers Game Plan, of Saleh returning to the DC role next season. “Robert has been great. I think he’s gotten better throughout the year, and I think he’ll be even better next year. Robert has a great future ahead of him. And I feel very fortunate that he’s the coordinator for the Niners.”

The former Jaguars linebackers coach has the 49ers in a better spot defensively than they were a year ago. The 49ers rank 22nd in total defense and 23rd in scoring defense. While not exactly upper-echelon placements, they allowed the most points and yards in the league last season under Jim O’Neil.

Fangio looks to be headed out of Chicago, with his contract set to expire, and the new San Francisco regime wanted to bring him back to the Bay Area in January. The Bears blocked that move, leading to the Saleh hire. Instead, Saleh switched the 49ers to a 4-3 scheme. And a younger defense has shown signs of improvement. Saleh appears to have ensured the 49ers won’t pursue Fangio again this offseason.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Willis, Rams, Johnson

February 16th, 2017 at 8:36am CST by Zachary Links

At the age of 32, Patrick Willis is in great shape and looks like he could still play football. Is the former 49ers linebacker thinking about making a comeback?

“That inclination (to play) only comes for a split second,” he said (via Daniel Brown of the Bay Area News Group). “And then it’s, ‘Nope, nope, I’m cool.”’

Prior to his injury-shortened 2014 season, Willis made the Pro Bowl in seven consecutive seasons. As great as he was, he’s happy in retirement and unwilling to jeopardize his health by playing football.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

In a vacuum, Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson isn’t necessarily worth the franchise tag, but the team can’t afford to lose him either, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com writes. After tagging Johnson last year, a repeat tag would cost L.A. roughly $16.75MM. That’s a hefty price to pay, but the Rams don’t have any other standout outside corners and they can’t afford to lose him. Within the article, Gonzalez also raises an interesting idea: the Rams could instead use the franchise tag on strong safety T.J. McDonald, which would cost nearly $11.7MM. Though, as the ESPN scribe notes, that would be quite a surprise. On Wednesday, I examined Johnson and other star players that could be candidates for the franchise tag this offseason.
Although they’ve primarily run a 3-4 front in years past, the 49ers are expected to deploy a 4-3 scheme under new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Given that Saleh had worked under Gus Bradley for the past six seasons, it’s unsurprising that he wants to use a 4-3 look, but the shift could potentially affect what players San Francisco targets in free agency and the draft. The 49ers’ personnel searches have been geared towards a 3-4 scheme for more than a decade.
This week, the Cardinals once again made it clear they will not allow Chandler Jones to get near free agency.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

49ers To Hire Robert Saleh As DC

February 13th, 2017 at 2:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Jaguars linebackers coach Robert Saleh is expected to join the 49ers as defensive coordinator, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It was previously reported that Saleh was being considered for a “co-defensive coordinator” role with Falcons defensive passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson, but this job will be Saleh’s alone.

Many thought Saleh would follow former Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley and join the Chargers’ staff, but the 49ers came through with a better offer and title. Saleh, 38, has been in the NFL coaching world since 2006. In addition to his time with the Jaguars, he also has experience with the Titans and Seahawks.

San Francisco previously targeted Bradley for this job and also tried to interview Bears DC Vic Fangio, but they were denied permission by Chicago. Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores was also mentioned as a candidate. Ultimately, Saleh has the gig and he’ll be tasked with turning around the league’s worst defense.

49ers Interviewing Jerome Henderson & Robert Saleh For DC

February 10th, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers are interviewing Falcons defensive passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson and former Jaguars linebackers coach Robert Saleh for their defensive coordinator vacancy today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Alex Marvez of the Sporting News reported earlier this week that Henderson and Saleh were in consideration to serve as co-defensive coordinators in San Francisco.

Henderson, 47, was hired by the Falcons last offseason after previously serving as the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach. Working with the rather unique title of defensive passing game coordinator (a role that Raheem Morris held in Atlanta before Henderson’s arrival), Henderson instructed the Falcons’ defensive backs alongside secondary coach Marquand Manuel, who was named as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator — a job to which Henderson was also linked — earlier today.

An extremely popular candidate during the 2016 hiring cycle, Henderson interviewed for the Browns’ head coaching vacancy last offseason, met with the Jaguars regarding their defensive coordinator position, and was linked to gigs on the Dolphins’ staff. Ultimately, however, Henderson landed with Atlanta, despite previously vowing he wouldn’t leave Dallas unless he were offered a DC title.

If Henderson is hired, he’ll be the latest coach to follow former Falcons offensive coordinator and new 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan across the country to San Francisco. Thus far, Shanahan has lured Bobby Turner (running backs), Mike LaFleur (wide receivers), and Mike McDaniel (run game coordinator) to the Bay Area, and is also expected to name former Atlanta staffer Rich Scangarello as the club’s new quarterbacks coach.

Saleh, meanwhile, may follow former Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley and join the Chargers’ staff, but the role of co-defensive coordinator in San Francisco is presumably more enticing. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports was the first to link Saleh to the 49ers, reporting earlier this week that the 38-year-old was a candidate to work under Shanahan. An NFL coach since 2006, Saleh previously worked for the Titans and Seahawks before joining the Jaguars.

49ers To Hire Co-Defensive Coordinators?

February 6th, 2017 at 5:41pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Soon-to-be 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s staff appears to be taking shape, as Sporting News’ Alex Marvez details (Twitter links here ). Among the offensive-minded Shanahan’s most important calls will be deciding who will run the 49ers’ woeful defense, and he’s actually targeting two assistants – Falcons defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and ex-Jaguars linebackers coach Robert Saleh – to work as co-coordinators in San Francisco.

Saleh’s candidacy is no surprise, as FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported Sunday that he could land with the 49ers, but Henderson’s emergence is a new development. Henderson is fresh off his first season in Atlanta – where he worked with Shanahan, of course – and is only a year removed from interviewing for the Browns’ then-vacant head coaching job.

Along with potentially taking Henderson from Atlanta, Shanahan is likely to tab Falcons offensive assistant Mike McDaniel as his wide receivers coach in San Francisco. Falcons offensive assistant Mike LaFleur will also go with Shanahan, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link).

Another NFC South assistant, Buccaneers tight ends coach Jon Embree, is poised to oversee the 49ers’ TEs and serve as an assistant head coach, per Marvez. And a pair of current 49ers assistants, linebackers coach Jason Tarver and defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley, are good bets to stay on under Shanahan. Tarver nearly headed elsewhere last month, when he met with the Redskins about becoming their defensive coordinator (a job that ultimately went to onetime 49ers DC Greg Manusky) and discussed a role with the Saints.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.