Steve Spagnuolo - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles To Interview Ben McAdoo

January 6th, 2016 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

After interviewing for the Giants’ head coaching job on Tuesday, New York offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo will meet with another NFC East team later this week. According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link), McAdoo is scheduled to interview with the Eagles on Thursday.

In the wake of Chip Kelly‘s dismissal, McAdoo was mentioned earlier this week as a potential candidate for the Eagles’ head coaching job, given team owner Jeffrey Lurie‘s general preference for offensive-minded coaches.

McAdoo, who was hired as the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2014, has helped Eli Manning enjoy perhaps the most productive two-year stretch of his NFL career. Although the club has posted a 6-10 record in consecutive seasons, Manning has thrived, averaging 4,423 yards and about 33 touchdowns per season over the last two years, to go along with a 92.9 rating. The Giants finished in the top eight in the NFL in terms of both yards per game (372.3) and points per game (26.3) in 2015.

While McAdoo will get an opportunity to vie for the Eagles’ job, it sounds like the team’s top target might be Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase. A report earlier this morning indicated that Philadelphia is planning on bringing back Gase for a second interview this weekend, after meeting with him for eight hours on Tuesday.

If McAdoo doesn’t land the Giants’ or Eagles’ head coaching jobs, it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up in 2016. Manning has expressed a strong desire to see his offensive coordinator return to the Giants in some capacity, but if the team brings in an outside candidate as its new head coach, it’s not clear if that new coach would keep McAdoo in his current role.

Meanwhile, as McAdoo meets with the Eagles on Thursday, the Giants will interview another one of their assistants, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, confirms Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Giants’ Head Coaching Search

January 6th, 2016 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

With the Giants having formally said goodbye to head coach Tom Coughlin at a Tuesday press conference, the team is now moving on to identifying his replacement. Let’s round up the known candidates so far for Big Blue, including the latest updates on each of them….

Ben McAdoo / Steve Spagnuolo (Giants):

The two Giants’ coordinators were the first two candidates confirmed to have interviews scheduled for the team’s newly-opened head coaching position, and according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, McAdoo’s interview took place on Tuesday, the same day as Coughlin’s farewell presser. While the offensive coordinator has already sat down with the Giants, the defensive coordinator has not done so yet — Raanan says Spagnuolo’s interview will take place later this week.

Sean McDermott (Panthers):

The Carolina defensive coordinator is free to interview for head coaching jobs during the Panthers’ bye week, and it seems he’ll do so. A report on Tuesday night indicated that the Giants intend to meet with him, though Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets that, as of about 10 hours ago, nothing had been formally set up yet. The two sides will have until Sunday to have their meeting, since McDermott won’t be eligible to interview next week.

Doug Marrone (Jaguars):

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported on Tuesday that the Giants had requested an interview with the Jaguars’ offensive line coach, and he tweets today that permission has been granted — according to Rapoport (Twitter link), Marrone will meet with the Giants on Saturday, a day after he interviews with the Dolphins and two days after his sit-down with the Browns.

Hue Jackson (Bengals):

The Cincinnati offensive coordinator isn’t eligible to interview with teams this week, but he has received multiple requests for next week. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Jackson is believed to be among the Giants’ targets, though as of Tuesday night, New York wasn’t among the teams to request a meeting.

Sean Payton (Saints):

A report on Monday indicated that the New Orleans head coach would be monitoring the Giants’ situation closely, and John Mara suggested on Tuesday that he wouldn’t rule out the idea of New York trading a draft pick for a coach. A source tells Vacchiano that the Giants would “absolutely” be interested in Payton as a candidate, but according to that source, the team also believes the price to land him may be too high.

Adam Gase (Bears):

The Giants requested an interview with Gase and it appears to be in the plans, but there doesn’t appear to be a date set yet. It’s a busy week for the Bears’ offensive coordinator, who met with Philadelphia yesterday and also has meetings lined up with the Browns and Dolphins before Friday.

Giants To Interview McAdoo, Spagnuolo

January 5th, 2016 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

After a report yesterday indicated that the Giants were “fully expected” to include their offensive and defensive coordinators in their search for a new head coach, word has surfaced that the team does in fact plan to interview those assistants. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that DC Steve Spagnuolo will get an interview this week, while Jordan Raanan of NJ.com reports (via Twitter) that OC Ben McAdoo will sit down with the club this week as well.

The Giants’ ownership group is believed to be fond of both McAdoo and Spagnuolo, with multiple reports suggesting that McAdoo had been viewed as a potential long-term replacement for former head coach Tom Coughlin. The Giants’ offensive coordinator perhaps has the stronger case for the job than Spagnuolo after a 2015 season in which New York finished in the top eight in the NFL in terms of both yards per game (372.3) and points per game (26.3).

On the other side of the ball, Spagnuolo’s unit struggled, allowing a league-worst 420.3 yards per contest, including nearly 300 yards per game through the air, which also ranked dead last in the NFL. Some of that can be attributed to injuries and a dearth of talent on defense, particularly in terms of the pass rush. Still, it wasn’t exactly a banner year for Spagnuolo, so if the Giants promote one of their coordinators, I’d bet on McAdoo.

McAdoo and Spagnuolo are the first two candidates for the Giants’ job confirmed to have interviews lined up, though the team has also been linked to others, including Saints head coach Sean Payton. If New York were to hire an outside candidate, it’s not clear if that new coach would keep both current coordinators on board. With Eli Manning having expressed a desire for McAdoo to remain with the organization, I’d once again probably give the offensive coordinator a better chance of sticking around than the defensive coordinator.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Giants, Bills, J. Collins, Cooper

January 5th, 2016 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Tom Coughlin‘s departure, a report indicated that the Giants could consider their in-house assistants for the head coaching job, but offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo looks like a much more viable possibility than defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes, Spagnuolo is more likely to be one-and-done during his second stint as the Giants’ DC.

McAdoo, on the other hand, is viewed as a future head coach by Giants co-owner John Mara, who “sees a lot of Tom Coughlin in him,” an NFL source tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. One league source who spoke to Vacchiano suggests McAdoo will likely be a head coach somewhere within the next two or three years, meaning the Giants could have to decide this winter how much they like him. As the source puts it: “Do you want him coaching for you, or against you?”

While the Giants ponder that question and consider other possibilities for their head coaching job, let’s round up several more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions….

Bills general manager Doug Whaley recognizes that his future in Buffalo is tied to quarterback Tyrod Taylor at this point, so it makes sense that the GM would exercise patience in addressing Taylor’s contract, writes Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. As Dunne observes, it’s better for the Bills to make Taylor show he deserves a lucrative contract in 2016 than it would be for the team to extend him now and risk having another QB extension backfire.
As of this week, teams are permitted to finalize contract extensions with players selected in the 2013 draft who are still on their rookie deals, prompting Mike Reiss of ESPN.com to explore the possibility of a new pact for New England linebacker Jamie Collins. Reiss writes that the Patriots have had a Collins extension on their radar for a while, and speculates that it might take Bobby Wagner money (four years, $43MM) to lock up the former second-round pick.
Riley Cooper‘s time with the Eagles will likely come to an end this winter, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who suggests that the wideout may end up being remembered in Philadelphia as “the poster boy for Chip Kelly‘s failed culture war.”
After spending big in free agency during his first year with the Jets, general manager Mike Maccagnan will face a different challenge this time around, as he focuses on roster depth and sustainability over short-term fixes, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Coach Rumors: Payton, Giants, Fins, Marrone

January 4th, 2016 at 10:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Coaching-related news and rumors have dominated Pro Football Rumors on the first Monday of the offseason (for 20 teams, at least), and they show no signs of letting up just yet. Here’s the latest from around the NFL on teams with coaching vacancies and candidates to fill those jobs:

The Browns have requested and received permission to interview Patriots‘ defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Lions have asked for and received permission to interview Patriots director of pro scouting Bob Quinn for their GM job, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is scheduled to interview with the Browns for their head coaching vacancy on Wednesday, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

Saints head coach Sean Payton is monitoring the Giants‘ situation “very closely,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s not clear whether Payton would be a top choice for the Giants, or whether the team would be willing to give up a draft pick to land him, but it sounds like the New York job would be at or near the top of Payton’s wish list if he leaves New Orleans.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com also weighs in on the Giants‘ job, tweeting that the club is “fully expected” to include its coordinators in its search. That means OC Ben McAdoo and DC Steve Spagnuolo could both get interviews.
As we speculated earlier today, the Dolphins are meeting with former Falcons head coach Mike Smith to discuss their head coaching opening, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Smith’s interview with the club is happening today.
Doug Marrone‘s interview for the Browns‘ head coaching vacancy will take place on Thursday, not Tuesday, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Matt Lombardo of 97.5 The Fanatic passes along a report from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, who says Marrone will also interview with the Eagles (Twitter link).
A report earlier today suggested that Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula didn’t want to interview for any head coaching jobs while Carolina remains alive in the playoffs. However, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), Shula said this afternoon that he’ll make that decision if and when he receives an invitation to interview for a head coaching position.

East Notes: Dolphins, Giants, Eagles, Cowboys

January 2nd, 2016 at 8:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell, whose short stint is almost sure to end Sunday, spoke about his tenure to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald.

On what he’ll do differently if given another opportunity in the future, Campbell said, “I would do a better job of holding everyone more accountable, from staff to players.”

Going forward, Campbell believes the Dolphins need more leadership from quarterback Ryan Tannehill and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

“Certainly, those are two guys that you’d love to see grow more into that area, and it would help,” he stated.

Campbell also used the word “frustration” to describe the Dolphins’ 5-10 season (and 4-7 mark under his reign). He’ll try to go out with a win Sunday as the Dolphins host AFC East rival New England.

More on the Dolphins and three NFC East teams:

With the Giants’ Tom Coughlin era seemingly on the verge of ending, the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano wrote Friday that the team should pursue the Saints’ Sean Payton and Alabama’s Nick Saban as possible successors. In addition to Payton and Saban, Vacchiano listed more potential candidates Saturday. Featured prominently: New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, current Giants O-coordinator Ben McAdoo – though Vacchiano argues that he’d be tough to sell to their fan base – as well as college head coaches Brian Kelly (Notre Dame) and David Shaw (Stanford). There’s also Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, a pair of Carolina assistants in OC Mike Shula and D-coordinator Sean McDermott, two more O-coordinators (Pittsburgh’s Todd Haley and Cincinnati’s Hue Jackson), and Jacksonville assistant Doug Marrone. Haley, Jackson and Marrone were all mixed bags in their prior head coaching stops, while Spagnuolo and McDaniels flamed out in epic fashion in St. Louis and Denver, respectively.
The Dolphins’ Olivier Vernon, who leads the team in sacks (seven), could be playing his last game with the team Sunday, ESPN’s James Walker writes. Vernon, 25, stands to cash in as a pending free agent. Thus, he might not fit within the Dolphins’ budget. Vernon does want to stay in Miami, though. “I’d like to be here,” Vernon told Walker. “But at the end of the day, business is business. So if this is my last game and I enter free agency, then I’m going to see how that goes.”
As we learned Saturday afternoon, the Eagles interviewed running backs coach Duce Staley for their vacant head coaching job. Whether they’re truly serious about him remains to be seen, but the interview means they’ve already fulfilled the Rooney Rule because Staley is a minority candidate. That means they could hire Chicago offensive coordinator Adam Gase, whom they’re interested in, as early as Monday. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that won’t happen. Gase will bide his time and explore all options, per Florio.
Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee will lose out on $2MM extra if he doesn’t play Sunday against Washington, Brandon George of SportsDay writes. Lee, whose status is up in the air because of a hamstring injury, has incentives in his contract that will kick his 2015-16 salary from $3MM to $5MM if he plays 80 percent of snaps on the season. He’s currently at 82.1.

Coach Updates: Spagnuolo, 49ers, Shanahan

January 17th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

New Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has a huge task ahead of him, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. While Vacchiano believes that head coach Tom Coughlin made a great decision going into his past to hire his best defensive coordinator. The tough part is that Spagnuolo will have to match his past success without stars such as Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora.

There are a number of Giants players who could improve under Spagnuolo’s tutelage, writes Nick Powell of NJ.com. Howell picks out Johnathan Hankins, Antrel Rolle, Jason Pierre-Paul, Robert Ayers, and Jameel McClain as guys who may benefit.
The 49ers are looking for a new offensive coordinator after Greg Roman joined the Bills, and Colts offensive assistant Rob Chudzinski is well positioned to take over, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
Other candidates for the offensive coordinator position with the 49ers include former head coaches Mike Shanahan and Lane Kiffin, reports Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. Shanhan was once thought of in the mix for head coaching jobs, and Kiffin would be coming from the University of Alabama.
49ers offensive assistant Ronald Curry will have an opportunity to stay with the team as the wide receivers coach, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Curry has not been given permission by the team to interview for the Bills, where he could have rejoined offensive coordinator Roman (via Twitter).
Former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan almost was hired in Baltimore a year ago, and if Gary Kubiak leaves the Ravens to take the Broncos head coaching job, the team could revisit Shanahan, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team is still impressed with his strong interview last year.

Giants Hire Steve Spagnuolo As DC

January 15th, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

4:05pm: The Giants have officially announced the hiring of Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator, along with Tim Walton as their secondary coach, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.

3:34pm: Six years after leaving the Giants to become head coach of the Rams, Steve Spagnuolo will be returning to New York to reclaim the defensive coordinator job he previously held with the team, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, who reports (via Twitter) that Spagnuolo is the Giants’ DC pick.

Spagnuolo, who has worked for the Rams, Saints, and Ravens in various roles since he was last employed by the Giants, acted as Baltimore’s secondary coach in 2014. Given all the injuries sustained by members of the Ravens’ secondary, particularly at cornerback, Spagnuolo did an admirable job holding the unit together. Per Football Outsiders, the Ravens finished 15th in DVOA against the pass.

Pepper Johnson, Raheem Morris, and Dennis Allen had also been under consideration for the Giants’ defensive coordinator position, though Johnson was ruled out earlier today. The decision appeared to come down to Allen and Spagnuolo, with the latter having been considered the frontrunner to replace Perry Fewell throughout the process. For Allen, a defensive coordinator job may still be a possibility if and when John Fox lands the Bears’ head coaching position.

Coach Updates: Linehan, Gase, Rams, Falcons

January 15th, 2015 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys and offensive play-caller Scott Linehan have agreed to terms on a new contract that will keep him in Dallas, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). On the heels of Jason Garrett‘s extension, Linehan is the second assistant – along with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli – to come to an agreement with the team on a new deal.

What remains to be seen is whether Linehan will keep his current job title — as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets, offensive coordinator Bill Callahan is exploring potential options with other teams and has “multiple big-money offers,” so if Callahan doesn’t return to the Cowboys, perhaps his OC title goes to Linehan for the 2015 season.

Here’s more on coaching openings around the NFL:

The Rams have requested permission to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their own OC opening, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Gase has primarily been a head coaching candidate this offseason, but didn’t end up landing with the 49ers, who were viewed as his most aggressive suitor. Gase is reportedly still under consideration as a head coaching option in Denver.
While Dan Quinn is considered the frontrunner for the Falcons‘ head coaching vacancy, don’t rule out Teryl Austin, who has a “legit chance,” says Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, adding that Austin’s second interview with the club is happening now (Twitter links).
Speaking of the Falcons, they’re “blocking a raid” on their coaching staff, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution details, having denied the Jets permission to interview special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong and having also turned away the Raiders, who wanted to speak to offensive line coach Mike Tice. Despite not having a head coach in place yet, the club wants to make most of the current staff available to the new coach.
With Todd Bowles headed to New York, the Cardinals intend to promote one of their current defensive assistants to the defensive coordinator position, though the team isn’t sure yet which assistant will get the job, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Somers adds that the new DC should get some help from Dick LeBeau, whom the Cards want to hire as a senior assistant.
49ers players had overwhelmingly positive reactions to news that Jim Tomsula would be promoted to head coach, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, rounding up the most notable comments from Niners players.
Candidates for the Giants‘ defensive coordinator opening – including Dennis Allen, Pepper Johnson, Raheem Morris, and Steve Spagnuolo – expect a decision by week’s end, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).

NFC East Notes: Giants, Garrett, Maclin

January 13th, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Ever since the Giants parted ways with defensive coordinator Perry Fewell earlier in the month, Steve Spagnuolo has been cited as a strong candidate to take over the DC role under Tom Coughlin. Today, Ravens coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Spagnuolo has received permission to speak to the Giants, adding that the interview will take place on Wednesday (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). Currently a secondary coach in Baltimore, Spagnuolo is considered the favorite for the Giants’ DC job.

Here’s more from out of the NFC East:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) provides another update on the Giants‘ defensive coordinator search, reporting that the team’s interview with ex-Raiders head coach Dennis Allen is taking place today.
Before the Cowboys extend assistants like Rod Marinelli, Scott Linehan, or Bill Callahan, the team wants to get something done with head coach Jason Garrett, and talks are ongoing between the two sides, tweets Rapoport.
With Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant unlikely to reach the open market this March, Jeremy Maclin has a chance to be one of the top wideouts available in free agency, if the Eagles don’t lock him up before then, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. McManus talks to cap expert Joel Corry about Maclin’s potential free agency, and the former agent suggests the wideout could sign a contract between Greg Jennings‘ deal (five years, $45MM) and Dwayne Bowe‘s (five years, $56MM).
Although a weekend report indicated that he would likely interview with the Eagles soon for the team’s general manager position, Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer has not yet been formally contacted by Philadelphia, says Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com.