Tom Coughlin - Pro Football Rumors

Coughlin Takes Meeting With Bills’ Owners?

September 28th, 2016 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Coughlin hasn’t made any secret of his desire to return to coaching, and the two-time Super Bowl-winning leader may have met with Bills ownership over the weekend. However, multiple parties are denying this summit occurred.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle’s Sal Maiorana reports a meeting between Coughlin and Terry and Kim Pegula occurred (Twitter link), but he did not detail whether it was a consulting session or a job interview. Both the NFL — for which Coughlin currently works in the operations department — and his agent, Sandy Montag, deny this took place, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The Bills did not comment on whether or not this meeting occurred due to a team policy.

Prior to this season, the 70-year-old Coughlin had coached for 20 of the past 21 seasons with the Jaguars and Giants. He’s working alongside Troy Vincent as a senior advisor participating in all game-related committees while having responsibilities relating to the draft and Pro Bowl.

Before their upset victory over the Cardinals, the Bills were dealing with turmoil due partially to the early dismissal of OC Greg Roman and subsequent fallout that may have put Rex Ryan and Doug Whaley on notice. Buffalo’s home triumph may have stalled that speculation, but Ryan’s job status likely isn’t going to fade into the background this season, leading to potential links between the Bills and possible Ryan successors.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Hester, White, Bennett, Coughlin

July 30th, 2016 at 12:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday afternoon…

Devin Hester is hoping to play one more season in the NFL, and the return man told ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure that several teams have already reached out. “Teams already have tried to sign me, but I’m not ready to go,” Hester said. “We told teams that I’m not ready to practice, still rehabbing.” The 33-year-old is still recovering from offseason toe surgery. Hester was released by the Falcons earlier this week.
Roddy White isn’t looking to sign a minimum-salary contract for 2016, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The 34-year-old is still on the Titans “radar,” even after the team signed veteran wideout Andre Johnson. If things don’t work out with the former Texans star, Florio notes that the Titans could make a harder push for White.
Florio also adds the Buccaneers to the list of potential landing spots for White. The writer cites the receiver’s relationship with head coach Dirk Koetter, who was previously the Falcons offensive coordinator.
With reports surrounding Michael Bennett‘s apparent dissatisfaction with his contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the defensive end “is in town” for the first day of Seahawks training camp. Earlier this week, it was reported that the two sides would meet to discuss the 30-year-old’s contract.
Following news that former coach Tom Coughlin would be joining the NFL’s football operations department, Florio has details on the role. Coughlin will serve as a “senior advisor,” working alongside executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent and participating in “all game-related committees.” The 69-year-old will also provide “strategic guidance” on the draft and the Pro Bowl.

Tom Coughlin To Join NFL’s Football Ops. Dept.

July 27th, 2016 at 2:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Giants coach Tom Coughlin will be staying busy in 2016 as he has been hired by the NFL to join their football operations department, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Recently, Coughlin told Peter King of The MMQB that although he will not be coaching in 2016, he is eager to coach again in 2017. Coughlin’s newest job will keep him involved in football and also in contact with influential executives that could consider him for vacancies next year.

“I’ve coached 47 years of my life,” the 70-year-old said in May. “You take it away, and that’s not an easy thing to duplicate.”

The Giants left the door open for Coughlin to assume a role within the organization after he stepped down as the team’s head coach, but indicated earlier this offseason that he is not interested. Coughlin interviewed for the 49ers’ vacancy this offseason as well as the Eagles’ head coaching job. Late in Philly’s search, however, Coughlin withdrew his name from consideration. Reportedly, Coughlin could have landed the Eagles job had he not had a change of heart.

Coughlin has coached in the NFL for 20 of the past 21 seasons, a streak broken only by his 2003 hiatus from the league. Coughlin won’t be on the sidelines this year, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back at it in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tom Coughlin Hoping To Coach In 2017

May 16th, 2016 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Giants coach Tom Coughlin is out of football for the 2016 season, but he’s eager to get back into the NFL in 2017, as Peter King of The MMQB writes. While Coughlin’s experience and resume are a positive, he also understands that his age could be a barrier to finding another head coaching opportunity.

“I’ve coached 47 years of my life,” the 70-year-old said. “You take it away, and that’s not an easy thing to duplicate.”

Coughlin, a two-time Super Bowl champ in New York, has been criticized by some players for being too much of a disciplinarian. His temperament could be a turnoff to some clubs, but his age is probably a bigger concern. At his age, Coughlin openly acknowledges that another head coaching stint would probably be a “three- or four-year thing.”

The Giants left the door open for Coughlin to assume a role within the organization after he stepped down as the team’s head coach, but indicated earlier this offseason that he is not interested. Coughlin interviewed for the 49ers’ vacancy this offseason as well as the Eagles’ head coaching job. Late in Philly’s search, however, Coughlin withdrew his name from consideration. Reportedly, Coughlin could have landed the job had he not had a change of heart.

Coughlin has coached in the NFL for 20 of the past 21 seasons, a streak broken only by his 2003 hiatus from the league.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Rumors: Jets, Wilkerson, Cowboys, Giants

March 31st, 2016 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Although general manager Mike Maccagnan says that the Jets aren’t “actively pursuing” a trade involving Muhammad Wilkerson, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post that the team continues to quietly shop the defensive lineman, as we heard last week. There’s skepticism around the NFL that Gang Green will find a trade partner willing to meet the club’s asking price, but Costello suggests that Maccagnan has four weeks to resolve the situation, since trading Wilkerson becomes much trickier after the draft.

As Rich Cimini of ESPN.com outlines, trading Wilkerson and his $15.7MM would help the Jets solve their current cap crunch. However, Cimini points out that moving Wilkerson would mean letting go of the only player out of the team’s three highest-paid veterans who is still in his prime. Darrelle Revis and D’Brickashaw Ferguson round out the Jets’ top three cap numbers, and both players are arguably on the decline.

As we wait to see how Maccagnan moves forward in New York, let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions…

While it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll draft a quarterback this year, the Cowboys are interested in the possibility of adding a developmental signal-caller to their depth chart. One prospect who might fit that bill is Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg, and Dallas held a private workout for him on Wednesday, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Hackenberg will also work out for the Eagles next week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
The Giants left the door open for Tom Coughlin to assume a role within the organization after he stepped down as the team’s head coach, but it doesn’t sound like that will be happening. As Ryan Lazo of the New York Post details, Coughlin said in an appearance at Mike Francesa’s and Chris Russo’s reunion show that he doesn’t expect to be with the Giants “in any capacity this season.”
Jasper Brinkley‘s one-year deal with the Giants is worth $1.8MM, and all but $100K of that money is guaranteed, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link).
The Patriots added another tight end to their roster on Wednesday when they agreed to terms with ex-Jaguar Clay Harbor. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com takes a closer look at exactly what the Pats are getting in Harbor.

NFC East Rumors: Coughlin, Giants, Cowboys

March 23rd, 2016 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Washington coach Jay Gruden addressed reporters at the owners’ meetings. Now, we’ll take a look at the rest of the NFC East:

McAdoo was upbeat about the fact that Tom Coughlin is still around the building and said, “as long as Tom is around, he’s a resource and we’re going to welcome him,” (link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com). He also said that he doesn’t anticipate things being awkward once Giants players start to show up.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys will work out Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch today in Orlando after leaving the owners meetings, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. The Cowboys will head to Ohio State to work out prospects on Friday.
When asked if he is going to call plays, McAdoo said it is a “possibility.” When asked if he likes to call plays, McAdoo said, “I LOVE calling plays,” Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets. Needless to say, it sounds like there’s a good possibility of the former offensive coordinator calling plays for the Giants in 2016.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson says he likes the fullback position and even though he doesn’t have a true fullback on the roster, he plans on looking at Trey Burton as an option, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
New Giants coach Ben McAdoo doesn’t seem committed to anyone at middle linebacker, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. The Giants are still looking at draft prospects as well as free agency for options.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Morris, Coughlin

March 3rd, 2016 at 4:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Having signed Sam Bradford to a two-year contract extension, the Eagles don’t necessarily plan to put the quarterback position on the back-burner for the rest of the offseason. Head coach Doug Pederson acknowledged today that he and the Eagles will look into drafting a signal-caller, though he added it would probably be later in the draft, rather than with the No. 13 overall pick (Twitter links via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman on whether the offensive line will be a priority for the club this offseason: “It’s a priority today. It’s a priority tomorrow. It’s a priority next week. It’s a priority in April” (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). It sounds like that’s a yes.
Admitting that he doesn’t know what to expect as his first opportunity at free agency approaches, running back Alfred Morris says he’d be open to returning to Washington, but will have “no hard feelings” if the team doesn’t bring him back. Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com has the details and the quotes from Morris.
Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is sending an odd message by hanging around the team’s facility and using the gym twice a week, writes Gary Myers of the New York Daily News. Myers hear that Coughlin’s “hard feelings for the Giants came through loud and clear” during his head coaching interview with the Eagles in January, and adds that it’s time for the veteran coach to move on.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo surgery on his collarbone next week, sources tell David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Romo is believed to have made his decision on what kind of procedure he’ll have, but it’s yet known which direction he’s going.

NFC Notes: Coughlin, Peppers, 49ers, Cooper

March 2nd, 2016 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

When Tom Coughlin‘s departure as Giants head coach was announced in January, it was classified as a resignation. At the time though, it was considered more of a firing, with most observers believing that the team would have made a change if Coughlin had been unwilling to step down. The veteran head coach insinuated as much during an appearance on the Jay Mohr Show on FOX Sports Radio, per John Healy of the New York Daily News.

“Hey, do I agree with the move? Of course not,” Coughlin said. “It hurts. It hurts. ‘Former’ is not a good word. I don’t like the word but that’s the way it is.”

As Coughlin continues to consider his next career move, whether that involves joining the Giants’ front office, waiting on another head coaching job, or simply retiring, let’s check out a few more odds and ends from around the NFC…

Julius Peppers acknowledges that within “the next four years, somewhere in there,” he’ll be calling it a career, but that won’t happen this offseason, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. The veteran edge defender plans to play for the Packers in 2016, and based on a February report, it sounds like the club will welcome him back for the final year of his contract.
In Jerry Jones‘ ideal world, the Cowboys would have the same sort of handoff from Tony Romo to their next QB that the Packers did they had Aaron Rodgers ready to replace Brett Favre. Todd Archer of ESPN.com has the details and the quotes from the Cowboys’ owner.
Bill Williamson of FanRag Sports (Twitter link) is hearing that the 49ers won’t be shy about spending money during the free agent period next week. Williamson identifies cornerback Sean Smith, running back Doug Martin, and offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele as possible targets for San Francisco.
The 49ers reworked tackle Joe Staley‘s contract today, converting $4MM into a signing bonus, per ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini (via Twitter). However, the move was procedural and won’t change the club’s cash or cap outlook for 2016, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.om (Twitter link). Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap examined Staley’s unusual bonus situation last April, and that explanation looks relevant once again.
The Cardinals are considering moving Jonathan Cooper to center, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reports (on Twitter). Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirm Arizona’s plans for their thus-far-disappointing lineman here (Twitter links). Cooper’s made just 11 regular-season starts at guard since being drafted by the Cardinals at No. 7 overall in 2013. A knee injury shelved Cooper last season after he made nine starts, and Ted Larsen supplanted him in the Cardinals’ lineup. Larsen is a free agent, as is Lyle Sendlein, who’s started 124 games at center for Arizona since 2007.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report

East Rumors: Tannehill, Patriots, Kap

February 8th, 2016 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Tannehill asked former Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor for more audible latitude last season prior to Lazor’s dismissal, but the then-OC dismissed the notion, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

In Adam Gase, Tannehill will find a more innovative offensive coach, at least judging by his 2010s work in Denver and Chicago, but may not enjoy the kind of freedom he covets, Jackson notes. Gase’s work with Peyton Manning in 2013-14 notwithstanding, the Bears, per CSNChicago.com, were not an audible-heavy team under his direction last season, even as Jay Cutler progressed.

“I’m going to speak for Ryan right now, which I typically don’t do,” Greg Jennings told Finsiders.com. “He wants some more freedom. … He’s been hand-held his entire career.”

Here’s the latest from the NFL’s Eastern divisions on Day 1 of the offseason.

Jennings is no lock to be employed by the Dolphins next season after he caught just 19 passes for 208 yards — both well below his previous career-low marks. The 32-year-old wideout’s entering the second season of a two-year, $8MM contract, and the Dolphins, per Pro Football Talk (via Jackson), haven’t told him he’ll be back. Jennings is due to occupy a $5.5MM cap number for the currently over-the-cap Fins, who can save $4MM by cutting the backup target. Jennings is currently Miami’s highest-paid receiver.
The Patriots are in discussions with retired coach Dante Scarnecchia about a return to the coaching staff to fix their ailing offensive line, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Scarnecchia retired after the 2013 season but he has remained around the Pats, particularly to help with evaluating offensive line prospects in the draft. One source told Reiss that it would be a surprise if the coach wasn’t back on the sidelines for the Pats in 2016. Scarnecchia had retired after 32 seasons in the NFL, 30 of which came in New England.
There has been a lot of debate as to whether the Jets should pursue 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and, over the weekend, Hall of Famer Joe Namath weighed in. “I think he should consider that a little more,” Namath told ESPN radio (via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News) when asked about Brandon Marshall‘s opposition to the idea. “I know that [Ryan] Fitzpatrick did a wonderful job this year. Whenever I’m asked to critique what I’ve seen and what I feel, I know that he would like to throw the ball more accurately given the chance. You need more than one quarterback on a team. If Kaepernick were available, I’d certainly consider bringing him in, yes.“
During an appearance on the Fox News show Fox & Friends, Tom Coughlin reiterated he has no plans to retire, via Tom Rock of Newsday. “I’m not. … I don’t like that word, you know, the retired word,” Coughlin said. “I’m way too young for that, you know what I mean?” Coughlin will also discuss a potential advisory role with the Giants with John Mara soon, Rock reports. Coughlin’s coached in the NFL for 20 of the past 21 seasons, eight with the Jaguars before sitting out 2003.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Schefter On NFL Head Coaching Searches

January 21st, 2016 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

While the Browns liked Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the team recognized the importance of upgrading its offense, which was one reason Hue Jackson was the choice as Cleveland’s new head coach, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, the Browns believe that by hiring Jackson they not only strengthened their own organization, but weakened a division rival, in the Bengals.

Schefter has some details on the rest of the head coaching decisions as well, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

The Giants “seriously entertained” the possibility of hiring Mike Smith as their head coach and keeping Ben McAdoo at offensive coordinator, says Schefter. However, when the Eagles expressed legit interest in McAdoo, the Giants knew they couldn’t risk losing him.
As for those Eagles, they were determined to be more patient this time around than when they hired Chip Kelly, but two of their top candidates – Adam Gase and McAdoo – were hired by other teams while Philadelphia was being patient. Since the club was already familiar with Doug Pederson, it was “completely comfortable” turning to him despite the fact that his initial interview was ordinary, according to Schefter.
The 49ers viewed Kelly, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin, and Anthony Lynn as viable candidates, and felt they would have been in good shape no matter which direction they went in. The fact that Kelly is the only one of the group without a Super Bowl ring was a factor in San Francisco’s choice, since the club feels he’ll be hungry to get that championship.
The Buccaneers took a week to hire Dirk Koetter even though most people expected him to be the choice all along, leading to some whispers that the Glazers “attempted a big swing” before officially promoting Koetter, says Schefter.
Despite a final push from Ray Horton last Saturday, the Titans‘ owners never wanted to get away from Mike Mularkey, who was their top choice all along.
As for the Dolphins, they entered their coaching search planning to be aggressive, and Gase’s desire to land a head coaching job – after being passed over last year – matched up well with that aggressiveness from the team, making him the first new coach hired this month.