Urban Meyer - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Rumors: Jags, Judon, Raiders, Browns

December 10th, 2021 at 6:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Less than a year into the Jaguars‘ Urban Meyer–Trent Baalke partnership, the two power brokers may not be seeing eye to eye. Some tension has surfaced between the new coworkers, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. This is certainly not the first sign of trouble for the Meyer regime in Jacksonville. A host of controversies and/or scrutinized decisions have emerged this year, peaking with the first-year NFL HC’s decision not to fly back to Jacksonville with the team earlier this season, and the Jags are now 2-10. They have seen their offense, led by prized QB prospect Trevor Lawrence, struggle for most of the season. The Jaguars are averaging just 10.6 points per game over their six contests since their bye week, inviting speculation about assistants’ job security. Baalke, the ex-49ers GM whom the Jags named to the same position shortly after tabbing Meyer to lead their latest rebuild, might not be on solid ground either. While Meyer being a one-and-done is far from certain, the former national championship-winning coach’s first season has gone about as badly as possible.

Here is the latest from around the AFC:

The Patriots’ Matt Judon deal has become one of the best from this past free agency period, with the ex-Ravens edge rusher having amassed a career-high 12.5 sacks. Deviating from its usual lower-key free agency strategy, New England moved quickly to land Judon on a four-year, $54.5MM accord. Prior to this agreement, Judon gave the Ravens a chance to match it, La Canfora writes. Judon had told teammates he did not want to leave Baltimore, JLC adds, though he had said in February everything would have to line up for him to stay. The Ravens, who have let several edge rushers walk to recoup compensatory picks, opted to retool at the position again. After letting let both Judon and Yannick Ngakoue leave, the Ravens drafted Odafe Oweh in Round 1 and signed Justin Houston on a low-cost deal.
Jaguars tight ends coach Tyler Bowen is set to become Virginia Tech’s offensive coordinator, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com reports. Bowen, 32, is in his first season with the Jags. He had previously worked with new Hokies HC Brent Pry at Penn State, being a Nittany Lions assistant from 2018-20.
The Raiders figure to have several new staffers next year, with GM Mike Mayock and interim HC Rich Bisaccia far from assured they will be back. But the team will not be parting with Marcel Reece. The former Oakland fullback will be staying on as a senior adviser to Mark Davis, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Reece, who played for the Raiders for nine seasons (2008-16), has been in his current role since 2020. He figures to play a role in the franchise’s coaching search as well.
A.J. Cole joined Daniel Carlson in signing extensions to keep the Raiders’ current kicking corps intact long-term. The young punter signed a four-year deal worth $12.4MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Cole, who will receive $5.9MM guaranteed, is now one of the NFL’s five highest-paid punters.
Greg Newsome suffered a concussion on the final play of Browns practice Friday, Jeff Schudel of the Lorain Morning Journal tweets. Cleveland’s first-round pick is out for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. The Browns do have an experienced option to elevate into their starting lineup, with Greedy Williams having been a regular starter as a rookie in 2019. Pro Football Focus grades Williams, who has played 45% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps, as a top-20 corner this season.

Urban Meyer Won’t Pursue NCAA Jobs

November 30th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has no interest in returning to the college ranks, according to a source who spoke with Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Despite the new vacancies at Oklahoma and Notre Dame, DiRocco hears that Meyer remains committed to Jacksonville.

Meyer’s first foray into the NFL hasn’t been easy so far. And, just as his Jaguars dropped to 2-9 on the year, multiple high-profile jobs opened up. The University of Oklahoma needs a new head coach to replace Lincoln Riley, who jumped ship for USC. Ditto for Notre Dame, now that Brian Kelly is the new HC at LSU.

“Zero chance at that happening,” Meyer said in March when asked about a return to the NCAA. “What coach [Nick] Saban went through, I don’t know. That’s Coach Saban’s business. I’m not quite sure. At some point, I might talk to him about it…he’s a friend of mine and I got great respect for him.

“It is different. It’s completely different. My mind is set. There’s gonna be some losses. That’s gonna be miserable. I hate losing. We all do. But the reality is that you’re gonna lose. Hopefully you win more than you lose. But that’s something that’s gonna be new to me. I have to get my mind right and I’m working on that.”

Meyer will aim for his next win on Sunday when his Jaguars face the Rams.

Jaguars Expected To Overhaul Coaching Staff

November 21st, 2021 at 3:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars’ coaching staff figures to look pretty different next year. Offseason firings are “inevitable” at this point, according to sources who spoke with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Trevor Lawrence has yet to live up to his billing in Jacksonville, prompting some internal debate about whether the Jaguars should replicate his system from Clemson. Heading into today’s game, the No. 1 overall pick had completed just 58% of his throws for 1,983 yards and eight touchdowns against nine interceptions. His work on the ground — 37 carries for 169 yards and two scores — hasn’t been enough to offset the bad reads, nor has it approached his rushing work at Clemson. Lawrence, playing against lesser defenders in the NCAA, managed 766 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns between 2019 and 200.

Meyer, who is in favor of gearing the offense towards the Tigers’, finds himself at odds with several of his assistants. Wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal and running backs coach Bernie Parmalee could be on the chopping block, per JLC’s sources. And, if things don’t improve for Lawrence this year, quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer may also find himself on the hot seat.

“It starts with execution,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said last week (via the team website). “That’s really our focus this week, being on our details and being able to execute.”

Unfortunately, the Jaguars failed to execute today, losing 30-10 to the 49ers. Now at 2-8 on the year, they’ll try to improve next week when they host the Falcons in Jacksonville.

Jaguars Owner Shad Khan “All In” On Urban Meyer

October 31st, 2021 at 10:16am CST by Rory Parks

There are rumors that Urban Meyer could be a one-and-done head coach, if he even makes it to the end of his first season with the Jaguars. But Jacksonville owner Shad Khan — who publicly condemned his HC’s behavior after the team flight/bar room debacle a few weeks ago — has not lost faith in Meyer.

A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that Khan is “all in” on Meyer, and Khan himself has disputed the rumors of turmoil within his club’s locker room. Earlier this month, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reiterated his previous reports that Meyer has struggled to earn his players’ trust and respect, and he added that Meyer’s inability to make appropriate halftime adjustments, along with his overworking his team in practice, has led to second-half collapses in games.

La Canfora is not the only one who has detailed Meyer’s issues in adjusting to his first NFL gig. Khan, however, says perception does not match reality.

When speaking about the Jags’ gritty Week 6 victory over the Dolphins in London — a victory that snapped a 20-game losing streak — Khan said, “I couldn’t ask for anything more from the players. The cohesiveness and the strength to pull it out. This is where the impression from the outside is very different from the inside. … I mean, there are a lot of times and I’m not just talking about football, in business situations, what you read is so different from what the reality is and this was one of those cases. I wasn’t surprised, I believe in us.”

Khan went on to say that he “absolutely” has faith in Meyer. Of course, the Jaguars are still just 1-5 after their London victory, and it could take a few more wins and continued development from rookie QB Trevor Lawrence to convince Khan to keep Meyer around for 2022. For now, though, it seems the owner has moved past Meyer’s earlier transgressions and is committed to giving him every chance to succeed.

Jacksonville will try to make it two wins in a row when they take on the Seahawks in Seattle this afternoon.

Latest On Urban Meyer, Jaguars

October 15th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Urban Meyer‘s first year as the Jaguars’ head coach/lead decision-maker has gone rather poorly. The team is 0-5, and Meyer has generated extensive off-field headlines. But the Jags are sticking with their sought-after HC, for now.

Shad Khan is not yet mulling a quick about-face on Meyer, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes many in the organization believe enough damage has occurred that will leave the owner no choice but to abandon this experiment after one season. The Jaguars’ London game is Sunday, creating a window for the franchise to reassess ahead of its Week 7 bye. Meyer said last week he would not resign.

The first-year NFL HC had encountered adjustment issues before the Ohio controversy earlier this month. Players and Jags coaches expressed confusion about Meyer’s temperament and decision-making before the season began. Meyer’s most recent run of bad press — centered on his decision not to travel back to Jacksonville from Cincinnati with the team and the ensuing video captured of him at a bar that weekend — led to more frustration among Jaguars players and staffers. Jags players are “laughing at” Meyer, one league source told La Canfora, who adds a team staffer called Meyer’s recent actions “pretty gutless.”

Khan issued a statement deeming Meyer’s actions inexcusable, and the team is still looking into them. Jaguars players and coaches did not know Meyer would not be on the team plane back to Jacksonville until he failed to show up for the flight, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds. Meyer said last week he had informed GM Trent Baalke about his plans to remain in Ohio post-Week 4 “way in advance.” But his decision continues to produce considerable fallout and has affected his standing with the team.

Meyer did not address his staying in Ohio after the Jags’ Week 4 loss, or the subsequent bar video, with the team until the following Wednesday. He canceled a Monday team meeting before discussing the issues. Once Meyer did meet with the team, coaches and some Jaguars core players were dissatisfied with the explanation, JLC adds. This came before the Jags endured their fourth double-digit loss of the season, a 37-19 defeat against the Titans. The Jaguars have now lost 20 consecutive games, marking the second-longest skid in NFL history (behind only the 1976-77 Buccaneers, who lost their first 26 games).

More on Meyer’s plate: the NFLPA is still investigating his comment on players’ COVID-19 vaccination statuses being considered when trimming the team’s roster to 53 players, La Canfora offers, adding that this process could well drag into 2022. While other teams likely factored vaccination statuses into their roster equations, Meyer saying the quiet part out loud expanded his growing list of controversies.

Jaguars’ Urban Meyer: I Won’t Resign

October 6th, 2021 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday, Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer told reporters that he hasn’t given any consideration to resigning in recent days (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). Meyer also added that he hasn’t been fined by owner Shad Khan, who expressed disappointment with Meyer earlier this week.

“I have addressed this matter with Urban. Specifics of our conversation will be held in confidence. What I will say is his conduct last weekend was inexcusable. I appreciate Urban’s remorse, which I believe is sincere. Now, he must regain our trust and respect,” Khan said in a statement on Tuesday. “That will require a personal commitment from Urban to everyone who supports, represents or plays for our team. I am confident he will deliver.”

Khan says he won’t fire Meyer over the embarrassing viral video, though the standard “good character” clause in coaching contracts could allow him to dump some or all of the obligation. Ultimately, it’d be a matter for an arbitrator to decide with an absolute fortune on the line. Meyer’s contract likely pays ~$10MM/year over the course of five or six years.

Scandal aside, Meyer is off to a terrible start in Jacksonville. They’re now 0-4 to begin the year, giving them 18 consecutive losses as a franchise. And, despite Meyer’s denials, one has to wonder if he’d be interested in the USC vacancy.

Jaguars’ Owner On Urban Meyer

October 5th, 2021 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

Urban Meyer‘s viral video caught Shad Khan‘s attention. In a statement on Tuesday, the Jaguars owner termed the head coach’s behavior as “inexcusable” (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).

“I have addressed this matter with Urban. Specifics of our conversation will be held in confidence. What I will say is his conduct last weekend was inexcusable. I appreciate Urban’s remorse, which I believe is sincere. Now, he must regain our trust and respect,” Khan said. “That will require a personal commitment from Urban to everyone who supports, represents or plays for our team. I am confident he will deliver.”

Meyer apologized to the team on Monday morning, days after their latest loss. His Jaguars are now 0-4 as they prepare for the Titans on Sunday.

“I just apologized to the team and staff for being a distraction,” Meyer said (via ESPN.com). “Just stupid, and so I explained everything that happened and owned it. Just stupid. Should not have myself in that kind of position.”

A loss to the Titans would extend the Jaguars’ losing streak to 19 games.

Urban Meyer Causing Issues With Jaguars?

September 16th, 2021 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Urban Meyer attempted to slam the door on a quick NFL exit for the USC job, his start with the Jaguars has not gone especially smoothly. Rumors of discord in Jacksonville have surfaced months into Meyer’s tenure.

A number of red flags emerged during the offseason about Meyer’s transition from the college game to the NFL, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who reports the rookie Jags HC’s temper has caused “repeated issues.” Meyer threatening coaches’ jobs has already led to unease among the staff, La Canfora adds, noting the three-time national championship-winning coach’s reactions to preseason losses struck many as bizarre.

This report emerged before the Jaguars’ 16-point loss to the Texans in Week 1. In March, Meyer certainly indicated he was onboard with steering a rebuild. It appears his demeanor early in the process has irked many in the building, which is interesting since the accomplished HC obviously put together the staff. While this might not be cause for alarm just yet, the Jags’ initial game effort left much to be desired.

The Jaguars have ex-49ers GM Trent Baalke in a GM role, but Meyer is running the show in his first year. That personnel power and the team being in position to draft Trevor Lawrence helped convince the Fox analyst to give the NFL a try. Meyer, 56, has run into a few issues along the way. After Meyer’s hire of Chris Doyle as director of sports performance led to a fierce backlash, leading to Doyle’s quick resignation, the NFL fined both the organization and Meyer for violating NFL OTA protocols. Meyer seeking to approach preseason games like regular-season contests also created issues, La Canfora adds.

Meyer’s personnel moves have brought some internal concerns as well, per JLC, and his using the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson and essentially entrusting the O-line from last year’s 1-15 team to protect Lawrence surprised many around the league. All five Jags O-line starters returned from last season, which contrasts from the team’s changes at many other position groups.

The Jags have certainly invested plenty in Meyer, who is overseeing the development of the highest-profile quarterback in franchise history. It will be interesting to see if this situation stabilizes in the coming weeks and months.

Jaguars’ Urban Meyer Denies USC Interest

September 15th, 2021 at 11:16am CST by Zachary Links

After the firing of Clay Helton, USC is on the lookout for a new head coach. It won’t be Urban Meyer, according the recently-minted Jaguars head coach.

“There’s no chance. I’m here and committed to trying to build an organization,” Meyer said (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

Meyer made the long-anticipated jump to the pros in January, inking a lucrative long-term deal with the Jaguars. The news was met with mixed reactions and a few raised eyebrows, chiefly from those who wondered if he’d go back to college like other well-known NCAA coaches before him.

“Zero chance at that happening,” Meyer said in March. “What coach [Nick] Saban went through, I don’t know. That’s Coach Saban’s business. I’m not quite sure. At some point, I might talk to him about it…he’s a friend of mine and I got great respect for him.

“It is different. It’s completely different. My mind is set. There’s gonna be some losses. That’s gonna be miserable. I hate losing. We all do. But the reality is that you’re gonna lose. Hopefully you win more than you lose. But that’s something that’s gonna be new to me. I have to get my mind right and I’m working on that.”

The Jaguars did in fact start their season with a loss, falling 37-21 to the Texans. Meyer & Co. will look to get to .500 on Sunday when they take on the Broncos in Jacksonville.

Jaguars, Urban Meyer Subpoenaed In Iowa Investigation

July 14th, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’re continuing to monitor the Richard Sherman case, but it isn’t the only legal situation developing around the NFL on Wednesday. The Jaguars and their head coach Urban Meyer have been subpoenaed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Garry Smits of the Florida Times-Union reports.

The subpoena is for “documents, electronic transmissions and other evidence related to the hiring and subsequent resignation of former University of Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle by Meyer in February.” The evidence they’re seeking is regarding a “$20 million racial discrimination civil lawsuit filed against Iowa on Nov. 12 by eight former Iowa players.”

Doyle was a former assistant at Iowa, who left the school last summer with a $1.1MM separation agreement after he was accused of making racist remarks and belittling players. Meyer subsequently hired him for his inaugural Jaguars staff, which drew a lot of backlash.

Meyer initially stood by Doyle, but eventually Doyle resigned shortly after joining the team. The Jaguars issued a curt statement denying that they’ll be of any use in the investigation. “We respect and will cooperate with the legal process as required,” it read. “However, the Jaguars have no information that would be relevant to the lawsuit between student-athletes and the University of Iowa.”

That might turn out to be true, but it’s another unwelcome distraction for Meyer as he prepares for his first season as an NFL head coach. We’ll update with any further developments.