Vance Joseph - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Dolphins, Chargers, Lynch, Lions

January 9th, 2016 at 12:52pm CST by Ben Levine

When reports came out earlier today regarding Adam Gase being hired as the Dolphins head coach, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that Bengals defensive back’s coach Vance Joseph was expected to join the staff as Miami’s new defensive coordinator. However, Rapoport later clarified (via Twitter) that Joseph will be a target, but no deal has been finalized. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets that Joseph has had zero discussions with the Dolphins regarding the position.

If Joseph does end up joining Gase’s staff, he’s expected to hire several notable names. Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez tweets that Bengals linebackers coach Matt Burke, Bears defensive line coach Clint Hurtt, and Cowboys defensive back’s coach Jerome Henderson would presumably join Joseph’s staff.

Meanwhile, Albert Breer tweets that Hue Jackson is scheduled to have his interviews with the 49ers and Browns tomorrow. If he secures any of those head coaching jobs, Breer believes Joseph will be a target to become defensive coordinator (with Mike Solari an option at offensive coordinator).

Let’s take a look at some more assorted notes from around the league…

The Chargers request to interview Buccaneers defensive line coach Joe Cullen was denied, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafalo.
Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times gives a list of reasons why it’d be in the Seahawks best interest to move on from Marshawn Lynch (via Twitter): they’d save $6.5MM against the cap, he’s 30-years-old, and he only appeared in seven games this season.
The Jets, Browns, Texans and Rams are among the teams scouting North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz at today’s FCS title game, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
Count Gil Brandt among those who are big fans of new Lions general manager Bob Quinn. “He’s not one of these guys that’s known because he doesn’t seek out jobs,” Brandt told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “But he knows the personnel part of it, he knows the cap part of it. He knows how to make people better at the job they do. You’ll like this guy because … he’s a hustler, and he’s very low-key.”

Dolphins Hire Adam Gase As Head Coach

January 9th, 2016 at 11:08am CST by Ben Levine

11:08am: The Dolphins have announced the hiring on Twitter.

10:45am: The Dolphins are set to hire Adam Gase as their next head coach, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Beasley says it’s a “done deal,” with the official announcement expected to come at a 3:00pm press conference. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that it will be a five-year deal.

The Dolphins had previously interviewed Teryl Austin, Mike Shanahan, Mike Smith and Anthony Lynn, but it was clear from the beginning that Gase was the favorite for the position. The 37-year-old spent 2015 as the Bears offensive coordinator, helping lead Jay Cutler to one of the most efficient seasons of the quarterback’s career. Gase had spent the previous six years in Denver, where he eventually served as the team’s offensive coordinator. He has also been on the coaching staff of the 49ers, Lions, and LSU.

Gase is now the youngest head coach in the league, but that didn’t discourage suitors from pursuing the coach. He had also interviewed with the Eagles, Browns and Giants. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that New York had strong interest in Gase, which may have pushed along the deal in Miami. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald notes that Gase was a “unanimous decision” among the Dolphins staff.

Rapoport believes that Bengals defensive back’s coach Vance Joseph is expected to be the team’s new defensive coordinator, and Salguero adds that Gase’s father-in-law is Joe Vitt, an assistant on the Saints. Salguero is uncertain if former coach Dan Campbell will remain on the staff.

The Bears had anticipated Gase’s departure, according to Rapoport, and the team will now have to seek a new offensive coordinator. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Bears quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains is the “leading candidate” for the gig.

Latest On Dolphins’ Head Coaching Search

January 8th, 2016 at 10:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

10:03pm: Gase continues to look like the clear favorite, as he’s already met with both Ryan Tannehill and Ndamukong Suh, according to Jeff Darlington of NFL.com (Twitter link).

9:02pm: The Dolphins were scheduled to meet with Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson on Sunday, but that meeting has been canceled, a source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

It’s unclear based on the report who exactly canceled the interview: Jackson or the Dolphins. Jackson, who is set to meet with the Browns and 49ers on Sunday, may have requested to terminate the meeting because he prefers other jobs. But it’s more likely that Miami canceled the interview, probably due to their overwhelming interest in Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

The Dolphins are said to be making a “strong push” for Gase, and have scheduled a second interview with him for Saturday. He’s the only candidate to have yet been invited back for a second go-round, indicating a level of seriousness from Miami. Indeed, in the article linked above, Salguero writes that “all signs point” to Gase landing in South Beach, noting that Gase was owner Stephen Ross‘ preferred candidate from the start of the search process.

In related news, if Gase is made the Dolphins’ head coach, Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph will be a strong contender for Miami’s defensive coordinator gig, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Joseph was a candidate for both the Broncos and 49ers DC positions last year, but Cincinnati blocked him from leaving for either opportunity. That won’t happen this year, says Marvez, because Joseph’s contract is expiring.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Rumors: 49ers, Manning, Gore, Chargers

February 16th, 2015 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

Over the weekend, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reported that the 49ers may have hired Adam Gase as their head coach last month, had he agreed to make Jim Tomsula his defensive coordinator. Today, Albert Breer of the NFL Network follows up on that story, reporting (via Twitter) that Gase wanted to keep Vic Fangio as his DC in San Francisco, or to hire Vance Joseph from the Bengals for the job. As it turned out, Fangio left the Niners for the Bears and Joseph remained in Cincinnati, but it’s not clear if either coach’s situation would’ve been different had Gase landed San Francisco’s HC job.

Let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFC and AFC West divisions….

Peyton Manning reportedly told John Elway and the Broncos last week that he’s preparing to play in 2015, and Peter King of TheMMQB.com writes today that the team “definitely” wants its quarterback to return, recognizing that its best chance for a deep playoff run comes with Manning at the helm. King adds that Denver may “quietly rattle some sabers” about reducing Manning’s 2015 salary and/or cap hit, but the MMQB.com scribe cautions that moving too much dead money to 2016 or beyond might be risky, since ’15 could very well be Manning’s last season.
As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, veteran running back Frank Gore publicly expressed some doubt this weekend on Instagram about how invested 49ers management is in him. However, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that there’s “nothing negative” between Gore and the team, and that GM Trent Baalke has made it clear he wants to bring back the longtime Niner.
Three players in the West – Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald, and Chiefs edge defender Tamba Hali – lead off Joel Corry’s list of candidates to take pay cuts this year. Here’s the full story from Corry at the National Football Post.
The San Diego committee tasked with coming up with a plan for a new NFL stadium for the city will meet today with Mark Fabiani, the Chargers‘ point man on stadium issues, according to Tony Perry of the Los Angeles Times. With Stan Kroenke preparing to move forward with a new stadium in Inglewood, there’s a little more urgency in San Diego than there has been in past years to get something done.

AFC Notes: Tucker, Gordon, D. Thomas

January 29th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is eligible for restricted free agency for the first time this winter, but will be restricted rather than unrestricted, meaning a one-year deal is possible. Still, if it were up to him, Tucker wouldn’t mind signing a long-term deal to stay in Baltimore, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

“I think when you take a step back and look at it from the big picture and think long-term, that would just be great to know what’s going to go on for the next several years as opposed to the next few months or next year,” Tucker said. “When you think about it from a general perspective, it feels and sounds great for me personally. I’ve really enjoyed my time in Baltimore and would to continue it. I think it’s just a matter of everybody getting something together and discussing it.”

Here are a few more Thursday updates from all over the AFC:

In an open letter published on The Cauldron, Browns wideout Josh Gordon addresses Charles Barkley, Stephen A. Smith, Cris Carter, and other media members and fans who have criticized him for his problems with substance abuse, explaining his side of the story. Gordon’s account provides an interesting perspective, and is a reminder that, at age 23, he shouldn’t be written off as an NFL player. Still, he has vowed in the past to make better decisions, so he’ll have to actually make good on those promises this time around.
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link), Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said he hadn’t talked to the team about a new contract since before the season started, and is letting his agent handle any discussions at this point. Thomas added that he plans to “go about his business” whether he returns to Denver or ultimately lands with another club.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis explained today on ESPN’s NFL Insiders that team owner Mike Brown sees defensive backs coach Vance Joseph as a rising star, which is why the club was unwilling to let Joseph take the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator job. Coley Harvey of ESPN.com has the details and quotes from Lewis, who said Joseph “could be sitting in my chair very quickly.”
Ndamukong Suh’s name should be atop the Colts‘ winter wish list as the team prepares to enter the offseason armed with a ton of cap room, writes Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. Meanwhile, Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck says Suh seems like a player that would fit in well in Oakland, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.

Coach Notes: Broncos, Phillips, Schwartz, Jets

January 27th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

As our offensive/defensive coordinator search tracker shows, hirings of OCs and DCs have slowed down a little in the last few days — the teams that headed into this past weekend with job openings on either side of the ball have yet to name their new coordinators, and in some cases those clubs may wait until after the Super Bowl to announce any official decisions.

Still, that doesn’t mean there’s no forward movement on any coordinator searches. An update out of Denver headlines our latest round-up of coaching-related items, so let’s dive right in….

Former head coach Wade Phillips is in Denver today to interview for the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator position, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who notes that Phillips coached the team way back when John Elway and Gary Kubiak were players.
While Phillips is a viable candidate for the DC job in Denver, the Broncos‘ top choice still appears to be Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets that one potential scenario would see Phillips getting the job for 2015, then transitioning to a senior assistant role in 2016 when Joseph is freed from his contract in Cincinnati.
Former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz confirmed that he’s being selective about the next job he takes, as Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun writes. “I saw the opening up in Buffalo as a good opportunity, so I took it,” Schwartz said. “But no, right now, I can’t see myself doing anything else. Coaching is something I love, something I have a passion about. Another opportunity will present itself. I’m not too concerned.” Schwartz reportedly had two years remaining on his contract in Buffalo when the team let him go, which is perhaps contributing to his patient approach to finding another job.
Titans assistant receivers coach Kevin Patullo will be the new quarterbacks coach for the Jets, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Patullo previously worked with new Jets OC Chan Gailey in Buffalo.
Former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is currently considering multiple options, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The 49ers reportedly have an offer out to Fewell, and the Bengals could be in the mix as well, though Raanan writes that Washington may have the edge.
The Jaguars have fired running backs coach Terry Richardson and are interviewing former Raiders running backs coach Kelly Skipper for the newly-opened job, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Skipper worked with new Jags OC Greg Olson in Oakland.
Speaking of the Jaguars, their current defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker is drawing interest from other teams, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Earlier today, we learned that Rob Chudzinski, an offensive coordinator target for both the Rams and 49ers, would stick with the Colts and receive a new title.

West Notes: Joseph, Houston, Chiefs

January 26th, 2015 at 6:19pm CST by Zachary Links

A look at the AFC and NFC West..

The Broncos hope to have a resolution early this week as to whether they can interview Vance Joseph for their defensive coordinator position, writes Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Joseph just finished his first season as the defensive backs coach for the Bengals, who refuse to let him out of his contract one year early. If the Bengals won’t budge, the Broncos are expected to fill their defensive coordinator position this week with either former defensive coordinator and head coach Wade Phillips or former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith.
A league source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) that Justin Houston‘s agent Joel Segal and Chiefs GM John Dorsey were spotted meeting at the Senior Bowl. A recent report indicated that there have been “zero talks” between the Chiefs and the outside linebacker, but it appears that things are now in motion. If the two sides can’t hammer out a long-term deal, the NFL’s sack leader will likely be hit with the franchise tag by KC.
The Broncos agreed to terms with Reggie Herring to be their new linebackers coach and named Clancy Barone as their new offensive line coach, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is on the verge of becoming the next head coach of the Falcons but Seattle players say that hasn’t distracted him during Super Bowl week, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “I think he’s done a great job of focusing on the task at hand which is to win the Super Bowl,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said on Monday. “I know that he’s got bigger endeavors on down the line, but he’s approached it like we need to win this game.”

Coaching Notes: LeBeau, Bills, Raiders, Bears

January 25th, 2015 at 8:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is no longer in the running to join the staff of the Cardinals, reports Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. Since he resigned from his long time post with the Steelers, the Cardinals seemed like a logical option for the 77-year old Hall of Fame coach. While it was thought that LeBeau would only be interested in coordinator positions, he was reportedly set to be a senior assistant and serve as the Cardinals linebacker coach.

With the Cardinals out of the mix for his services, the only other organization with which he has been linked is the Titans, where he could also serve as a senior assistant in some capacity.

The Cardinals are expected to promote from within to fill their defensive coordinator role vacated when Todd Bowles was hired as head coach of the Jets.

Here are some other coaching notes from around the NFL, with more recent news added to the top:

The Bills are expected to hire Chris Palmer to their coaching staff as a senior offensive assistant, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Palmer’s long career most recently brought him to the Titans, where he served as offensive coordinator from 2011-2012.
The Raiders have also added former Lions assistant offensive line coach Bobby Johnson to their staff, reports Thayer Evans of SI.com (via Twitter). Johnson will be the Raiders tight ends coach.
The Bears have brought Jay Rodgers onto the staff to coach the defensive line, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Rodgers is the older brother of special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers.

Earlier Updates:

The Broncos have not tried to hide the fact that they would like to hire Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph as their defensive coordinator, but they may not get a chance until after the Bengals are able to secure another coach, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. The Bengals reportedly have their eye on former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, and would likely allow Joseph out of his contract if they are able to hire Fewell. The Broncos are willing to wait to see if Fewell is hired by the Bengals before moving on to their next option.
While there have been no official announcements made, the Raiders have reportedly added Bernie Parmalee as their running backs coach and Rob Moore as their wide receivers coach, reports Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com (via Twitter). He also notes that defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson is the only member of the staff set to return so far.
The Falcons are planning on hiring Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their head coach after the Super Bowl, and reports have it that Quinn will be targeting former Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris as part of his staff. However, Mike Jones of the Washington Post writes that Morris is being considered for an assistant head coach/passing game coordinator position, and not defensive coordinaor (via Twitter). Jones reports that the deal is not finished, but it is close (via Twitter).

Extra Points: Luck, Wilson, Ireland, Chudzinski

January 21st, 2015 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

With Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson now eligible for extensions, there’s speculation that new high watermarks could be set for quarterback salaries and guarantees, but there’s also “major concern” among rival agents about negotiations for the two star signal-callers, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As Cole explains, both players are represented by fairly inexperienced agents — Wilson is repped by Mark Rodgers, primarily a baseball agent, while Luck’s uncle William Wilson reps the Indianapolis star.

These two deals are expected to have a significant trickle-down effect on future contracts for players at every position, not just for other quarterbacks. Wilson and Luck already have such impressive resumés that they should be in line for guarantees in excess of $50MM+ on their next contracts, rather than anything close to the limited guaranteed money that players like Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton accepted in their recent extensions, so fellow agents are hoping that neither Luck’s camp nor Wilson’s camp settles for a modest deal, lowering the bar for future extensions.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

After Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reported overnight (via Twitter) that former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland was expected to become the Saints’ college scouting director, general Mickey Loomis confirmed today to reporters that Ireland had indeed been hired to oversee the team’s college scouting process (Twitter links).
Having reported earlier that the Colts were denying Rob Chudzinski permission to speak to teams about offensive coordinator jobs, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds an important piece of clarification (via Twitter): Chudzinski’s contract is set to expire in a week, at which point he’s free to interview anywhere, meaning he could still be in play for a team like the Bears, 49ers, or Rams.
In addition to having their attempt to talk to Chudzinski rebuffed, the 49ers were denied permission to speak to Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph about their defensive coordinator opening, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Cincinnati also blocked the Broncos’ efforts to pursue Joseph for a DC job.
According to Jason Fitzgerald’s projections at Over the Cap, the Patriots, Chiefs, and Bengals appear likely to land third-round compensatory picks in this year’s draft for losing Aqib Talib, Branden Albert, and Michael Johnson – respectively – in free agency a year ago. Fitzgerald also forecasts rookie pool amounts by team for 2015, with the Buccaneers’ rookie cap projected to exceed $8MM.
While the Rams are often said to be “only” a quarterback away from contention, finding that QB isn’t exactly an easy task, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Wagoner passes along a number of quotes from Rams general manager Les Snead about the team’s quest to identify a long-term answer at the position.
Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes a look at the upcoming offseasons for the league’s championship weekend losers, the Packers and Colts.

Coach Notes: Browns, Ravens, Rams, Austin

January 21st, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Six of the seven teams changing head coaches this offseason have officially hired replacements, and the Falcons appear fully prepared to wait for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. However, while there may not be much drama left among the league’s head coaching searches, there’s still plenty of intrigue in the coordinator searches, as a number of noteworthy coaches continue to look for jobs. Here’s a round-up of the latest updates:

The Browns have canceled their offensive coordinator interview with Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The meeting hasn’t been rescheduled, and no reason was given for the cancellation, so it’s not clear why it will no longer happen.
In addition to not interviewing Saunders, the Browns also won’t speak to former Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). A Tuesday report had suggested Mornhinweg was expected to talk to the club about the job.
While Mornhinweg apparently won’t interview with the Browns, he has drawn interest from the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Baltimore hired Marc Trestman as its new offensive coordinator yesterday, so Mornhinweg would be a candidate for the team’s quarterbacks coach job.
The Rams have been denied permission to speak to two of their offensive coordinator candidates, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports that the Colts blocked the Rams from talking to Rob Chudzinski, while the Packers thwarted St. Louis’ efforts to talk to Alex Van Pelt. The Rams still hope to interview Adam Gase, who is in Chicago today to speak to the Bears.
While Teryl Austin could still technically end up becoming the Falcons‘ new head coach, it sure looks like the Lions defensive coordinator will be returning to Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.
The Broncos will hope for a change of heart from the Bengals on secondary coach Vance Joseph, whom Denver targeted as its top defensive coordinator target, but with Cincinnati refusing to release Joseph from his contract, the Broncos are moving forward on other candidates, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
Mike Smith has been the Raiders‘ top target for defensive coordinator since Jack Del Rio was named head coach, tweets Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune. If an established coach like Smith lands Oakland’s DC job, he’ll have more autonomy than a younger coach would — Del Rio would be more involved on D in that case, says McDonald.