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Vic Fangio

East Notes: Fangio, Foles, Rolle

January 18th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Rory Parks

After dining with Washington brass last night, Vic Fangio will have a lengthy, official interview today for the team’s vacant defensive coordinator post, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Fangio, who also met with the Bears regarding their defensive coordinator vacancy, is widely regarded as Washington’s top choice.

Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Although a new GM and new defensive coordinator could change things, John Keim of ESPN.com appears convinced that Brian Orakpo will not return to Washington next year.
  • They have some in-house matters to take care of first, but Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com writes that the Eagles, although not flush with cash, will have enough money to be players in the free agent market. McManus suggests if the team makes a big splash, it will come at the corner or safety positions.
  • In the midst of rumors that Nick Foles may not be the Eagles‘ long-term solution at quarterback, star running back LeSean McCoy defended his signal caller, McManus writes. “I like Nick,” said McCoy. “The person and the player that everybody thought he was, he is. There were a lot of injuries this year — Nick obviously got injured. He gets all the blame and he shouldn’t. I think Nick is a good quarterback, he is the leader of this team, and things just didn’t work out for him this year due to injury. But we’ve got his back.”
  • Jordan Raanan of NJ.com does not believe Antrel Rolle will return to the Giants next year, and he looks at how that will affect the team’s free safety position. Raanan also looks at a few possible cap casualties.
  • Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News writes that, even if his hires of Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan turn out poorly, owner Woody Johnson should at least get credit for taking the right approach in making those hires.
  • Brian Costello of the New York Post provides a behind-the-scenes look at those Jets hires from Charley Casserly, who served as Johnson’s adviser during the hiring process.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Bears, Fangio, Washington

January 17th, 2015 at 8:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers have been willing spenders in free agency in recent years, but those dollars have not equated to wins. General manager Jason Licht has vowed that this experience only confirms that the best way to build a team is through the draft, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

“We went out and got a lot of pieces and even though there was a lot of money going out the door and equal to the money coming in,’’ Licht said. “Nonetheless, we spent a lot of money on free agents and some didn’t work out and it was very disappointing. It’s further proof that free agency is not the safest way to build your team. We’re not hiding from the mistakes.’’

This year, the Bucs will have the opportunity to start drafting for the future, armed with the number one overall selection. Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • The Bears asked the Titans for permission to interview Mike Mularkey for their offensive coordinator vacancy, but were turned down, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Tennessee previously rebuffed the Buccaneers when they wanted to talk to Mularkey about the OC job in Tampa.
  • Vic Fangio‘s interview with Washington is taking place tonight, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, adding that the club has “very serious intent.” The former 49ers defensive coordinator looks like Washington’s top choice for the same position in D.C.
  • The Vikings want to get younger as the 2015 season nears, but that approach to roster-building shouldn’t cost linebacker Chad Greenway his spot on the team, writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune.
  • While running backs have been devalued in modern NFL offenses, DeMarco Murray is the exception, according to Tim Cowlishaw of DallasNews.com, who thinks the Cowboys need to re-sign him.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Coach Notes: Capers, Fangio, Bills, Kubiak

January 17th, 2015 at 12:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers is not planning on retiring anytime soon. The 64-year-old has had to work some overtime since he joined the organization in 2009, as the team’s made the playoffs in each of his six seasons. However, the former Panthers and Texans coach isn’t tiring.

“I would like to coach as long as I enjoy it and feel I have something to offer,” Capers told Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel. “If I didn’t feel I have something to offer I wouldn’t do it anymore.

“I’m enjoying it. My health’s excellent. You can talk to anybody here… who spends the most hours here? And I’d like to think (I have something to offer).”

Other coaching notes from the around the league:

  • Following reports that the Bears had requested permission to interview Vic Fangio, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 in D.C. tweets that the team will indeed meet with the former 49ers defensive coordinator. Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets that Fangio will then travel to meet with Washington this evening.
  • In the same tweet, Barrows notes that former 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell will likely follow the coordinator wherever he goes.
  • Aaron Kromer has signed a two-year deal with the Bills to become the team’s offensive line coach, according to ESPN’s John Clayton (via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak on Twitter). The former Bears offensive coordinator was fired in late December.
  • Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post says Gary Kubiak is the right choice for the Broncos head coaching opening. The writer believes the coach’s communication abilities will allow him to flourish with Peyton Manning. Reversely, if Manning decides to retire, the coach would also be the “perfect man” to groom a young, developing quarterback.

Coach Updates: Fangio, Allen, Kromer, Tarver

January 16th, 2015 at 8:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have requested permission to interview ex-49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for the same position, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Previous reports indicated Fangio was released from his San Francisco contract earlier today, so technically Chicago shouldn’t need to ask the Niners for approval. Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com “continues to hear” (Twitter link) that former Raiders head coach Dennis Allen is the favorite for the Bears DC job.

Here’s the latest on the coaching front…

  • The Bills have hired former Bears assistant Aaron Kromer as their offensive line coach, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). FootballScoop.com was the first to hear the Kromer rumblings, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted the two sides were “closing in” on a deal. Additionally, Rapoport says (Twitter link) that Buffalo has also hired David Lee as its quarterbacks coach. Lee worked with new Bills coach Rex Ryan with the Jets from 2013-14.
  • After hiring his defensive coordinator earlier today, new Jets head coach Todd Bowles has added another staff member, ex-Cardinals linebackers coach Mike Caldwell (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). Per Somers, Caldwell will be named an assistant head coach in New York after the Cards let him out of his contract.
  • It’s been speculated that former Raiders DC Jason Tarver could have a role on Jim Tomsula’s 49ers staff, and today Tarver interviewed for a position with San Francisco, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Tarver previously spent ten years with the Niners, beginning in 2001.
  • The 49ers will not retain special teams coordinator Brad Seely, reports Maiocco. Seely, a 22-year NFL coaching veteran, had been with SF since 2011. Meanwhile, Maiocco adds that the Bills have requested an interview with Niners offensive assistant Ronald Curry, who has not been fired by San Francisco.
  • The Browns continue to interview candidates for their vacant offensive coordinator position, and met with Jim Hostler today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Hostler, currently a senior offensive assistant with the Bills, was the 49ers’ play-caller during the 2007 season.

Latest On Washington’s DC Search

January 16th, 2015 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

After being released from his contract in San Francisco to pursue other opportunities, former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will interview with Washington for the club’s defensive coordinator job, according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, who tweets that a meeting could happen on Saturday.

A report earlier this week suggested that Washington intended to hire Chargers linebackers coach Joe Barry as its new defensive coordinator. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who originally reported that Barry would likely be hired after Raheem Morris was eliminated from contention, suggests things changed when Fangio became available. Per Rapoport, Fangio’s biggest advocate in Washington is new general manager Scot McCloughan (Twitter links).

As Rapoport points out, Fangio has no ties to either head coach Jay Gruden or GM Bruce Allen, whereas Barry worked with both men years ago in Tampa Bay. So if the team were to hire Fangio, it would be a departure of sorts from the usual operating procedure.

Fangio should have several potential suitors, with a report yesterday indicating that every team with an opening at defensive coordinator had expressed interest in the veteran coach. Still, as we saw yesterday when Washington moved quickly to hire Bill Callahan away from the Cowboys, the team appears ready and willing to shell out the money required for top-notch assistants. Fangio had been one of the league’s highest-paid defensive coordinators in San Francisco, so he likely won’t come cheap.

Coach Notes: Broncos, Gase, Tarver, 49ers

January 15th, 2015 at 10:59pm CST by Luke Adams

While not all teams are overly transparent during the process of searching for a new head coach, the Broncos were willing to announce their first formal interview before it was even finished today, tweeting that offensive coordinator Adam Gase was interviewing for the position. Word of Gase’s afternoon meeting with the Broncos was first reported by Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who adds that the club will talk to Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Friday and still hopes to hear back from Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.

Here’s the rest of our latest round-up of coaching-related updates:

  • The Broncos will interview Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph for their head coach opening, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. While most head coaching candidates make the step from the coordinator position, it is not unprecedented for position coaches to be hired as head coaches, as Klis notes. Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Andy Reid, and, most recently, Jim Tomsula, all got their first head coaching gigs directly from position coach.
  • There’s still a very good probability that Vic Fangio and Ed Donatell end up with Washington, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • Former Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver, whose contract expired this week, is expected to join Jim Tomsula‘s staff, though his role with the 49ers hasn’t been determined and nothing’s official yet, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
  • After losing Bill Callahan to Washington, the Cowboys named Frank Pollack their new offensive line coach, per Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link).
  • Meanwhile, the offensive line coach Callahan replaced in Washington, Chris Foerster, is headed to the 49ers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Coach Notes: Falcons, Gase, Fangio, Callahan

January 15th, 2015 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles officially landed a new job yesterday, and now can add a Professional Football Writers of America award to his list of achievements for the week. The PFWA named Bowles – the Jets‘ new head coach – the Assistant of the Year for 2014 today, as well as recognizing Cards head coach Bruce Arians as Coach of the Year and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as Executive of the Year (Twitter link).

Here’s the latest on a few men who might be vying for those PFWA coaching awards in the 2015 season:

  • The Falcons are requesting permission to interview Adam Gase for their offensive coordinator opening, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), and John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (Twitter link) expects Gase to ultimately end up in Atlanta. According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, part of Teryl Austin‘s pitch during his head coaching interview with Atlanta involved bringing Gase aboard as an offensive coordinator, but the Broncos OC will be a strong candidate for the Falcons’ position whether the team hires Austin or Dan Quinn as its next head coach.
  • The 49ers have officially released several of their assistants, including defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and defensive backs coach Ed Donatell, from their contracts, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. It doesn’t sound like Fangio will have trouble finding work elsewhere — Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that every team with a defensive coordinator vacancy has expressed interest in the former Niners DC.
  • As for the Niners, expect Colts assistant Rob Chudzinski to be a legit candidate for their offensive coordinator position, says Maiocco (via Twitter).
  • Washington will make a play for former Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan as an offensive line coach, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), who reports that an agreement between the two sides could end up happening quickly. Callahan has reportedly received interest from eight suitors though, so Washington will have some competition.
  • The Cardinals have a meeting set for next week to talk to Dick LeBeau about a senior coaching position on their staff, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

NFC East Notes: Washington, Linehan, Giants

January 15th, 2015 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

There’s still no action on Washington‘s defensive coordinator hunt, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (all Twitter links), who hears that the team does indeed have interest in Vic Fangio, though it remains unclear if an interview is being scheduled. As Jones notes, Washington could still end up hiring Joe Barry, as had been previously reported, but it appears the team has pumped the brakes a little on making a final decision — as more candidates become available, the process of making a hire is perhaps lasting a little longer than expected.

Let’s round up a few more notes from around the NFC East….

  • As I speculated earlier today, Scott Linehan‘s new deal with the Cowboys will indeed include the official offensive coordinator title, since Bill Callahan is expected to leave the team, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Linehan, who is signing a three-year contract, essentially played the role of OC in 2014, since he called the club’s plays while Callahan primarily worked with the offensive line.
  • Owner Jerry Jones believes the Cowboys are capable of being major players in free agency, but isn’t sure exactly how active they’ll be, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I’d love to have the opportunity to improve that pass rush in the range of something that we could afford and make sense logically,” Jones told reporters.
  • The Giants have informed Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson that they’re going a different direction with their defensive coordinator hire, a source tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link).
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Giants‘ offseason, examining the team’s cap situation and potential approach to free agency.

Washington Plans To Hire Joe Barry As DC?

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

THURSDAY, 8:15am: Former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who isn’t returning to San Francisco, is a late entry being considered for Washington’s defensive coordinator position, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. While there’s no indication of how serious Washington’s interest is, or whether it’s mutual, the fact that Fangio could be in the mix suggests the team still has yet to make its final decision.

WEDNESDAY, 1:33pm: Echoing what Keim, Jones, and Boyer reported earlier, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 tweets that Washington hasn’t hired Barry yet, and goes a step further, calling the initial report “false,” even though Rapoport didn’t say a deal had been completed. There’s still no indication that Washington is leaning toward another candidate, and Keim tweets that a number of the team’s assistants expect Barry to land the job. However, it definitely doesn’t seem to be a sure thing at this point.

8:53am: Three Washington beat reporters – ESPN’s John Keim, Mike Jones of the Washington Post, and Zac Boyer of the Washington Times – have all tweeted that there’s no agreement in place yet between Barry and the team. However, Rapoport’s report didn’t explicitly say that the two sides had agreed to terms — just that Washington intends to hire Barry. None of the Washington writers have indicated that the team is leaning in any other direction, so it still looks as if Barry will ultimately land the job, even if nothing’s official yet.

8:41am: Washington has decided on a replacement for recently dismissed defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the club will hire Chargers linebackers coach Joe Barry to fill the position. Rapoport had indicated yesterday that either Barry or Raheem Morris appeared likely to land Washington’s DC job.

Barry has one previous stint as a defensive coordinator under his belt, with the Lions from 2007 to 2008. Of course, Barry left that position at a low point, following the club’s 0-16 campaign in ’08. Barry’s run in Detroit is perhaps best remembered for prompting one reporter to ask his father-in-law, head coach Rod Marinelli, if he wished his daughter had “married a better defensive coordinator.”

Since leaving the Lions, Barry has worked as an assistant for the Buccaneers, USC, and the Chargers, holding the position of linebackers coach at each one of those stops. His hiring in Washington comes after the team also reportedly interviewed candidates like Morris, Eric Mangini, Ed Donatell, and Wade Phillips. According to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter link), Morris’ interview with the club was “just okay,” which presumably opened the door for Barry to land the job.

As Washington’s new defensive coordinator, Barry will be tasked with turning around a unit that finished 27th in DVOA in 2014, including 32nd against the pass. The team also allowed 27.4 points per game this season, tied for the third-worst mark in the NFL.

Coach Notes: 49ers, Jets, Falcons, Raiders

January 14th, 2015 at 9:23pm CST by Ben Levine

After promoting one coach earlier today, it sounds like the 49ers will be parting ways with the rest of their coaching staff. Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez reports (via Twitter) that the organization plans on dismissing all assistants except running backs coach Tom Rathman. A member of that coaching staff told CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco that they are “in the dark” regarding the team’s plans (Twitter link). Its unclear if any of the remaining coordinators, including defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, are safe.

Meanwhile, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee tweets that “several” 49ers assistants will likely join former offensive coordinator Greg Roman with the Bills, while others will likely follow Fangio.

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

  • Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is set to interview with the Broncos on Friday, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Austin was late arriving to Atlanta, and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that his second interview with the Falcons will be pushed back to Thursday.
  • The Raiders want to talk to Falcons offensive line coach Mike Tice, but Atlanta is denying them permission, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • Cardinals linebacker coach Mike Caldwell will likely join Jets head coach Todd Bowles in New York as the team’s assistant head coach, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Phoenix.
  • ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson says Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio is “aiming high” in his coaching staff search, and the writer notes that Kyle Shanahan could be among the offensive coordinator candidates (via Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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