Max Starks Announces Retirement
Longtime Steelers tackle Max Starks says he’s staying retired from the NFL, according to Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter).
The 6’8″, 345 lineman spent time with the Rams and Chargers in 2013 after playing for Pittsburgh from 2004-2012. However, his stint in Arizona didn’t last all that long. Before the deadline for the 75-man cutdown, the Cardinals released Starks along with eleven other players. At the time, Starks was excited about his reunion with coach Bruce Arians.
“All the terminology seems to be the old terminology, so it’s starting to click again,” said Starks, who played under Arians’ coordination with the Steelers. “Obviously it’s been two years since I was with [Arians] so just getting used to that lingo and getting that going.”
Starks made 125 starts across the course of his ten year NFL career, seeing time at both right tackle and left tackle. In 2012, his last full NFL season, Starks graded out as the 72nd best tackle out of 80 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required and recommended). Starks, 34 in March, received negative grades for his run blocking and even worse grades for his pass blocking. In years past, however, Starks graded out as an above average offensive tackle.
Coaching Notes: LeBeau, Bills, Raiders, Bears
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).
Latest On Teams Still Seeking DCs
This morning, we took a look at where the ongoing offensive coordinator searches stand, and this afternoon we’ll shift our focus to the remaining defensive coordinator vacancies.
While the OC openings are fairly clear cut, three potential defensive coordinator positions are still up in the air due to the Falcons’ head coaching search. No matter which head coach they hire, the Falcons will likely be in the market for a new defensive coordinator, and both of their finalists are current DCs for another team — if Atlanta hires Dan Quinn, as expected, the Seahawks will have to find a new coordinator. If their arrangement with Quinn falls through, the Falcons would likely turn to Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, leaving Detroit to find a replacement.
In addition to those clubs, three more clubs are also currently hunting for a new defensive coordinator, so there are plenty of situations to examine. Let’s dive right in, with the help of our OC/DC search tracker….
Arizona Cardinals
After Todd Bowles landed in New York as the Jets’ new head coach, the early word out of Arizona was that the Cardinals would likely promote an internal candidate to replace Bowles, with James Bettcher, Brentson Buckner, Kevin Ross, Nick Rapone, and Tom Pratt as potential options. However, that report was published over a week ago, and there’s been no indication that the Cardinals are much closer to hiring Bowles’ replacement.
The team is reportedly interested in bringing aboard Dick LeBeau, but it appears it would be as a linebackers coach or perhaps as a senior defensive assistant. A report on Wednesday suggested that LeBeau was still interested in a coordinator position, so perhaps that’s why nothing has been finalized with the Cards yet. Arizona has also been linked to Mike Nolan, but it’s not entirely clear what Nolan’s situation is in Atlanta. Presumably, the new head coach will look to replace Nolan, but he remains under contract with the Falcons for now, having signed a two-year extension a year ago.
Atlanta Falcons
Speaking of those Falcons, there’s not much we know about their defensive coordinator job at this point. If Dan Quinn gets the head coaching job – and every indication is that he will – he could bring a coach from Seattle with him, particularly since most of the most attractive outside candidates will have found work by the time Quinn officially comes aboard (after the Super Bowl). It’s possible that Mike Nolan sticks around in Atlanta, but it seems unlikely at this point.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos targeted Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph early in their search. Denver actually interviewed Joseph for its head coaching opening, though it’s not clear if he was ever a viable candidate for that spot — I expect that interview served the dual purpose of ensuring that the Broncos adhered to the Rooney Rule and allowing the team to get a feel for Joseph as a DC candidate. The only problem? While the Bengals were willing to let Joseph interview for a HC job, the club is now unwilling to let him out of his contract for a DC position.
Denver hasn’t given up on its No. 1 target — Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who wrote earlier this week that the Bengals and the NFL should do the right thing and allow Joseph to leave Cincinnati for a promotion, says the Broncos continue to monitor the situation. If the Bengals don’t budge though, the Broncos will have to move on to other options, and that could mean speaking to former head coach Wade Phillips, who has been mentioned as a candidate.
Oakland Raiders
Like the Broncos, the Raiders appear to have a clear preference for the coach they’d like to hire. Former Falcons head coach Mike Smith has been cited as Jack Del Rio‘s top candidate since Del Rio landed Oakland’s head coaching job, and the two sides have been in contact, but it seems Smith isn’t fully sold on the opportunity. If he was, the Raiders would likely have locked him up already.
With Smith no sure thing, the Raiders have former Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker on their radar and have also been linked to Wade Phillips. The club may ultimately turn to the NCAA ranks, as a Thursday report suggested, though no specific college candidates have been reported yet. Bill Williamson of ESPN.com wrote that if the Raiders do hire a coach from a college program, that would probably signal that the team was turned down by other candidates, and that Del Rio intends to call defensive plays, meaning that the new coordinator would have less latitude.
Seattle Seahawks
We’re including the Seahawks here rather than the Lions because it looks like a near-lock that Dan Quinn will head to Atlanta, with Teryl Austin returning to Detroit. Still, there’s no indication yet who would replace Quinn for the ‘Hawks. With so much talent on the defensive side of the ball in Seattle, the position could intrigue some big-name candidates who perhaps haven’t been interested in the other openings, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the club ultimately opts for an in-house promotion — of course, that’s assuming that Quinn doesn’t take the best internal candidates with him to Atlanta.
NFC Notes: Romo, Fitzgerald, Fewell, 49ers
Tony Romo’s contract currently calls for a $27.77MM cap hit in 2015, before dipping to $17.64MM in 2016, which would appear to make him a slam-dunk candidate to have his deal restructured this offseason. However, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones says “not a given,” according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, who explains why it’s risky to push more money into the later years of the contract. Still, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, it’s hard to believe Jerry Jones will “hold the line financially” with Romo turning 35 in April and the team’s championship window potentially closing soon.
Let’s check in on a few other Friday items from out of the NFC….
- Speaking of Romo, in an appearance on 103.3 KESN-FM in Dallas, he admitted that he’s consistently talking to Jerry Jones and other members of the Cowboys‘ front office about re-signing Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. In order for that to be possible, the team may need the cap space that a Romo restructure would create.
- Reiterating that he hopes to get contract extensions done for head coach Bruce Arians and GM Steve Keim following the Super Bowl, Cardinals president Michael Bidwill also addressed’s Larry Fitzgerald contract last night, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com outlines. Bidwill advised fans to “relax” about Fitzgerald, assuring them the situation will get worked out. “My goal from the beginning was to have Larry Fitzgerald retire as a Cardinal when he is ready to retire many years from now,” Bidwill said. “I am feeling confident something will get worked out.”
- As expected, former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will be in San Francisco today to interview with the 49ers for their defensive backs coach position, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.
- D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution takes a look at the prospects who have spoken to the Falcons at the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl.
- You can make the case that the Saints don’t need to bring back any of their free-agents-to-be this offseason, says Jason Fitzgerald in his preview of the team’s offseason at OverTheCap.com.
Coach Notes: Weis, Gase, Bears, Mornhinweg
The Bears are considering a handful of offensive coordinator candidates, including Charlie Weis, Geep Chryst (49ers), Jim Bob Cooter (Lions), and Adam Gase (Broncos), according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Weis, the former head coach of Notre Dame and Kansas, has been linked to the Browns’ offensive coordinator vacancy in the past. More coaching news..
- Falcons wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie will be back with Atlanta after getting strong overtures from multiple teams in recent weeks, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Cardinals are looking to finalize a deal that would make former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau the team’s new linebackers coach, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- The Browns interviewed Rams quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti for their offensive coordinator vacancy, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Gase is flying to Chicago to meet with the Bears about their offensive coordinator opening, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday and things could move very quickly.
- The 49ers are considering Eric Mangini for their defensive coordinator opening, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. Mangini served as the team’s tight ends coach last season and was an offensive consultant with the 49ers the year before that.
- The Browns are expected to interview former Jets and Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg this week at the Senior Bowl, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- A source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that the Bengals will not allow defensive backs coach Vance Joseph to leave his contract. Joseph was previously linked to the Broncos’ defensive coordinator vacancy.
- Washington was interested in Vic Fangio, who ultimately landed in Chicago as the Bears’ defensive coordinator, but never made a formal offer to him. As head coach Jay Gruden explained today, that was because the club felt like Fangio’s mind was already made up on choosing the Bears (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post).
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) speculated earlier today that – if Chan Gailey‘s deal fell through – former Packers coach Mike Sherman would have been interested in the Jets‘ offensive coordinator job, though the interest might not have been mutual. Sherman has a relationship with GM Mike Maccagnan dating back to his time in Houston. Hours later, the Jets finalized their deal with Gailey.
Coach Rumors: Gailey, Bills, 49ers, Cardinals
It has been presumed that the Jets would hire Chan Gailey to become the team’s offensive coordinator, but it may not be a done deal, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello writes that Gailey has drawn interest from three other teams, and that an agreement with the Jets is far from a lock.
- As the Jets have cooled on Gailey, they have reached out to other potential candidates for their offensive coordinator opening, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
- The 49ers have denied the Bills permission to interview Ronald Curry for an opportunity to join Greg Roman’s staff in Buffalo, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
- The Bears wanted to consider Broncos wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert for the same position on their staff, but the Broncos have denied them permission, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Cardinals have expressed interest in Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan to replace Todd Bowles as their own defensive coordinator, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Nolan’s defenses with the Falcons have been underwhelming, and his stint as 49ers head coach was equally unsuccessful.
- With the Cardinals considering options at defensive coordinator, Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean notes that former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is in the mix as a senior assistant (via Twitter). Wyatt still believes LeBeau could land with the Titans (via Twitter).
- 49ers assistant coach Eric Mangini will interview with the Raiders in pursuit of their defensive coordinator job, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- While Mangini is moving closer to the Oakland, former Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is still expected to rejoin the 49ers, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Former Cardinals and Chiefs defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast interviewed to be the defensive coordinator in Washington, reports John Keim of ESPN.com.
- The Bears have hired former Broncos assistant coach Jeff Rodgers as their special teams coordinator, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).
NFC Links: Cutler, Cromartie, 49ers
Washington general manager Scot McCloughan believes the roster he’s inherited at his new stop is better than the team he had when he joined the 49ers.
“This roster, from what I know, was much more improved than the 49ers,” McCloughan said (via John Keim of ESPN.com).
“Things just weren’t meshing, but you could see each year we were adding good players, and you could see it in the offseason, how hard they worked and how important it was for them to be a family and grow together. All of a sudden, they hit a peak and Coach [Jim] Harbaugh came in there and then took off.”
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the NFC…
- With the front office and coaching staff stabilized, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com says it’s time for the Bears to focus on Jay Cutler‘s future with the organization.
- Cardinals cornerback Antonio Cromartie spoke on the NFL Network about his impending free agency. “I’m leaving the door open,” Cromartie said (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). “Right now, until the Super Bowl is over, I’m still an Arizona Cardinal. Until they come to me about a conteact, I’m still an Arizona Cardinal. Once March 10 at 4 o’clock hits, March 12 at 9 a.m. hits, and no one’s offered me a contract, then I’m free game. And I’m open to anything to go out and try to win a championship and help any organization.”
- A friend of 49ers defensive end Justin Smith told Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee that there’s a 50-50 chance the veteran will return next season (Twitter link).
2015 Proven Performance Escalator Raises
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time in said snaps for the duration of his first three years in the league. If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s restricted free agent qualifying offer — that figure was $1.431MM last year, and will inflate commensurate with the salary cap increase. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their 2015 salary rise due to the PPE, courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.
Bengals: George Iloka, S; Mohamed Sanu, WR
Bills: Nigel Bradham, LB
Broncos: Malik Jackson, DL; Danny Trevathan, LB;
Browns: Billy Winn, DL
Cardinals: Bobby Massie, T
Chargers: Johnnie Troutman, G
Colts: Dwayne Allen, TE; T.Y. Hilton, WR
Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB; Olivier Vernon, DE
Eagles: Brandon Boykin, CB; Nick Foles; QB
Falcons: Lamar Holmes, T
Jets: Demario Davis, LB; Antonio Allen, DB
Packers: Mike Daniels, DL
Panthers: Josh Norman, CB
Patriots: Alfonzo Dennard, CB
Raiders: Miles Burris, LB
Rams: Chris Givens, WR; Trumaine Johnson, CB
Ravens: Gino Gradkowski, C
Saints: Akiem Hicks, DT; Corey White, CB
Seahawks: J.R. Sweezy, G; Russell Wilson, QB
Steelers: Kelvin Beachum, T
Texans: Brandon Brooks, G; Jared Crick, DL; Ben Jones, G
Titans: Coty Sensabaugh, CB
Vikings: Robert Blanton, S: Rhett Ellison, TE; Josh Robinson, CB; Jarius Wright, WR
Washington: Alfred Morris, RB
Cards Expected To Extend Arians, Keim
While the Cardinals have yet to win a postseason game since hiring Steve Keim as their general manager and Bruce Arians as the head coach in 2013, the team has played extremely well during its two seasons, winning 21 total games despite playing in one of the league’s most competitive divisions and having its roster decimated by injuries in 2014. Now, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, team president Michael Bidwill is making it an offseason priority to extend the contracts of both Keim and Arians, ensuring they’re locked up and properly compensated for their strong work.
“Yes, it’s on my radar,” Bidwill said. “I intend to get that done this offseason. We’ve got a bright future, and I’m excited about a third offseason with Steve and Bruce.” Asked about when he intends to open negotiations, Bidwill would only go so far as to say it will happen “sometime after the Super Bowl,” writes Somers.
There’s no real rush to finalize anything with either Keim or Arians right away, since both men remain under contract for multiple seasons. Keim’s deal has two years left on it, while Arians is under club control for three more years, with the Cards holding a team option for the 2017 season. Still, Somers notes that extending those contracts would “make a powerful statement” about the organization’s direction and future.
If and when the Cardinals work out new agreements with their GM and head coach, the deals figure to be more lucrative than the duo’s current contracts. Arians, who was named the PFWA’s Coach of the Year this week, is believed to earning between $3-4MM a year — a new deal would likely bump him up into the salary range of coaches like Rex Ryan and Jason Garrett, who signed contracts this week reportedly worth $5.5-6MM annually.
Coach Notes: Falcons, Gase, Fangio, Callahan
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).