NFC Notes: Fitzgerald, Austin, Koetter, Fangio
Despite general manager Steve Keim’s confirmation that the Cardinals won’t release Larry Fitzgerald during the offseason, the veteran receiver still doesn’t expect to return to Arizona next season, a source told Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Fitzgerald, who is set to count $23.6MM against the Cards’ 2015 cap, is said to be unhappy with his role in Arizona’s offense, per Garafolo. He’s due an $8MM roster bonus in March, meaning a final decision will have to made on his future before then. Here’s more from the NFC.
- Confirming earlier reports, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told reporters both the Falcons and the 49ers have requested permission to interview him (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). In Austin’s first season as Detroit’s DC, the club finished second it total defense and third in defensive DVOA. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell thinks Austin’s performance has warranted a promotion. “I think he’s deserving of it, and I think he’s going to get one,” said Caldwell, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I think if, once they get an opportunity to see him and listen to him and watch what he’s been able to do, I think it’ll happen for him and I think it’ll be absolutely outstanding.”
- Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter will interview with the Buccaneers about the same position in Tampa Bay, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. It’s unclear if Koetter, 55, is still under contract with Atlanta, but the club is probably allowing him to seek other employment following head coach Mike Smith’s firing. Per Marvez, Koetter could also act as an OC under Jim Tomsula or Dan Quinn if either of the two secures a head coaching job.
- If 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio becomes a head coach, he’s expected to make Niners secondary coach Ed Donatell his DC, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Donatell was granted permission to talk with Washington about their coordinator vacancy, while Fangio, who’s a contender for the 49ers HC job, wasn’t (yet).
Minor Moves: Thursday
We’ll keep track of the New Year’s Day transactions right here, with the latest moves being added to the top of the post:
- The Cardinals have signed offensive tackle Cameron Bradfield to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Bradfield, 27, started 27 games over four seasons with the Jaguars before signing with the Falcons earlier this year.
- The Bengals have signed rookie receiver Eric Ward to their practice squad, reports Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link). Ward, an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech, was signed by the Titans earlier this year, but released in early September. He takes the place of fellow wideout Cobi Hamilton, who was promoted to the active roster yesterday.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Playoff teams and non-playoff teams both continue to make roster moves this week, and we’ll round up today’s minor transactions below. Here’s the latest:
- The Jaguars signed wide receiver Arrelious Benn to a two-year deal, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Dan Duggan of NJ.com reports (via Twitter) that the team also signed safety Jeremy Deering.
- Long snapper Brandon Hartson inked a futures contract with the Chiefs, according to agent Brian McLaughlin (via Twitter). Kansas City has been busy locking up players for 2015, announcing 14 reserve deals yesterday.
- Per Oliver Thomas of PatriotsObserver.com (via Twitter), the Patriots signed three players to reserve/futures contracts today: Defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, linebacker Rufus Johnson, and running back Dion Lewis. Since New England’s season isn’t over, the team can’t yet lock up any players from its practice squad to futures deals.
- The Saints have added another player on a reserve/futures contract, signing veteran safety Kenny Phillips today, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune. A former first-round pick, Phillips worked out for New Orleans in November.
Earlier updates:
- Cornerback Roc Carmichael and guard Antoine McClain inked reserve/futures deals with the Cardinals, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). Carmichael has spent time with the Eagles over the last two seasons, while McClain finished the 2014 campaign on the Bears’ practice squad.
- The Panthers signed guard Tyronne Green to a futures contract for 2015, the team announced today (Twitter link). Green most recently spent time with the Cowboys, having been cut by the team in July.
- The Bengals have placed wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher on the injured reserve list due to a concussion, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). While losing Sanzenbacher, who caught just nine balls this season, isn’t a significant blow for Cincinnati, the team hopes A.J. Green won’t miss this weekend’s game with a similar ailment. With the newly-opened spot on the 53-man roster, the Bengals promoted wideout Cobi Hamilton from the practice squad.
- Offensive tackle Joe Long, the brother of Rams tackle Jake Long, has been added to the Lions‘ taxi squad, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Detroit had been carrying just nine players on its unit, so no corresponding move was required to make room for Long.
- The Buccaneers have signed former Northern Colorado quarterback Seth Lobato to a reserve/futures contract for 2015, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
NFC Notes: Cruz, Bradford, Carter, Harbaugh
Uh oh. “You’ve got to prepare as if, ‘What if Victor Cruz doesn’t come back?’ ’’ Giants GM Jerry Reese said Tuesday when looking ahead to 2015, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “If you are a personnel guy, or a general manager, that is always in the back of your head. What if this guy doesn’t come back and be the player that we think he is?’’ While the Giants ponder the possibility of a season without a healthy Victor Cruz, let’s take a look around the NFC..
- Rams coach Jeff Fisher told reporters, including Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (via Twitter) that there will be a quarterback competition next year. A quarterback from outside the building will compete with the talented but oft-injured Sam Bradford for the top job.
- Duron Carter, the son of Hall of Famer Cris Carter, had his first NFL visit today when met with the Buccaneers, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. Carter is also scheduled to visit the Vikings, Chiefs, and Colts on the first leg of the tour. If he does not sign this week, a second leg of visits could include visits with the Ravens, Seahawks, 49ers, and Cardinals (link). La Canfora adds that there’s lots of interest in the wide receiver.
- Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee gives the University of Michigan some operating instructions for their brand new coach, Jim Harbaugh. The polarizing 49ers coach left to join up with his alma mater this week.
- While the Lions waited to hear about Ndamukong Suh‘s fate, they worked out defensive tackles Jermelle Cudjo and Ogemdi Nwagbuo on Tuesday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Fortunately for Detroit, Suh won his appeal and will be in the lineup on Sunday against Dallas.
- Sid Hartman of the Star-Tribune believes that former first-round pick Christian Ponder will start once again the NFL. Ponder was once the main guy for the Vikings but it seems unlikely that he will return to them in free agency this offseason.
Coach Notes: Jets, Ryan, McDaniels, 49ers
Not long after he was fired by the Jets, Rex Ryan jumped on a plane to Florida to watch his son’s Clemson Tigers play in the Russell Athletic Bowl, as Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post writes. When asked what it was like to speak with his players for the final time, Ryan said, “It was rough, man. But hey, that’s the way it is.’’ With a vacancy in New York and others elsewhere, here’s a look at the latest coaching rumors..
- Charley Casserly, who is now consulting the Jets, inquired about UCLA head coach Jim Mora‘s buyout clause and contract language last week, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter).
- Former Jets coach Rex Ryan has interviews scheduled with the Falcons and 49ers for their openings, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will interview with the Falcons and 49ers this week, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The 49ers will interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn tonight, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- There may not be a head coaching candidate more sought after this offseason than Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles — according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), every team with a head coaching vacancy has contacted the Cards about interviewing Bowles. That includes the Raiders and Bears, which hadn’t been previously reported. Since Arizona plays in the Wild Card round, Bowles won’t be able to interview with any teams until next week.
- The Bears are the third team to request permission to speak to Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Falcons and 49ers had previously asked to interview Gase, who can talk to clubs during Denver’s bye week.
- The Titans‘ and Jaguars‘ coaching staffs will participate in the Senior Bowl game, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The 2-14 Buccaneers passed on the opportunity, and Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) is curious about the team’s motives, considering the benefits of participating in the game. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that he heard last week from one Jaguars official that the Bucs may pass on the Senior Bowl because they’d be busy looking for an offensive coordinator — of course, as of today, the Jags are in the same boat.
Coach Rumors: Raiders, Jets, Ryan, Holmgren
Black Monday wasn’t quite as eventful around the NFL in 2014 as it has been in some recent years, with only three head coaches being handed their walking papers. Still, with the Raiders on the lookout for a more permanent head coach, and the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh agreeing to part ways, that makes a total of five teams currently conducting coaching searches. That should make for an interesting few weeks, as those clubs – the Jets, Falcons, Bears, Raiders, and Niners – eye several of the same candidates. Here are the latest coaching-related rumblings from across the league:
- Current 49ers assistant and former Browns and Jets head coach Eric Mangini is scheduled to interview with the Raiders for the club’s head coaching job, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). In his five seasons in New York and Cleveland, Mangini recorded a 33-47 overall record, earning one playoff berth with the Jets. In addition to Mangini, Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will also interview for the Raiders’ position, according to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link).
- Garafolo has more details on the Raiders‘ head coaching hunt, reporting that the team actually offered more money to Harbaugh than the University of Michigan did, extending a proposal that would have made him the NFL’s highest-paid head coach (Twitter video link).
- In addition to setting up an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Jets have also requested permission to speak to Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Seahawks assistant head coach Tom Cable, Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, and Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
- While former Jets head coach Rex Ryan intends to explore potential head coaching opportunities, he’s meeting with ESPN executives today for a possible role with the network, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). It sounds as if TV would be Ryan’s second choice after a head coaching job, but it may depend on what opportunities are available for him.
- Speaking to Dave Mahler of KJR in Seattle (Twitter link), former Packers and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren said he’s “gotten a couple of inquiries” from teams searching for a head coach, though he didn’t identify the clubs. According to Mahler (via Twitter), Holmgren said he’s “mulling things over” when it comes to current coaching opportunities.
- The Buccaneers currently have an opening at offensive coordinator, and the team is interested in Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Atlanta has kept Koetter on board for now, after firing head coach Mike Smith yesterday, but if the team parts ways with its OC, the Bucs will almost certainly be in touch.
NFC Notes: Melton, Falcons, Clark, McManis
Ndamukong Suh‘s one-game suspension is the bigger story, but the Lions may not be the only team in this weekend’s Wild Card showdown with the Cowboys that’s missing a key defensive tackle. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported (via Twitter), Cowboys lineman Henry Melton sustained a leg injury that could sideline him for the postseason. Melton’s agent, Jordan Woy, confirmed to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link) that his client suffered a bone bruise on his knee, and the timeline for his return appears to be a matter of weeks rather than days.
Here’s more from around the NFC on a busy Monday:
- In addition to requesting permission to speak to Dan Quinn and Adam Gase about their head coaching vacancy, as we’d previously learned, the Falcons have also asked for interviews with Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Both coaches have Wild Card games coming up, so they aren’t allowed to interview for head coaching jobs this week.
- Speaking to reporters today, including Jeff Darlington of NFL.com (Twitter link), Washington head coach Jay Gruden said he’ll recommend to owner Daniel Snyder and GM Bruce Allen that the club should retain defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.
- Washington‘s Ryan Clark has yet to decide whether he’ll continue his playing career, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who tweets that the veteran safety is expected to make his decision within the next couple days. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 believes Clark will call it a career, tweeting that the safety will simply sign the necessary papers rather than making a big announcement.
- According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter), the Bears made an attempt last week to lock up cornerback Sherrick McManis to a two-year contract extension, but the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.
- The Buccaneers will be on the lookout for an offensive coordinator in the coming days and weeks, and head coach Lovie Smith says he wants to “talk to as many people as I possibly can,” according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
- Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder, who is eligible for free agency this winter, said today that he’ll start researching potential landing spots later in the week, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
Dan Quinn Receiving Interest As Head Coach
Three teams with head coaching openings – the 49ers, Falcons, and Jets – have requested an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), those clubs haven’t necessarily filed formal requests yet, but all three are expected to do so shortly.
Quinn, who drew interest as a head coaching candidate a year ago, led the Seattle defense to another outstanding season in 2014. The Seahawks ranked first in the league by a wide margin in yards allowed per game, giving up a mere 267.1 — the second-place Lions allowed 300.9 yards per contest. The Seattle D, which allowed the third-fewest rushing yards per game, was also the only unit to allow fewer than 200 passing yards per game (185.6).
Because the Seahawks have a first-round bye, Quinn is permitted to interview for head coaching jobs this week, and it looks like he’ll have the opportunity to be in the mix for at least three of the five current vacancies.
Of the teams linked to Quinn so far, the division-rival 49ers represent perhaps the most interesting potential destination. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Quinn isn’t the only NFC West defensive coordinator the Niners are eyeing early in the process — the club has also asked permission to interview Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Arizona is scheduled to play its Wild Card game this Saturday, so Bowles won’t be permitted to interview for any head coaching jobs this week.
NFC West Notes: Gore, 49ers, Cards, Davis
Now that he appears to be a part of the 49ers‘ future beyond this season, running back Frank Gore sounds excited about what’s ahead. “I want to be a Niner,” Gore told Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com. “Like I said before, it’s all I know. I’ve been here since I was 21; 21-year-old, like a kid. I know there will be changes, but I think the guys at the key positions, that’s what matters. Next year, I think Kap will get back to himself. Anquan Boldin will come back. Stevie Johnson is still under contract. Vernon Davis is still under contract. Joe Staley, Anthony Davis. I look at Patrick Willis will be back, NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, for the season. So I think the guys at the key spots are good enough for me to say, ‘Yeah, I want to be back.’” Earlier this week, GM Trent Baalke said that he wants to bring Gore back next season. It was previously speculated that San Francisco would move on from the aging running back in favor of younger options. More news from San Francisco and Arizona…
- The Cardinals have had to go through four quarterbacks in a season before and it’s not a fun place to be, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes.
- Ryan Lindley will start at QB for the Cardinals on Sunday, but it could be his last chance to show that he belongs in the NFL, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.
- In the crazy, hypothetical scenario section of NFL chatter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes that there is still a way for the Cardinals to get Kurt Warner on the team for the playoff run. Florio explains that if the team were to release Warner, they could then sign him immediately once he passes through waivers. However, Florio writes there is a good chance some team claims Warner to block the move, suggesting Rams coach Jeff Fisher could do it after comments Bruce Arians made about the Rams always being 8-8.
- 49ers right tackle Anthony Davis hasn’t held back in his criticism of the team’s coaching staff, specifically offensive coordinator Greg Roman, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Davis allowed that Jim Harbaugh will be gone after the season, and shared his thoughts as to what the club should do to move forward. “I don’t think it’s that complicated what we need to do. I’m just a player, and I know what we don’t need,” said Davis, now in his fifth season. “I don’t want to be close-minded about a new coach coming in with different views, but (a power-run scheme) would seem like the simplest answer.“
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Drew Stanton Possibly Done For Year
The Cardinals just can’t catch a break. Quarterback Drew Stanton could be done for the season after the team discovered an infection in his knee which required arthroscopic surgery, according to two sources who spoke with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The infection is believed to have been caused by outside medical treatment.
Stanton has been out since he suffered an MCL sprain earlier this month in a win over the Rams. The development could be why Cardinals coach Bruce Arians decided to go back to Ryan Lindley for Sunday’s game against the 49ers. Logan Thomas was originally slated to start in order to get him some preparation as a backup. Now, Lindley will need all the reps he can get. Stanton was viewed as the frontrunner to start the team’s opening-round playoff game, but today’s news has cast serious doubt over that.
Lindley’s completion percentage is barely over 40% in two starts this season, so the Cardinals will be hoping for a belated Christmas miracle when it comes to Stanton. Speaking of which, the devout Kurt Warner cannot be activated from the reserve/retired list, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk rightly notes. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the deadline for reinstatement came and went on November 28th.