Kubiak In, Austin Out For Broncos’ HC Search
The Ravens officially announced last Sunday that offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak would remain in Baltimore for the 2015 season, turning down potential opportunities with the Bears and Jets. Since then, however, one more head coaching position has become available, and it appears Kubiak has some interest in it. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Kubiak will meet with the Broncos about their head coaching vacancy, with an interview expected to happen this weekend.
The Broncos are currently in a state of flux, with Peyton Manning still deciding whether or not he wants to continue his playing career, and Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Julius Thomas all eligible for free agency. Additionally, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has left to coach the division-rival Raiders, and offensive coordinator Adam Gase appears likely to land a job elsewhere.
Still, there’s a ton of talent on the roster and it’s an intriguing destination for Kubiak, who previously worked from the Broncos for about a decade, serving as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. According to La Canfora (via Twitter), if Kubiak has interest in Denver’s head coaching job, he may instantly become the frontrunner for the position, since he’s “far and away” John Elway‘s top choice.
So far, the only candidate to formally interview for the Broncos’ head coaching interview is Gase. A meeting with Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was on the schedule for today, but that interview is no longer happening, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Josina Anderson of ESPN (TwitLonger link) reports that Austin has withdrawn as a candidate in Denver’s search, which is interesting — it may suggest that the Lions DC is confident about his chances to land the head coaching job in Atlanta, as the Falcons appear to be narrowing down their search to Austin and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
It’s worth mentioning that speaking to Austin would have allowed the Broncos to adhere to the Rooney Rule, so even if Denver meets with Kubiak this weekend and there’s mutual interest in moving forward, the club still must interview a minority candidate at some point.
Extra Points: Quinn, Austin, Falcons, Vikings
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has a lot of great things he can point to on his resumé, but he readily admits that he missed on Packers linebacker Clay Matthews when he was hit coach at USC. “Maybe because of the way he came up, it took him a long time to develop,” Carroll said, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “and didn’t recognize the great heart that he had, and unbelievable competitiveness and the great savvy that he demonstrates now. It’s really one of my big misses. I should have figured that out a lot sooner than I did. He made the rest of it history and been an extraordinary player ever since.” Matthews was a walk-on at USC and didn’t start at linebacker until his senior year. More from around the NFL..
- The Falcons haven’t scheduled a second interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn just yet, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). An interview could happen Monday after Seattle’s game, however.
- It’s a similar situation for the Falcons and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Austin, as our Head Coaching Tracker shows, has been a popular guy in recent weeks.
- The Vikings have big fifth-year decisions to make on left tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith, as Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune writes. Smith would be a no-brainer to exercise and possibly even incorporate the option into a long-term extension during the offseason. He’s a top five player at his position and will be one of the key pieces for this Vikings defense under head coach Mike Zimmer. Kalil, on the other hand, represents a tougher choice.
- Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News doesn’t believe that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is really the team’s General Manager. Jones has final say over football matters, of course, but he doesn’t handle the day-to-day responsibilities that a GM would.
- In a telephone interview with Lorenzo Reyes of USA TODAY Sports, ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay gave his thoughts on Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones. “There’s no question he has the physical ability to play in the league. He’s big, prototypical size. He’s bigger than what you look for. He has an NFL arm and can make all the throws and can do it with ease,” McShay said. “He’s deceptively mobile and strong as a runner. To me he’s an extremely raw version of a Ben Roethlisberger.” Jones likely agrees that he’s a little too green for the NFL, as he announced today that he’s staying in school.
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).
Coach Updates: Linehan, Gase, Rams, Falcons
The Cowboys and offensive play-caller Scott Linehan have agreed to terms on a new contract that will keep him in Dallas, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). On the heels of Jason Garrett‘s extension, Linehan is the second assistant – along with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli – to come to an agreement with the team on a new deal.
What remains to be seen is whether Linehan will keep his current job title — as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets, offensive coordinator Bill Callahan is exploring potential options with other teams and has “multiple big-money offers,” so if Callahan doesn’t return to the Cowboys, perhaps his OC title goes to Linehan for the 2015 season.
Here’s more on coaching openings around the NFL:
- The Rams have requested permission to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their own OC opening, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Gase has primarily been a head coaching candidate this offseason, but didn’t end up landing with the 49ers, who were viewed as his most aggressive suitor. Gase is reportedly still under consideration as a head coaching option in Denver.
- While Dan Quinn is considered the frontrunner for the Falcons‘ head coaching vacancy, don’t rule out Teryl Austin, who has a “legit chance,” says Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, adding that Austin’s second interview with the club is happening now (Twitter links).
- Speaking of the Falcons, they’re “blocking a raid” on their coaching staff, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution details, having denied the Jets permission to interview special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong and having also turned away the Raiders, who wanted to speak to offensive line coach Mike Tice. Despite not having a head coach in place yet, the club wants to make most of the current staff available to the new coach.
- With Todd Bowles headed to New York, the Cardinals intend to promote one of their current defensive assistants to the defensive coordinator position, though the team isn’t sure yet which assistant will get the job, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Somers adds that the new DC should get some help from Dick LeBeau, whom the Cards want to hire as a senior assistant.
- 49ers players had overwhelmingly positive reactions to news that Jim Tomsula would be promoted to head coach, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, rounding up the most notable comments from Niners players.
- Candidates for the Giants‘ defensive coordinator opening – including Dennis Allen, Pepper Johnson, Raheem Morris, and Steve Spagnuolo – expect a decision by week’s end, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
Coach Notes: 49ers, Jets, Falcons, Raiders
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.
Falcons Frontrunners For Dan Quinn
Now that a pair of the Falcons’ head coaching targets – Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles – have landed with AFC East clubs, a path is opening up for Atlanta to land Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and Quinn has emerged as the favorite for the Falcons’ vacancy, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
As Schefter outlines, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is having a second interview with the Falcons today and will have a chance to impress them, but sources believe that Atlanta is willing to wait for Quinn to become available, and that Quinn is interested in the position. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report agrees that Quinn looks likely to be hired by the Falcons, suggesting that the Seahawks DC preferred Atlanta’s job to the Jets’ position, which prompted New York to move on to Bowles.
While Quinn is viewed as one of the top head coaching candidates available this offseason, the fact that his Seahawks are playing so well has prevented him from fully exploring his options. As Schefter notes, Quinn will be able to interview again after Sunday’s game against the Packers, but if Seattle wins that game, he’ll only be allowed to have second interviews with teams he has already talked to. In that case, Quinn could speak to the Falcons, 49ers, and/or Bears again, if those clubs are still interested, but he wouldn’t be able to interview a first time with the Broncos.
The 49ers and Bears appear headed in different directions, focusing on Adam Gase and John Fox respectively. The Broncos could enter the picture if the Seahawks lose to Green Bay on Sunday, but it looks as if they’re in line behind the Falcons at this point. As for Atlanta, the club has also been linked to Josh McDaniels, but it appears likely that the Patriots offensive coordinator will stick with New England.
Coach Notes: Quinn, Bears, Cowboys, Bills
Teams considering waiting for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to become available are wary about the possibility that, despite what they’re saying, the Dolphins could hire Quinn to replace Joe Philbin, given the presence of Mike Tannenbaum, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Prior to joining the Dolphins’ front office in an official capacity, Tannenbaum was Quinn’s agent, and according to La Canfora, that connection concerned the Jets to some degree.
However, a source tells La Canfora that there’s no chance Miami will hire Quinn if he’s available next month — if another team wants to wait on him, that club should have a shot at him (Twitter link). That team isn’t likely to be the 49ers though, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who tweets that San Francisco hasn’t talked about Quinn in several days. All signs are pointing to Adam Gase for the 49ers, per Cole.
Let’s check in on a few more coaching-related items….
- John Fox‘s interview with the Bears is happening today, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, a source tells Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune that Kyle Shanahan will be one of Fox’s top offensive coordinator choices if he lands the Bears’ job.
- According to La Canfora (Twitter link), the Falcons “love” Josh McDaniels, but the Patriots offensive coordinator still seems unlikely to leave New England.
- Scott Linehan‘s deal with the Cowboys hasn’t been completed yet, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He’s waiting for his deal to get done before considering taking interviews and the sense is that it will be finalized soon (link). Linehan currently serves as Dallas’ passing game coordinator.
- It’s not clear yet if Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will return to the Cowboys, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, who says that eight teams have expressed interest in Callahan. With Linehan now handling the offensive playcalls in Dallas, it’s unlikely that Callahan will be back, in George’s view.
- Tony Sparano won’t be staying with the Raiders now that he didn’t get the team’s head coaching job, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) hears from sources that Jack Del Rio, who is expected to become Oakland’s coach, has been recruiting Marc Trestman for his offensive staff.
- Jay Glazer of FOX Sports joined Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on PFT Live to discuss the events that led to the divorce of John Fox and the Broncos. Glazer explains that the breakup, while shocking on the outside, has actually been a long time coming. Glazer sensed back at last year’s Senior Bowl that it would be a “one and done” for Fox, unless he could win a Super Bowl this season.
- Former Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is joining Rex Ryan on the Bills‘ staff, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com adds (via Twitter) that Pepper Johnson has been told there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s coaching staff if the Giants‘ defensive coordinator position doesn’t pan out for him. Speaking of Ryan, he said today at his introductory press conference that it’s not true that he preferred the Falcons and 49ers jobs to the Bills position, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC South Notes: Falcons, Newton, Bucs
The Falcons had been scheduled to interview Todd Bowles for a second time today, but were well aware the Jets may not let him leave, tweets Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, adding that Atlanta “wasn’t totally sold” on Bowles. With a pair of presumed finalists – Bowles and Rex Ryan – now off the table, the Falcons’ top options appear to be Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. With Austin due in for a second meeting today, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Falcons decide to move on him or wait for Quinn, who may not become available until February.
Here’s more from around the NFC South:
- You can debate whether Cam Newton is worth a six-year, $100MM+ contract, which is what it might take to lock him up, but it would be a mistake for the Panthers not to work out an extension with him, argues David Newton of ESPN.com. With Newton preparing to enter a contract year, “the time is now” to reach a multiyear agreement with the quarterback, Newton adds.
- New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter says he doesn’t have a clue which player the Bucs will take with the No. 1 overall pick. He has a big decision to make when it comes to Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
- As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details, former Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez says he didn’t miss football during his first year of retirement, although he briefly had “a 2% urge to get out there.” That slight urge wasn’t nearly enough to sway him when teams showed interest during the season, according to the future Hall-of-Famer. “Some teams reached out to me. A couple teams. I’m not going to name who they were,” Gonzalez said. “I’m about 230 pounds now. I’m afraid I would get crushed out on the football field now.”
Coaching Notes: 49ers, Gase, Marrone
49ers GM Trent Baalke is expected to fly back to California tonight without Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is meeting with the Broncos, tweets Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com. That doesn’t mean the 49ers won’t offer Gase their head coaching job — it just means that it’s not expected to be wrapped up tonight (link). More of the latest coaching news from around the National Football League:
- Now that Todd Bowles is off the market, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s second interview with the Falcons is expected to take place on Wednesday rather than Thursday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Jets have cancelled their Wednesday appointment with Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, which could mean that they have their man, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. That could, in theory, signal that they’ve chosen Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
- Bowles had dinner with Jets brass tonight, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). He’s staying overnight in the area, but he’ll still be meeting with the Falcons on Wednesday.
- Bowles and the Jets haven’t started discussing a contract yet, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
- The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have interviewed former Bills head coach Doug Marrone for their head coaching vacancy today.
- 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari says he will wait to find out what happens in San Francisco before deciding whether he wants to pursue the Bills job, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
Coach Notes: Jets, Bowles, Austin, Lynn
As the Jets continue to search for Rex Ryan‘s replacement, the team’s focus seems to be shifting from Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. According to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (Twitter link), he’s hearing that things could be “heating up” between the Jets and Bowles, with the Cards DC reaching out to potential staff members. Bowles still has a second interview lined up with the Falcons tomorrow, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Jets make him an offer before that meeting.
A few more coaching-related updates, as the carousel turns:
- If the Jets decide not to wait for Quinn, it appears he’ll still have interest from other clubs, including the Falcons, Bears, and 49ers, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, it doesn’t appear is if Quinn is leaning a certain direction at this point.
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has finished his visit with the Bears and remains on track to meet with the Falcons later this week, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora adds that Austin is still “very much in the mix” for the Atlanta job.
- Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn has a busy schedule these days. Per ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link), Lynn is scheduled to interview for the Browns‘ offensive coordinator job next Tuesday. The Jaguars have also received permission to speak to Lynn about their OC opening, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- Under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Bills are on the lookout for an offensive line coach. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports (via Twitter) that Buffalo has asked for permission to interview 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari, while Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Bills have been granted permission to interview Washington OL coach Chris Foerster.