Cardinals Hire Al Holcomb As DC
The Cardinals have officially hired former Panthers linebackers coach Al Holcomb as their new defensive coordinator, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). The addition was widely expected after Arizona hired former Panthers DC Steve Wilks as their head coach earlier this week.
Holcomb spent the past five seasons coaching under Wilks in Carolina, and led one of the best linebacking units in the league during that time. Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Shaq Thompson are among the NFL’s premier linebackers, and Holcomb also coached ex-Panthers backup A.J. Klein, who landed a significant deal with the Saints last offseason.
In Arizona, Holcomb will take over a defense that ranked fourth in DVOA under former coordinator James Bettcher (notably, three spots higher than the Panthers). The Cardinals ranked fourth against the pass, but were even better against the run, as they ranked first overall in run defense DVOA. Stars such as Patrick Peterson, Chandler Jones, and Tyrann Mathieu will now work under Holcomb’s leadership.
The Cardinals are still searching for an offensive coordinator, and the search is expected to come down to former Vikings OC Darrell Bevell or former Broncos OC Mike McCoy.
Jets Interested In Rick Dennison
The Jets announced today that they’ve fired offensive line coach Steve Marshall, and the club may already have a replacement lined up. New York has reached out to former Bills offensive coordinator Rick Dennison in relation to their offensive line coach/run game coordinator vacancy, according to Manish Mehtha of the New York Daily News.
Dennison, a longtime NFL coach and play-caller, was fired earlier this month after spending only a single season as Buffalo’s OC. He hasn’t generated any other known interest, but he’d add experience to a Jets coaching staff that will continue rebuilding a young roster in 2018. Dennison also enjoys a relationship with new New York offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, as the two overlapped with the Broncos from 2006-08.
If Dennison does land with the Jets, he’ll take over an offensive line that struggled immensely last season. New York’s front five ranked just 27th in adjusted sack rate and 29th in adjusted line yards a year ago, and could be playing a new center in 2018. Wesley Johnson, who started 15 games for Gang Green last season, will hit unrestricted free agency in March.
In other Jets staff news, New York is hiring former Titans coach Steve Jackson as their new assistant defensive backs coach, per Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com.
Coaching Rumors: Titans, Lions, Packers
Although at least one report indicated new Titans head coach Mike Vrabel would overhaul the majority of Tennessee’s coaching staff, that’s not necessarily the case, says Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com (all Twitter links). Tight ends coach Arthur Smith, assistant special teams coach Craig Aukerman, and assistant wide receivers coach Luke Steckel will join previously-reported defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend in interviewing with Vrabel during the Senior Bowl. Among the coaches who will part ways with the Titans include offensive line coach and NFL Hall of Famer Russ Grimm (who is retiring), quarterbacks coach Jason Michael, running backs coach Sylvester Croom, defensive assistant Brandon Blaney, and assistant defensive backs coach Steve Jackson.
Here’s more from the 2018 coaching carousel:
- The Lions are expected to revamp their defensive coaching staff under new head coach Matt Patricia, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). That should come as no surprise given Patricia’s defensive background, and the current Patriots DC spoke with members of the Detroit staff last week to inform them they aren’t part of the club’s 2018 plans, per Birkett. Specifically, Lions linebackers coach Bill Sheridan and defensive backs coach Alan Williams have been fired, reports Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. The Lions, of course, have already lost a number of defensive staffers to other teams, as former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin joined the Bengals while ex-defensive line coach Kris Kocurek landed with the Dolphins.
- The Packers will continue their staff overhaul under new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine by hiring former Bowling Green safeties coach Ryan Downard, likely as a defensive quality control coach, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links). Downard was an assistant under Pettine in Cleveland before heading to BGSU, so there is a level of familiarity between the two. Downard’s addition does not have an effect on the status of incumbent cornerbacks coach Darren Perry, per Silverstein. Meanwhile, La Canfora (via Twitter) has clarified Jason Simmons‘ role change with Green Bay, noting that he’s been moved to secondary coach.
- The Panthers are interviewing Seahawks assistant special teams coach Heath Farwell for the same position, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). If hired, Farwell would work alongside former NFL linebacker Chase Blackburn, who was recently named Carolina’s new special teams coach. Farwell, an ex-NFL ‘backer in his own right, joined the coaching ranks in 2016.
- The Seahawks have mutually parted ways with senior defensive assistant Travis Jones, the club announced today. Jones had served as Seattle’s defensive line coach from 2013-16 before being bumped to a new role last season. He’s just the latest coach to leave the Seahawks’ staff this month, adding to a growing list that includes OC Darrell Bevell and DC Kris Richard.
Titans Interested In Darren Perry For DC?
The Titans and new head coach Mike Vrabel have interest in hiring Packers cornerbacks coach Darren Perry, according to Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com (Twitter link). While it’s unclear exactly what title Perry would potentially hold, Tennessee may want him to serve as defensive coordinator, per Kuharsky.
[RELATED: Titans To Interview James Bettcher For DC]
Perry, 49, was one of three internal candidates to interview for the vacant Green Bay defensive coordinator job earlier this offseason, but was passed over in favor of former Browns head coach Mike Pettine. He’s since interviewed for an assistant position with the Texans, but reports have indicated Perry could choose to stay with the Packers. Perry, who enjoyed a nine-year playing career, joined the coaching ranks in 2002 and has spent time in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Oakland.
If hired, Perry would replace former Titans defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, whom Tennessee parted ways with on Sunday. Under LeBeau’s leadership in 2017, the Titans ranked 13th in yards, 17th in scoring, and 21st defensive DVOA,
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/23/18
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Lamar Atkins
- RB Tim Cook
- FB/DE Hunter Dimick
- LB Brooks Ellis
- T Avery Gennesy
- TE David Grinnage
- CB Dexter McDougle
- S Charlie Miller
- CB Sammy Seamster
- WR Tevaun Smith
- T Brandon Thomas
- RB Brandon Wilds
Minnesota Vikings
- WR Cayleb Jones
Latest On Cardinals’ Coaching Staff
Now that the Cardinals have officially hired former Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks as their new head coach, the club has begun to formulate its coaching staff. First, Arizona has allowed the majority of its assistants out of their contracts in order to seek employment elsewhere, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
[RELATED: 2018 NFL Coordinator Tracker]
Wilks has already reportedly lured former Panthers linebackers coach Al Holcomb to the desert as Arizona’s next defensive coordinator (he’ll officially interview on Wednesday, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer), but Wilks isn’t done poaching talent from his former employer. Panthers offensive line coach Ray Brown is expected to to accept the same job with the Cardinals, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. New Carolina offensive coordinator Norv Turner confirmed Brown’s new role earlier today, per Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
Elsewhere on their staff, the Cardinals plan to hire former Chargers defensive line coach Don Johnson for the same position, per Alex Marvez of the Sporting News, who notes Johnson worked with Wilks in San Diego. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have denied the division-rival Seahawks permission to interview assistant wide receivers coach Kevin Garver, according to Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com (Twitter link).
Vikings’ Kevin Stefanski An OC Candidate?
Incumbent Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski is a “possible candidate” for Minnesota’s offensive coordinator vacancy, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
[RELATED: 2018 NFL Coordinator Tracker]
The Vikings are searching for a new offensive play-caller after Pat Shurmur — who became the club’s OC midway through the 2016 season — accepted the Giants’ head coaching job on Monday. Minnesota ranked fifth in offensive DVOA last year, so the next coordinator will certainly face a tall task in replacing Shurmur with an uncertain quarterback situation.
Minnesota already has a list of potential candidates to take over for Shurmur, but the only known interview the club has scheduled is with former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, who spent the 2006-10 seasons as the Vikings’ OC and has also met with the Cardinals about taking over play-calling duties. Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and ex-Broncos OC Mike McCoy are also reportedly on the Vikings’ radar.
Stefanski, meanwhile, has spent nearly his entire career with the Vikings (save for a 2005 internship with the Eagles). He’s steadily risen the coaching ranks, serving in nearly offensive role on Minnesota’s staff. The 35-year-old Stefanski has progressed from assistant to the head coach, to assistant quarterbacks coach, to tight ends coach, to running backs coach before finally being named QBs coach prior to the 2017 campaign.
Cowboys Notes: Dez, Lawrence, O’Quinn
Speaking to the media today, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he intends on wide receiver Dez Bryant being part of the club’s roster in 2018, but wouldn’t comment on a possible pay cut for the mercurial pass-catcher, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Bryant will turn 30 years old during the 2018 campaign, and is coming off a disappointing season in which he managed only 69 receptions, 838 yards, and six touchdowns, the third straight campaign in which Bryant has failed to top 1,000 yards receiving. He’s due a base salary of $12.5MM next year, so while Jones refused to touch the subject of a pay reduction, the topic figures to come up this offseason.
Here’s more from Dallas, with all links going to George’s Twitter account:
- While Bryant’s contract will be on the Cowboys’ docket over the next several months, the team’s “first goal” is to sign defensive end Demarcus Lawrence to a long-term extension, said executive vice president Stephen Jones (link). A multi-year pact is always preferable to the franchise tag from a team’s perspective thanks to the salary cap implications of each contract, but Lawrence holds all the leverage after a posting a 12.5-sack performance in 2017. A one-year franchise tender for the 25-year-old Lawrence will cost the Cowboys nearly $18MM.
- Jerry Jones confirmed reports that the Cowboys have re-signed running backs coach Gary Brown and hired the recently-retired Kellen Moore as the club’s quarterbacks coach (link). Both the Raiders and Texans expressed interest in hiring Brown this offseason, but Dallas had always maintained dialogue with the longtime coach, who joined the Cowboys in 2013. Moore, meanwhile, has a backer in Dallas offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who has called Moore a “machine” in terms of learning and communicating.
- The Cowboys are closing in on a deal to promote assistant special teams coach Keith O’Quinn to the lead role, per Jones (link). O’Quinn would replace Rich Bisaccia, who left Dallas to become an assistant head coach/special teams with Jon Gruden‘s Raiders. This was one of two possible outcomes, as reports had indicated O’Quinn would either be promoted to the full-time special teams role or take over as the Cowboys’ tight ends coach.
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Chicago Bears
In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Chicago Bears, who posted a 5-11 record in 2017 and have since hired a new staff that includes former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as head coach.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Sam Acho, LB
- Prince Amukamara, CB
- Josh Bellamy, WR (RFA)
- Daniel Brown, TE (ERFA)
- Bryce Callahan, CB (RFA)
- Tom Compton, OL
- Benny Cunningham, RB
- Andrew DePaola, LS
- Kyle Fuller, CB
- Lamarr Houston, LB
- Dontrelle Inman, WR
- John Jenkins, DT
- Christian Jones, LB
- Sherrick McManis, CB
- Cameron Meredith, WR (RFA)
- Zach Miller, TE
- Mike Nugent, K
- Pat O’Donnell, P
- Cairo Santos, K
- Mark Sanchez, QB
- Patrick Scales, LS (ERFA)
- Bradley Sowell, T
- John Timu, LB (RFA)
- Mitch Unrein, DE
- Kendall Wright, WR
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:
- Mike Glennon, QB: $16,000,000
- Akiem Hicks, DE: $9,600,000
- Kyle Long, G: $8,848,158
- Josh Sitton, G: $8,666,668
- Pernell McPhee, LB: $8,075,000
- Danny Trevathan, LB: $7,150,000
- Mitch Trubisky, QB: $6,598,281
- Dion Sims, TE: $6,333,333
- Bobby Massie, T: $6,100,000
- Charles Leno, T: $5,900,000
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $42,025,379
- Eighth pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for WR Kevin White
Three Needs:
1) Add multiple receiving threats: Only two players topped 25 receptions for the Bears a season ago. One was Kendall Wright, who led Chicago in both catches (59) and yards (614) but is now an unrestricted free agent. The other was a rookie running back Tarik Cohen.
The Bears fielded — by far — the worst pass-catching unit the league, making No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky‘s rookie campaign all the more difficult. Luckily, Chicago has the cap space and draft capital to revive its receiving corps under new offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. Finding roster space won’t be a problem, either, as both Wright and Dontrelle Inman are unrestricted free agents, Josh Bellamy is a restricted free agent, Kevin White and Cameron Meredith are coming off injury (Meredith is an RFA, too), while Markus Wheaton — who managed three receptions while earning $6MM in 2017 — will likely be released.
Even if we assume Bellamy, White, and Meredith will all return and be healthy in 2018, the Bears still need to bring in two or three new wide receivers over the next few months. Chicago currently ranks 12th in available cap space, but the club will almost certainly gain $11.5MM in room (and thus move to eighth in the cap space rankings) by trading or releasing quarterback Mike Glennon. As such, free agency should be the first avenue for the Bears as they seek to improve on their pass-catchers.
Chicago should compete at the top of the market, and that means the team’s initial calls should go to Jarvis Landry, Sammy Watkins, and a rehabbing Allen Robinson. Landry, notably, could potentially be targeting a Davante Adams-esque contract ($14MM annual salary, $30MM guarantees), which is a hefty total for a slot receiver. New head coach Matt Nagy didn’t use a typical slot receiver in Kansas City, so it’s unclear if Landry would be worth the deal he’s seeking. Robinson, meanwhile, should still generate a good deal of interest as he recovers from a torn ACL, but he will come at a much cheaper rate than Landry (and possibly on a one-year pact).
It’s not the end of the world if the Bears fail to land one of those aforementioned wideouts, but if they do, they need to hit the second tier of free agent receivers, a list that includes Paul Richardson, Terrelle Pryor, Marqise Lee, Jordan Matthews, John Brown, Mike Wallace, Danny Amendola, Donte Moncrief, and Brice Butler. Given his youth (age-25), Richardson is probably the only WR listed here that could eventually evolve into a No. 1 option, but that also means he’ll require a larger deal. Butler could be a particularly interesting, and Chicago could give him a clear chance to become a starter.
Even after (hopefully) adding an upper-tier pass-catcher, the Bears still need to take a few dart throws at low-cost options. Albert Wilson has spent his entire career working under Nagy in Kansas City, and though he’s never topped 45 receptions, he could theoretically offer scheme familiarity in Chicago. Jeremy Maclin could potentially be released by the Ravens later this year, and though he’ll be 30 years old when the season gets underway, he could be another target for the Bears given his time with Nagy in both Philadelphia and Kansas City. And Josh Huff enjoyed success under Helfrich at Oregon, so if he’s cut by the Saints in the near future, he could make for a worthwhile flyer.
After inking a few free agent wideouts, Chicago can still use the draft to supplement their offensive weaponry. The most obvious choice — and the only wide receiver worth selecting with a top-10 pick — will be Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, who totaled 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns over three seasons with the Crimson Tide. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) sent Ridley to the Bears in his first mock draft of the year, while Luke Easterling of USA Today calls Ridley a “sharp route-runner” and a “constant threat to beat defenses over the top.”
Of course, the Bears have enough needs that their first-round pick won’t necessarily be used on a wide receiver. If that’s the case, Chicago could target player such as SMU’s Courtland Sutton (an excellent size weapon at 6’4″), Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk (whom Matt Miller of Bleacher Report calls the best slot receiver in the draft), or Indiana’s Simmie Cobbs. The Bears don’t currently own a third-round pick thanks to the Trubisky trade, so they’ll likely need to secure a wideout in the first two rounds.
2) Fill holes at cornerback: On the whole, the Bears’ passing defense was acceptable under coordinator Vic Fangio, as the unit ranked 14th in DVOA. The only problem? Chicago’s top two cornerbacks — Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara, each of whom played at least 80% of the Bears’ defensive snaps — are scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in March, meaning the club could potentially have to find two new starters.
Whether or not the Bears can, or should, re-sign either Fuller or Amukamara depends entirely on asking price. Amukamara is still only 28 years old, but the NFL free agent market has deemed him worthy of only a one-year contract in each of the past two offseasons. Fuller, meanwhile, is a former first-round pick coming off the best season of his career, but he missed the entirety of the 2016 season with injury and has been up-and-down in his other NFL campaigns.Read more
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/23/18
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers: WR Montay Crockett
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers: TE Kyle Carter