Jaguars Interested In Tom Coughlin As Exec
Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell told reporters yesterday that his club would consider veteran NFL coach Tom Coughlin for its head coaching vacancy, but even if Coughlin isn’t selected to lead the team on the field, he could still join the franchise in another capacity. Jacksonville is interested in adding Coughlin to its front office if he doesn’t become the club’s head coach, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), who adds that Coughlin could take the title of VP of football operations.
[RELATED: Jaguars Interested In Kyle Shanahan]
While Coughlin doesn’t have any formal NFL experience as an executive, he essentially acted as the Jaguars’ general manager during his head coaching run with the team from 1995-2002. Wayne Weaver, Jacksonville’s owner at the time, never officially hired a GM, meaning that Coughlin was the club’s de facto personnel chief, so he’s exerted control over a roster in the past.
Of course, if Coughlin was hired to the Jaguars’ front office, he could pose a threat to Caldwell’s status, and though there haven’t been any rumors that would indicate that Caldwell could follow departed head coach Gus Bradley out the door, it’s fair to wonder if he and Coughlin could co-exist. Owner Shad Kahn, in fact, indicated that Caldwell would be an integral part of Jacksonville’s search for its next head coach.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Seahawks announced a handful of roster moves today, with chief among being the placing of defensive lineman Damontre Moore, who was recently arrested for DUI, on injured reserve. Additionally, Seattle waived running back Kelvin Taylor, signed running back Terrence Magee off the Browns‘ practice squad, and claimed J.D. McKissic (whom the club will use as an RB, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times) off waivers from Atlanta.
- The Redskins have claimed Zach Vigil off waivers from Miami, per a club announcement. The Dolphins had hoped to re-sign Vigil to their practice squad, according to Barry Jackson on the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Vigil will take the roster spot of fellow LB Houston Bates, who tore his ACL and is now being placed on IR.
- The Vikings re-signed defensive tackle Toby Johnson, the club announced today, and confirmed that defensive lineman Tom Johnson is headed to IR. Toby Johnson had just been waived by Minnesota several days ago.
- The Bengals announced that they’ve waive long snapper Tyler Ott, a sign that fellow LS Clark Harris is now ready to go for Cincinnati.
- The Bears announced that they’ve promoted wide receiver Bralon Addison to the active roster and waived offensive lineman Cornelius Edison.
Jets Place OL Brian Winters On IR
The Jets’ offensive line has taken yet another hit, as the club announced today that they’ve placed guard Brian Winters on injured reserve. In addition, linebacker Mike Catapano is also headed to IR, while New York has promoted offensive lineman Donald Hawkins and defensive lineman Brandin Bryant from the practice squad to the active roster.
[RELATED: Jets High On UNC QB Mitch Trubisky]
Four-fifths of the Jets’ projected starting offensive line is now on injured reserve, as left tackle Ryan Clady, right tackle Breno Giacomini, and center Nick Mangold all preceded Winters in being sidelined for the season. Winters, in the midst of his fourth season with New York, had started 13 games on the year, playing on 87% of the club’s snaps while grading out as roughly average (No. 32) among NFL guards, according to Pro Football Focus. Winters’ rookie deal expires at season’s end, so he’ll head to free agency next spring.
Catapano, 26, had started three games for Gang Green this season, but had mostly acted a reserve, playing on slightly less than a quarter of New York’s defensive snaps while adding 110 snaps on special teams. With Catapano out, fellow linebackers Josh Martin, Freddie Bishop, and Randell Johnson (recently signed off the Rams’ practice squad) should see more time as the season concludes.
49ers Place DB Jimmie Ward On IR
The 49ers announced today that they’ve placed defensive back Jimmie Ward on injured reserve and promoted rookie cornerback Prince Charles Iworah from the practice squad to the active roster. Additionally, San Francisco will promote wide receiver DeAndre Smelter to the 53-man roster, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
[RELATED: 49ers Audition J’Marcus Webb]
Although he played safety in college, Ward, a first-round pick in 2014, was the 49ers’ nickel corner, and had started a career-high 10 games in 2016. The 25-year-old had posted two interceptions, 12 passes defensed, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery while grading as the league’s No. 53 cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus. Ward is signed through the 2017 campaign, and San Francisco can add an extra year to his deal by exercising his 2018 fifth-year option.
Iworah, meanwhile, was selected in the sixth round out of Western Kentucky earlier this year. After being waived at final cutdowns, Iworah was quickly signed to the Niners’ taxi squad, and has spent the entire season on the PS. San Francisco will take a look at him over the final two games of the year, as he’ll play behind Tramaine Brock, Rashard Robinson, Dontae Johnson, Keith Reaser, and JaCorey Shepherd in the secondary.
Smelter, 25, was expected to contribute to the 49ers’ offense after being drafted in the fourth round in 2015, but he’s yet to appear in an NFL game thus far in his career. Smelter spent his entire rookie campaign on NFI, and after being waived earlier this year, re-signed to San Francisco’s practice squad in October.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Ronald Zamort
Cleveland Browns
- Signed LB James Burgess, TE J.P. Holtz
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Austin Traylor
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Andrew Turzilli
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Max McCaffrey
Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Cory Johnson
New York Jets
- Signed: C Kyle Friend, TE Jason Vander Laan
Philadelphia Eagles
- Cut: TE Marcel Jensen
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Al-Hajj Shabazz
- Cut: CB Brandon Dixon
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR DiAndre Campbell, CB Duke Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Malcolm Johnson
- Placed on practice squad IR: OL Robert Myers
Vikings To Place DT Tom Johnson On IR
The Vikings will place defensive tackle Tom Johnson on injured reserve after he suffered a torn hamstring on Sunday against the Colts, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Vikings Likely To Retain Sam Bradford]
Johnson, 32, becomes the latest Viking to be sent to injured reserve in what is quickly becoming a lost Minnesota season, as he joins Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson (who has since returned), Matt Kalil, Andre Smith, Sharrif Floyd, and others who have been sidelined this season. In the midst of his third season with the Vikings, Johnson has appeared in all 14 games, playing on slightly more than half the club’s defensive snaps while posting two sacks, grading as the league’s No. 47 interior defender among 126 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Johnson is signed through 2017, but Minnesota wouldn’t incur any dead money by cutting him during the offseason.
With Johnson out, Shamar Stephen will continue to see more snaps next to Linval Joseph, while the Vikings could add another defensive tackle in the coming days.
Rams, Jaguars Interested In Kyle Shanahan
Two clubs — the Rams and the Jaguars — have already fired their head coaches, and both teams are interested in Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). If Shanahan does land a head coaching job this offseason, Shanahan could aim to team with his father, former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, placing the elder in a football operations role.
[RELATED: Rams Focusing On Jon Gruden]
Kyle Shanahan, 37, has experienced success at nearly every stop during his career, a path that has included time with the Texans, Redskins, Browns, and most recently, the Falcons. He’s already worked with his father in Washington, when the pair helped turn rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III into the Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the club into the playoffs. This year, his second in Atlanta, Kyle has guided quarterback Matt Ryan to the best season of his career, while the Falcons offense ranks first in the NFL in DVOA.
Shanahan has interviewed for a head coaching vacancy once before, as he met with the Bills in 2015 before Buffalo hired Rex Ryan. Additionally, the Shanahans have been viewed as a package deal in the past, as several clubs were considering the pair during the 2015 offseason. In that scenario, Mike Shanahan would have become a club’s head coach, while Kyle would have taken on offensive play-calling duties.
Mike Shanahan, meanwhile, has been linked to the 49ers in recent weeks, although subsequent reports have downplayed any chance of Shanahan landing in the Bay Area. Shanahan, 64, interviewed for the 49ers’ head coaching vacancy in each of the past two seasons, and was thought to have finished second to Chip Kelly for the job earlier this year. Shanahan has never worked in a front office capacity, but he has exerted personnel control over his rosters as a head coach in his previous stops.
Rams Focusing On Jon Gruden
Former NFL head coach and current ESPN commentator Jon Gruden has become the “focal point” of the Rams’ head coaching search, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, and the two sides are progressing towards a meeting. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported yesterday that Gruden would “entertain” the idea of taking the reins in Los Angeles.
[RELATED: Top Rams Head Coaching Candidates]
While Gruden may be open to the Rams’ position, his interest in the franchise wouldn’t stop at coaching — he’d also require full control of personnel, according to Robinson, and won’t even consider a meeting with the club unless he’s granted that power. Los Angeles is open to offering roster management to certain head coaching candidates (Gruden among them), which jibes with recent reports about incumbent general manager Les Snead‘s status. Snead’s fate is seemingly in the balance at the moment, as ownership could be willing to allow a new coach to hire his own executive.
Meanwhile, Gruden would check off several requirements for owner Stan Kroenke, including the fact that the club is searching for an offensive-minded head coach. Second, as Robinson writes, the Rams are intent on selling hundreds of millions in personal seat licences before their new stadium in Inglewood opens, and hiring a coach with the panache of Gruden could help in those business pitches.
For Gruden, the allure of Los Angeles is compounded by the presence of quarterback Jared Goff, whom Gruden has lauded in the past. “He does believe in him – that’s not just for TV,” a source close to Gruden told Robinson. “He thinks [Goff] has the stuff to be a franchise quarterback. I don’t know if Jon would have traded the farm to get him, but he sees him as a guy that was worthy of building a team around him. He sees leadership and star power there.”
If Gruden can’t be had, Stanford head coach David Shaw and Saints head coach Sean Payton could be among the contenders for the Rams’ job, per Robinson. While Payton recently signed an extension that’s set to keep him in New Orleans through 2020, a report yesterday indicated that the organization could be willing to part with him in exchange for draft picks. Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Sunday that the Los Angeles job could attract candidates — such as Payton — who are already under contract with other clubs.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/16
The Falcons worked out several safeties today, including veteran Dashon Goldson, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Goldson has already spent time with Atlanta this season, appearing in four games for the club earlier in the year. The Falcons also took at look defensive backs Earl Wolff and Floyd Raven as they seek to replace Kemal Ishmael, who was placed on IR last week.
Here’s more from the workout circuit:
- Veteran linebacker Joplo Bartu met with the Dolphins today, per Caplan (Twitter link). Bartu has been in the league since 2013, and has 48 games of experience — including 28 starts — under his belt during time with Atlanta and Jacksonville. However, the 26-year-old Bartu hasn’t started a contest since 2014.
- The Bears worked out a slew of players on Monday, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). Chicago met with the following players today: defensive ends Jeoffrey Pagan and Mike Rose; linebackers Taiwan Jones and Frank Beltre; and defensive backs V’Angelo Bentley, Forrest Hightower, Dwayne Hollis, Rashaad Reynolds, and Mitchell White.
- The Seahawks visited with free agent running back George Winn, tweets Caplan. Winn, who has bounced on and off the Lions and Giants practice squads this season, could add depth on a Seattle roster that has already lost C.J. Prosise and Troymaine Pope for the year.
- Running back Terrell Watson tried out for the Eagles today, according to Caplan (Twitter link). Philadelphia recently placed RB Wendell Smallwood on injured reserve, meaning Watson — a former Bengals and Browns preseason star — could be a fit.
Jags GM: HC Won’t Have To Start Blake Bortles
Addressing the media today following the firing of head coach Gus Bradley, Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell indicated that the club’s next coach won’t be forced to start quarterback Blake Bortles.
[RELATED: Jaguars To Consider Tom Coughlin]
“There won’t be any mandates for anybody who comes in,” Caldwell said. “There are no untouchables for anybody in this organization, including myself. Regardless of how people got here, they have to live up to their abilities. I do still believe in Blake very much, but the head coach will have a lot of input as to who the quarterback will be.
“I want the right perspective,” Caldwell added. “We hold him [Bortles] in high regard of what we think his capabilities are. I still believe he has a very high ceiling, but I want to be realistic about it, too. I think a new head coach can bring a different perspective as to what he believes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s somewhere in the middle.”
Bortles, 24, has regressed in his third NFL season, as he’s completed less than 58% of his passes for 3,279 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. The 2014 first-round pick ranks 30th in yards per attempt, 29th in passer rating, 21st in DYAR, and 24th in DVOA, while Pro Football Focus has graded Bortles as just the No. 28 quarterback this year. Jacksonville’s entire offense has stagnated thanks to Bortles’ play, and offensive coordinator Greg Olson was handed his walking papers earlier this season.
Whether or not Bortles can be the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback is an open question, but the team has a critical financial question — Bortles’ 2018 fifth-year option — on the horizon. Jacksonville will need to decide whether to exercise Bortles’ option, which should be worth around $12MM, by May 2017. The option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Jags could pick up the option and later release Bortles (provided he hasn’t suffered a catastrophic injury) following the 2017 campaign.