AFC East Notes: Brady, Marrone, Polian, Jets
Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady adamantly denied that he had any involvement in the deflating of footballs during New England’s victory over the Colts in Sunday’s AFC Championship game. “I didn’t alter the ball in any way,” said Brady. “…I was surprised as anyone on Monday morning when I heard what was happening…I have no knowledge of anything…I’m very comfortable saying that” (Twitter links via Albert Breer of NFL.com). Furthermore, Brady stated that NFL has not yet contacted him as part of their investigation, but allowed that they might do so, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) — per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Brady would be the last person the NFL speaks to, based on Rapoport’s knowledge of the how the league conducts its probes. Here’s more from the AFC East, including a little more on DeflateGate:
- Patriots head coach Bill Belichick also spoke to reporters earlier today, and one league source found it “shocking” that Belichick shifted the focus of the scandal to Brady, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Of course, Belichick didn’t accuse Brady of anything improper, but he did say that “quarterbacks…know a lot more than I do,” which struck many as odd.
- Some league insiders believe that ex-Bills coach (and current Jaguars OL coach) Doug Marrone and Jacksonville executive Chris Polian could be a head coach/general manager pairing in 2016, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link via Mike Rodak).
- Packers assistant offensive line coach Steve Marshall is expected to join the Jets, presumably continuing to work with the offensive line, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett interviewed with the Dolphins on Wednesday, and the former Wildcat says the meeting went well, per James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Notes: Fangio, Mariota, Dolphins, Jets
Vic Fangio will leave Washington’s headquarters today without an agreement in place to become the club’s defensive coordinator, sources tell Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Nothing official is expected to be announced today regarding Washington and the ex-49ers DC, but Fangio doesn’t have any other interviews lined up (Twitter links via John Keim of ESPN.com). Washington’s search for Jim Haslett’s replacement has been a bit murky, as previous reports had indicated Joe Barry was the favorite to land the job, but a resolution figures to be reached in the coming days. More from the East divisions…
- Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota declared for the 2015 draft last week, and the Heisman winner admits he’s thought about playing for the Eagles and Chip Kelly, Mariota’s former college coach. “Obviously my relationship with Coach Kelly, it’d be a lot of fun to be a part of that offense and be a part of that team ,” said Mariota, via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “But for me, any team that wants me to be part of their club, I’m all for it. Whatever happens, happens, and I’m looking forward to the process.”
- Under head coach Joe Philbin, the Dolphins have developed a tendency to rid themselves of any player who either engages in off-the-field trouble or displays a lack of respect towards authority, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who adds that that line of thinking lead Miami to deal cornerback Vontae Davis before he became a top-notch DB. This offseason, the club will have to make decisions on players like Mike Wallace, Jared Odrick, and Rishard Matthews, all of whom have clashed with management.
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com runs down some Jets storylines, including why Todd Bowles entered into a QB-needy situation, whether running back Chris Ivory will fit with the club’s new offense, and the importance of Chan Gailey, who will reportedly be New York’s new offensive coordinator.
North Notes: Bears, Greenway, Steelers, Lions
The Bears hired one Saints executive in Ryan Pace to be their new general manager, and in turn, Pace has brought in another New Orleans employee, hiring area scout Josh Lucas to serve as Chicago’s director of player personnel, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Lucas, a Harvard grad, had worked in the Saints’ scouting department since 2005. Prior to that, Lucas worked with the Jaguars, albeit in marketing. Here are more notes from the North divisions…
- Set to count $8.8MM against the Vikings’ cap in 2015, linebacker Chad Greenway is a candidate for release this offseason, and as he tells Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, he understands he might not be able to finish his career in the Twin Cities. “If I don’t get signed in Minnesota, then I’m definitely interested in playing somewhere else, if that’s what has to happen,” said Greenway, who indicated he was not amenable to accepting a pay cut.
- The 2015 offseason will be a critical one for the Steelers as the team looks to get younger, and a trio of Pittsburgh Tribune writers examine the key questions that general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin will have to face in the coming months. Chief among the club’s priorities will be extending quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, both to ensure that he’ll be with Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future, and to lower his $18.4MM 2015 cap hit.
- In a mailbag for ESPN.com, Michael Rothstein looks ahead to the Lions’ offseason, and wonders if Mark Ingram could be an option at running back in Detroit if the club releases Reggie Bush.
PFR Originals: 1/11/15 – 1/18/15
The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- We’ve set up our Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker, which will keep track of reported interest and interviews as clubs look to fill assistant coach vacancies. Of course, you can also follow all the HC news with our Head Coaching Search Tracker. Both lists will be updated daily.
- We also unveiled the second edition of our 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings. Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh overtook Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston for the No. 1 spot, while Patriots safety Devin McCourty, Bills edge rusher Jerry Hughes, and Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy were new additions to the list.
Falcons Plan To Hire Dan Quinn
Along with the Broncos, the Falcons are one of two teams remaining with a head coaching vacancy, but it appears as if Atlanta has made a decision on whom they want to hire. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the Falcons “have privately told people their plan” is to hire Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Quinn, who cannot accept a head coaching position until Seattle is eliminated from the playoffs, will meet with Atlanta again on Monday, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported earlier. If the Seahawks lose to the Packers today, it sounds like Quinn could be announced as the Falcons’ HC following tomorrow’s interview.
After Atlanta fired Mike Smith, the prevailing opinion was that ex-Jets head coach Rex Ryan was the favorite to land with the Falcons, but he instead chose to sign with the Bills. Other candidates, like Todd Bowles and Teryl Austin, have been viewed as likely to garner the Atlanta job at various times, but it’s possible that Arthur Blanks, Thomas Dimitroff, and the rest of the Falcons contingent wanted Quinn the entire time, and simply had to wait for the Seahawks’ postseason run to conclude. During its coaching search, Atlanta has also interviewed Adam Gase, Josh McDaniels, Doug Marrone, and Keith Armstrong.
Quinn, 44, has been Seattle’s defensive coordinator for the past two seasons, and has more than a decade of NFL experience; he’s also served in the college ranks, acting as Florida’s DC from 2011-12. Both of his Seahawks defenses have finished first in DVOA per Football Outsiders, and in 2014, Seattle allowed just 268 yards per game and 15.9 points per game, both first in the league.
The Falcons restructured their front office a few weeks ago, and while Dimitroff will retain control over free agency and the draft, it’s unclear who will have final say over the 53-man roster. NFL.com’s Albert Breer noted at the time that such authority could go to the new head coach, meaning Quinn would have his hand in personnel as well as coaching. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will have to prepare for life without Quinn, and Rapoport tweets that secondary coach Kris Richard is capable of ascending to the DC role. It’s not clear if Rapoport is merely speculating here, but the point stands — Richard, who’s been with Seattle since ’12, has helped develop one of the more imposing defensive backfields in NFL history.
Week In Review: 1/11/15 – 1/18/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key News:
- After parting ways with the Broncos, John Fox signed a four-year deal to become the head coach of the Bears.
- The Raiders hired ex-Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio as head coach.
- The Jets also found a new head coach, agreeing to terms with former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
- The 49ers hired from within, promoting defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to HC.
- Meanwhile, the Cowboys retained their head coach, re-signing Jason Garrett to a five-year, $30MM deal.
- Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota declared for the 2015 draft, while Ohio State QB Cardale Jones will remain in school.
Coordinators:
- Bills – hired Dennis Thurman as DC after parting ways with Jim Schwartz
- Cowboys – re-signed DC Rod Marinelli
- Jets – hired Kacy Rodgers as DC
- Giants – hired Steve Spagnuolo as DC
- Steelers – promoted Keith Butler to DC
Retired:
- FB Greg Jones (link)
Draft Early Entrants:
- Eddie Goldman, DT – Florida State (link)
Other:
- Colts preparing massive extension for Andrew Luck (link)
- 2015 proven performance escalator raises (link)
- Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray likely to test free agency (link)
- Texans promoted Brian Gaine to director of player personnel (link)
Extra Points: Peterson, Kiffin, Draft, Jets
In a 35-page document filed Friday, the NFL asked a federal court to throw out the NFLPA’s petition to have Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s suspension overturned, writes Dave Campbell of the Associated Press. Citing labor law, the league argues that there is no reason to “re-litigate all of the decisions” made by arbitrator Harold Henderson on December 12. The trial is scheduled for February 6, while Peterson is currently suspended through at least April 15. Let’s look at some more notes from around the NFL…
- We heard earlier today that Mike Shanahan could be “in play” for the 49ers offensive coordinator job, and now another interesting candidate has emerged. A league source tells Cam Inman of the Mercury News that Lane Kiffin could be interested in returning to the NFL, and posits San Francisco as a possible destination. Kiffin, the OC at Alabama, was the Raiders head coach from 2007-08.
- 86 underclassmen have declared for this year’s draft, a 20% decrease from 2014, tweets Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive director of football operations. Those declaring have until Monday to withdrawal and reclaim their eligibility.
- Following the news that Jets director of college scouting (and former GM) Terry Bradway was fired, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com looks back the executives many missteps during his time leading Gang Green. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News takes a different tack (Twitter links), noting that Bradway heavily pushed to draft Darrelle Revis, and wanted to select Russell Wilson.
- USA Today examines how each of the four remaining playoff teams were built, noting that each club contains forward-thinking personnel men, strong drafting decisions, and top-notch quarterbacks.
Cap Notes: Steve Smith, Ravens, Barwin, ‘Boys
Despite being eliminated during the Divisional Round of the playoffs, several Ravens players can rest easy knowing they’ve earned more money based on their 2014 performance. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, receiver Steve Smith will earn an extra $1MM in incentives, which were based on playing time, individual, and team performance. Linebacker Daryl Smith will also have another $1MM tacked onto his 2014 earnings, and he also hit an escalator that will increase his 2015 salary by $500K. Tight end Owen Daniels earned $755K through incentives, and center Gino Gradkowski will see a pay raise thanks to the proven performance escalator (explained here). Here are more cap-related notes from around the NFL…
- After an outstanding 2014 season that saw him record 14.5 sacks, Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin will earn a higher base salary in 2015 thanks to escalators in his contract. Per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link), Barwin hit all of his escalators, meaning he’ll make $5.5MM next year, a bump of $900K.
- Cowboys safety Barry Church will earn a $1MM raise on top of his scheduled 2015 salary, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who writes that Church met a playing time threshold by seeing action on 85% of defensive snaps last season.
- Veteran Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton earned a $200K salary increase in each of the next two seasons thanks to an unknown escalator, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- As we head to the offseason, several teams are willing to offer high guarantees in order to sign highly-coveted players to reserve/futures deals. According to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter), the largest guarantees on reserve deals thus far belong to running back Ryan Williams (who signed a two-year contract with the Cowboys) and defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye, who inked a pact with the 49ers.
- The Cowboys will carry over $3.26MM in cap space into 2015, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
Coach Updates: Fangio, Allen, Kromer, Tarver
The Bears have requested permission to interview ex-49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for the same position, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Previous reports indicated Fangio was released from his San Francisco contract earlier today, so technically Chicago shouldn’t need to ask the Niners for approval. Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com “continues to hear” (Twitter link) that former Raiders head coach Dennis Allen is the favorite for the Bears DC job.
Here’s the latest on the coaching front…
- The Bills have hired former Bears assistant Aaron Kromer as their offensive line coach, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). FootballScoop.com was the first to hear the Kromer rumblings, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted the two sides were “closing in” on a deal. Additionally, Rapoport says (Twitter link) that Buffalo has also hired David Lee as its quarterbacks coach. Lee worked with new Bills coach Rex Ryan with the Jets from 2013-14.
- After hiring his defensive coordinator earlier today, new Jets head coach Todd Bowles has added another staff member, ex-Cardinals linebackers coach Mike Caldwell (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). Per Somers, Caldwell will be named an assistant head coach in New York after the Cards let him out of his contract.
- It’s been speculated that former Raiders DC Jason Tarver could have a role on Jim Tomsula’s 49ers staff, and today Tarver interviewed for a position with San Francisco, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Tarver previously spent ten years with the Niners, beginning in 2001.
- The 49ers will not retain special teams coordinator Brad Seely, reports Maiocco. Seely, a 22-year NFL coaching veteran, had been with SF since 2011. Meanwhile, Maiocco adds that the Bills have requested an interview with Niners offensive assistant Ronald Curry, who has not been fired by San Francisco.
- The Browns continue to interview candidates for their vacant offensive coordinator position, and met with Jim Hostler today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Hostler, currently a senior offensive assistant with the Bills, was the 49ers’ play-caller during the 2007 season.
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