Coach Updates: Spags, Quinn, LeBeau, Tucker
The Giants will interview Ravens assistant (and former employee) Steve Spagnuolo for their defensive coordinator position this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Facebook link). Spagnuolo, 55, was New York’s DC from 2007-08. Per Schefter, the club also spoke with its own defensive backs coach, David Merritt, about the job. Here’s more news on the coaching front…
- After parting ways with John Fox earlier today, the Broncos want to interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, tweets Schefter. Quinn is viewed as the favorite for the Jets head coaching position, and has also been linked to the vacancies in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco.
- We heard earlier today that the Jets wanted to bring in Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for a second interview, and now Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets that the meeting will take place on Wednesday, the same day Bowles will speak with the Falcons for a second time. The Atlanta interview will happen first, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Cowboys offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Bill Callahan is a popular man, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He’s drawing interest elsewhere, which could lead to a promotion of Scott Linehan. Bills head coach Rex Ryan is among those with interest, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
- LSU has been in contact with Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker about their opening at the same position, according to Ross Dellenger and Scott Rabalais of The Advocate. Tucker, who was rumored to be on the hot seat in Chicago, remains under contract with the team.
- While ex-Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has discussed joining the Cardinals coaching staff (Twitter link via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), it will not be as DC, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910, who adds that LeBeau could be brought aboard in something of an advising capacity.
- Meanwhile, the Steelers have not met with any outside candidates to replace LeBeau, meaning it’s increasingly likely that linebackers coach Keith Butler will be promoted to DC, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Butler has been in his current role since 2003.
- The Giants met with Washington secondary coach Raheem Morris on Friday about their open DC position, but will go in another direction, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (Twitter link). Per Russini, Morris will now interview for Washington’s defensive coordinator job.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Fallout From John Fox, Broncos Parting Ways
Broncos general manager John Elway and ex-head coach John Fox have released a statement in the wake of the news that the two parties would be parting ways. “John Fox and I met for more than an hour on Monday afternoon to discuss the 2014 season and our goals for the future,” said Elway, via Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “During our open and candid conversation, it became clear that it was best for both the Denver Broncos and Coach Fox to move on and make this change.” Like Elway, Fox was thankful and complementary, but also gave a hint about his plans for the future. “I am eager to continue my coaching career and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead,” said Fox, indicating that he’s open to other jobs.
Let’s take a look at the fallout from and reaction to the shakeup, and how it affects the Broncos, Fox, and the rest of the team’s coaching staff.
- The Broncos had not considered moving on from Fox until a report surfaced yesterday from Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, a friend of Fox’s, indicating that Fox could be out, per Klis. The club worried that Fox was “keeping his options open” with regard to other coaching vacancies, which led to today’s meeting.
- Elway was reportedly unhappy with the Broncos’ mental toughness, and was especially disappointed with how the club performed in the postseason, writes Klis. For his part, Fox wanted more control over personnel, and preferred to have a say over the draft and the roster.
- Fox could be an option to replace Marc Trestman with the Bears, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The link between Fox and Chicago is clear, as Fox has a close relationship with Ernie Accorsi, who is advising the Bears’ head coaching search, tweets Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post. Additionally, Fox’s best friend in the NFL is Saints head coach Sean Payton, who worked with new Chicago GM Ryan Pace, meaning Fox should be well-informed about where the Bears stand, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Appearing on The Michael Kay Show, Jets advisor Charley Casserly declined to speak on whether Gang Green would be interested in Fox, according to Kimberley Martin of Newsday (Twitter link).
- On the Broncos side, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com doesn’t expect the club to hire a big-name coach, noting that Denver’s coaching budget “is far from expansive” (Twitter link).
- Gary Kubiak was the Broncos offensive coordinator from 2003-05, and Ed Werder of ESPN speculates (via Twitter) that the club could be interested in a reunion. However, in response to a report that the Bears were pursuing him, Kubiak released a statement yesterday saying he would remain with the Ravens, and a Baltimore source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) that he’d be shocked if Kubiak now reversed course.
- The most obvious candidate for the Broncos job could be offensive coordinator Adam Gase, whom the 49ers will meet with tonight in an effort to hire him as their head coach. There are conflicting reports on whether Gase will be a candidate for Denver’s top job, however, as Florio tweets that Gase will in fact be an option, while Klis writes that the OC is not considered likely to be promoted.
- Given Mike Shanahan’s relationship with Elway, it would’ve been fair to wonder if a reunion was in order. However, Klis reports that Shanahan is not a candidate for the Broncos vacancy.
- Meanwhile, one candidate who probably will garner an interview is Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville, who was the club’s interim head coach in 2010 following Josh McDaniels’ firing, per La Canfora (Twitter link).
Bucs Expected To Hire Rod Marinelli As DC
After the Cowboys’ loss to the Packers today, head coach Jason Garrett is now a free agent and is free to sign with any team. If he’s retained as expected, though, he may have to find a new defensive coordinator, as the Buccaneers are expected to hire Rod Marinelli to their DC position, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Marinelli, whose contract also just expired, worked in Tampa Bay from 1996-2005 as a defensive line and assistant head coach.
Assuming he finalizes a deal with Tampa Bay, Marinelli will replace Leslie Frazier, the former Vikings head coach who led the Bucs’ defense in 2014. Despite adding Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner to defense that already contained stars in Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David, Tampa’s defense finished just 25th in both yards allowed and points allowed; advanced metrics liked the unit a little better, as it finished 18th in DVOA. On the flip side, Dallas’ defense, which was expected by many to be among the worst in the league, was 14th in yards allowed, 15th in points allowed, but 22nd in DVOA.
The 65-year-old Marinelli was the head coach of the Lions from 2006-08, and was with the Bears from 2009-12 in a variety of defensive roles. Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith, of course, was Chicago’s HC during that time, so the two are obviously familiar. The Cowboys, meanwhile, will need to find a replacement for Marinelli — longtime Steelers DC Dick LeBeau recently resigned, but he runs a 3-4 scheme while Dallas has run a 4-3 front under Marinelli. If Jim Schwartz ultimately doesn’t stick around as Rex Ryan’s defensive coordinator in Buffalo, he would be a nice fit with the Cowboys.
Week In Review: 1/4/15 – 1/11/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key News:
- The Bills are expected to hire Rex Ryan as head coach, signing him to five-year deal worth $27.5MM. Buffalo is also set to bring in Greg Roman as its offensive coordinator.
- Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston will forgo his senior season and enter the 2015 NFL draft.
- Rams owner Stan Kroenke plans to build a stadium in Los Angeles, while the city of St. Louis unveiled plans for a new stadium of their own.
- The Dolphins hired Mike Tannenbaum as executive VP of football operations.
- The Bears hired Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace as general manager.
- Washington hired ex-49ers and Seahawks executive Scot McCloughan as general manager.
- The Jets are expected to hire Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan as general manager.
- The Falcons restructured their front office.
- Investigator Robert Mueller released his report of the Ray Rice case.
Coaching:
- The Buccaneers hired ex-Falcons play-caller Dirk Koetter to the same position.
- The Steelers and offensive coordinator Todd Haley agreed to an extension through 2016.
- Longtime Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau resigned his position.
- The Browns and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan parted ways.
- The Giants parted ways with defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.
- Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer left the Rams to join the University of Georgia.
Extended:
- Patriots – RB Brandon Bolden (link) and S Patrick Chung (link)
Signed:
- Chargers – WR Austin Pettis (link)
- Saints – RB Tim Hightower (link)
- Seahawks – DT Landon Cohen (link)
Retired:
- Chargers – OL Jeromey Clary (link)
Draft Early Entrants:
- Malcom Brown, DT – Texas (link)
- Landon Collins, S – Alabama (link)
- Amari Cooper, WR – Alabama (link)
- Dorial Green-Beckham, WR – Oklahoma (link)
- Benardrick McKinney, LB – Mississippi State (link)
- Andrus Peat, T – Stanford (link)
- Shane Ray, DE – Missouri (link)
- Shaq Thompson, LB – Washington (link)
- P.J. Williams, CB – Florida State (link)
- T.J. Yeldon, RB – Alabama (link)
Torrey Smith, Forsett Hope To Re-Sign With Ravens
The Ravens suffered an excruciating divisional round loss to the Patriots last night, and could see their offensive coordinator leave for a head coaching position in the next few weeks. However, a pair of key free agents have expressed their desire to remain in Baltimore — both receiver Torrey Smith and running back Justin Forsett‘s contracts are expiring, but both indicated today that they’d like to re-sign with the Ravens.
Smith, 25, said he would prefer to not even reach free agency, meaning that he’d like to sign an extension before the start of the new league year (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). Smith, a Virginia native, says Baltimore now feels like home after spending four years with the Ravens. For his career, Smith has averaged 53 receptions for nearly 900 yards and eight touchdowns; he didn’t meet those catch or yard marks in 2014, but did haul in 11 touchdowns. The Maryland alum is also the best receiver at drawing defensive pass interference — this season, he drew 12 PI calls, which led to 261 yards in field position for Baltimore.
The free agent receiver market is interesting in that in contains four elite options in Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Randall Cobb, and Jeremy Maclin, a second-tier choice in Smith, and then a dramatic dropoff. Thomas and Bryant are increasingly unlikely to reach free agency, as they’ll either be extended or franchised by the Broncos and Cowboys, respectively. But for WR-needy clubs that miss out on Cobb or Maclin, Smith presents a fine alternative, especially for a team looking for a deep threat.
Smith, who graded as the league’s 37th-best receiver among 110 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), might not be in the Ravens’ plans despite his intentions to stay. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in December that the club could let Smith walk in free agency, and given the other options mentioned above, he might not find a strong market for his services. PFR’s Rory Parks examined Smith’s contract case before the season, writing that Antonio Brown‘s five-year, $42.5MM deal with the Steelers could act as a benchmark. After something of a lackluster season, Smith probably won’t be able to match those years or that AAV.
Forsett, meanwhile, sounds a little less certain that he will be retained by the Ravens. “I’m blessed to have the opportunity to show what I can do,” Forsett told Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “It’s been a long time coming and I just want to build on it. I would love to stay here and be a Raven, but there’s a business part of that. I’ve experienced a lot of the business side of it, but hopefully we can get something done.” Forsett, 29, played 2014 under a one-year, $730K deal after being released by the Jaguars. Because he was on a minimum salary benefit contract, he isn’t eligible to sign a multi-year deal with Baltimore until free agency begins in March.
Forsett, a veteran of seven NFL seasons, enjoyed a career year in 2014, rushing for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns, adding another 263 yards on 44 receptions — he also graded as PFF’s sixth-best running back. He’ll join an impressive free agent RB class that also boasts DeMarco Murray, Mark Ingram, Frank Gore, and Ryan Mathews, so although Forsett doesn’t have the wear-and-tear that other veteran RBs do, the abundance of options and his advanced age could limit his market. Still, he’s probably the best option for Baltimore in 2015 (especially if zone-blocking aficionado Gary Kubiak stays on as OC), and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com predicted in November that the team would reward Forsett with a two- or three-year deal with a modest signing bonus.
Falcons Narrow HC Search; Bowles Favorite
After the Falcons fired Mike Smith, many viewed Rex Ryan as the favorite to land the Atlanta head coaching position — Ryan, too, felt that he and the Falcons were a good match, but the two sides never scheduled a second interview, and Ryan signed on with the Bills. However, the club does appear to have narrowed its candidate pool, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta is zeroing in Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn; per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, Bowles is viewed as the leading contender to fill the Falcons vacancy.
Atlanta met with Bowles for five hours on Saturday, writes McClure, and though no second interview is scheduled, owner Arthur Blank will look to visit with the finalists a second time before making a decision. Bowles, Arizona’s DC for the past two seasons, has also interviewed with the Bears, Jets, and 49ers — as we learned earlier today, he has a second meeting scheduled with San Francisco. If he is hired in Atlanta, Bowles would look bring in Cardinals quarterbacks coach Freddie Kitchens as his offensive coordinator, per McClure.
Quinn, meanwhile, is just as popular as Bowles on the head coaching circuit, having been linked to every available vacancy except for Oakland’s. The Jets appear to have the most serious interest, as owner Woody Johnson was reportedly set to fly to Seattle to hire Quinn had the Seahawks lost last night. Instead, Quinn, who met with the Falcons during the first wave of interviews, won’t be available to meet with other clubs again until Seattle is eliminated from the playoffs. If the Hawks make an extended postseason run, it’s fair to wonder if interested teams will give the edge to Bowles, if only to end the hiring process quicker.
The Falcons recently restructured their front office, narrowing general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s responsibilities while expanding the role of assistant GM Scott Pioli. While it’s unclear how the move affects the head coaching search — the club’s press release stated the changes weren’t related to the hunt — the shuffling of duties has to have some impact on the process. Blank appears to be taking a more active role in football operations and will probably have final say over who is named HC. Additionally, while Dimitroff will retain control over free agency and the draft, it’s uncertain who will determine the 53-man roster. Giving a new head coach that control could be an added level of enticement.
With this latest development (and Buffalo’s hiring of Ryan), the head coaching picture has clarified a bit, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) give his best guess as to how the vacancies will be filled: Bowles to the Falcons, Quinn to the Jets, Gary Kubiak or Mike Shanahan to the Bears, Jack Del Rio or Tony Sparano to the Raiders, and an internal candidate taking over the 49ers.
Bears Eyeing Gary Kubiak For Head Coach
Following the Ravens’ thrilling divisional round loss to the Patriots last night, Baltimore offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak is free to speak with other clubs regarding their head coaching vacancies, and though we’ve heard the Jets want to interview the OC, it appears another team has more serious interest. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), the Bears are set to make a “major push” to hire Kubiak as their new head coach, replacing the fired Marc Trestman.
As our head coaching search tracker shows, the Bears have been linked to eight candidates — Kubiak and the Broncos’ Adam Gase are the only offensive coordinators on the list (though Mike Shanahan and Doug Marrone both have offensive backgrounds). Chicago hired Ryan Pace as its general manager on Thursday, so it’s fair to assume that the former Saints executive is a fan of Kubiak; now that Pace’s voice is being heard at Bears headquarters, the search for Trestman’s successor will presumably ramp up.
In Kubiak’s first season as its play-caller, the Ravens finished eighth in points per game, 12th in yards, and ninth in DVOA. Baltimore finished 29th, 25th, and 30th, respectively, in those same metrics in 2013, so Kubiak’s influence on the offense is undeniable. As the Texans’ head coach from 2006-13, Kubiak posted a record of 61-64, earning two postseason berths. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested yesterday the Kubiak, who enjoys coaching in Baltimore and has friends in the organization, might not be interested in taking any head coaching interviews, preferring to remain with the Ravens.
East Notes: Roman, Shanahans, Ballard, Bills
Add another name to the Bills head coaching candidate list, as Buffalo has requested permission to interview 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Roman isn’t expected to return as San Francisco’s play-caller, and unlike SF defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, he isn’t a candidate for head coach. Roman, who’s also in the running for the Buccaneers OC position, is the 14th coach linked to the vacancy in Buffalo. You can follow all the news surrounding the six open coaching slots with our tracker. Here’s more from the East divisions…
- One of the 14 with ties to the Bills job is Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, whom the club is hoping to interview by the end of the week, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN (via TwitLonger). Austin reportedly prefers to meet on Saturday.
- The Eagles have requested permission to interview Chiefs executive Chris Ballard for a personnel role (Twitter link via Schefter), but Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com writes that not only is permission expected to be denied, but Ballard probably wouldn’t take the meeting, as the job wouldn’t involve final say over the 53-man roster and draft decisions (which now belongs to head coach Chip Kelly thanks to Friday’s front office shakeup). Ballard is viewed as the favorite for the Bears GM post, where he presumably would have total control over the team’s makeup. The Eagles are also interested in Dolphins scouting director Chris Grier, Lions exec Sheldon White, and one internal candidate, assistant director of player personnel Ed Marynowitz (identified by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk over the weekend).
- We heard earlier tonight that several clubs could be aiming to reunite Mike and Kyle Shanahan as head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, but the Bills might have another idea in mind. Per John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (Twitter link), Buffalo is interested in hiring Kyle as head coach, and installing Mike in a GM role. The Bills have already requested permission to interview Kyle, and the team did lose out on hiring Bill Polian to a football-czar position, so the alignment could make some sense.
- Washington is the latest team up in Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap’s offseason previews — the club has roughly $13.4MM in cap space, and in Fitzgerald’s view, should opt to let nearly all of its free agents walk.
Teams Eyeing Shanahans As Package Deal
Former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan and his son, Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, are both candidates to fill vacancies around the league. In fact, both could be in play for the 49ers job — Mike has officially interviewed, while Kyle has been linked to the opening. But several teams are interested in hiring both Shanahans, installing the elder as the head coach and the younger as the OC, as Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that those very 49ers, the Raiders, and the Bills have considered such an arrangement.
Because teams don’t have to allow coordinators to interview with other clubs unless a promotion to head coach is involved, Cleveland holds Kyle’s fate in its hands, writes Cabot. As he’s still under contract, Kyle would need to be released from his deal, a move the Browns would probably only consider if his new job included the title of assistant head coach (a designation, I would speculate, that Mike would be happy to bestow upon his son to facilitate a union). Despite an impressive showing with a Browns offense devoid of talent for most of the season, Kyle hasn’t received much official head coaching interest so far, so it’s possible that he’d relish the opportunity to work with his father.
If such a move comes to pass, it would resemble the coaching hierarchy seen in Washington from 2010-13, when Mike was the HC and Kyle called the plays. 2012, of course, marked the best season for the duo, as they installed a playbook specific to rookie Robert Griffin III’s strengths, and wound up with the league’s sixth-best offense by DVOA. Mike, of course, is a two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach who’s led the Broncos and Raiders, while Kyle has also worked with the Texans during his NFL tenure.
Both Shanahans have been linked to the Buffalo gig — Mike interviewed yesterday, while the Bills have asked Cleveland for permission to speak with Kyle. For his part, Mike has also met with representatives for the Raiders, and as noted, the 49ers, and has could have interest in the Bears job.
Draft Updates: Monday
As one of the top offensive lineman available, Stanford tackle Andrus Peat is a projected first-round pick in the 2015 draft, but there’s one catch — he hasn’t officially declared yet. However, multiple sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that the junior is expected to enter the draft, so we’ll probably hear an announcement before the January 15 deadline. Here’s more updates on NCAA underclassmen…
- Like Peat, fellow offensive lineman Ronnie Staley hasn’t yet declared for the draft, and he remains truly undecided, per Getlin (via Twitter). The Notre Dame product would rank as the No. 1 OT in the draft, according to Josh Norris of Rotoworld.
- Rice defensive lineman Christian Covington has declared for the 2015 draft, according to Joe Schad of ESPN (Twitter link). Covington, who underwent knee surgery in November, is the seventh-rated DT on CBSSports.com’s rankings.
- Penn State tight end Jesse James will forgo his senior season and enter the 2015 draft, according to a press release. James holds the record for touchdown catches by a Nittany Lion TE.
- Announcing the news himself via Twitter, Florida offensive tackle D.J. Humphries revealed he’ll skip his senior season and enter the draft. A highly-sought after high school player, Humphries had trouble staying healthy in Gainesville, and is rated as the 20th overall tackle per WalterFootball.com.
- Washington State defensive end Xavier Cooper told CougFan.com that he’ll enter the 2015 draft. Cooper, a three-year starter who racked up five sacks last season, said he expects to be a third- or fourth-round pick.
- Kansas receiver Nigel King has declared for the 2015 draft, the school announced via press release. King, who caught 29 balls for 518 yards in 2014, could go undrafted, as he isn’t ranked on CBSSports.com’s list of the top 150 WRs.