Coach Updates: Pep, Shanahan, Trestman
Although previous reports indicated that Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton wouldn’t take any interviews this week due to logistical concerns, Hamilton actually did find the time to speak with Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie after Indianapolis’ victory on Sunday night, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the meeting wasn’t a formal interview, but McKenzie was very impressed with Hamilton, and Oakland believes the 40-year-old OC could play a significant role in the development of quarterback Derek Carr (TwitLonger link via Josina Anderson of ESPN). Let’s look at some more notes on head coaching vacancies around the league:
- The Bills have requested permission to interview Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan for their head coaching position, per Schefter (Twitter link). Shanahan, 35, has called plays for the Texans and Washington in addition to Cleveland, and although he’s been linked to the 49ers vacancy this offseason, this is the first official interest displayed by another club.
- In their search to find a new offensive coordinator, the Buccaneers have interviewed former Bears head coach Marc Trestman, per Rapoport (on Twitter). Trestman, of course, would have some familiarity with Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown, who started five games for Chicago in 2013. The Bucs have also met with Greg Roman and Dirk Koetter, two in-limbo play-callers, as they look for their new OC.
- The Falcons have interviewed special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong for their head coaching job, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The interview, which satisfies the Rooney Rule, could pave the way for Atlanta to hire Rex Ryan after his interview on Tuesday, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who adds that the hiring process could pick up this week.
- Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is one of the most popular head coaching candidates available, and he’ll meet with four teams this week, tweets Rapoport. He’ll do one interview per day starting on Wednesday, starting with the Jets, and finishing the week with the Falcons, 49ers, and Bears. Per Anderson (via TwitLonger), Bowles is open to working with a team that “needs development on either side of the ball,” but wants a strong front office and a few key pieces that he can work with.
- Doug Marrone is considered the favorite to land the Jets HC job, but according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), his interview with New York did not go well. This report comes on the heels of Marrone’s assistant head coach from his time at Syracuse calling him “self-centered, selfish, [and] greedy” (link via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News).
- Despite rumors to the contrary, La Canfora says (Twitter link) that UCLA head coach Jim Mora Jr. does not have an interview scheduled with the Jets. Speculation has arisen that Mora Jr. is looking to make a return to the NFL, but it sounds like nothing is planned with Gang Green at this time.
Junior Galette Arrested
Saints linebacker Junior Galette was arrested and booked on one count of misdemeanor simple battery related to domestic violence today in Kenner, Louisiana, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate. The incident, which reportedly involved Galette and a former college teammate “jumping” a female acquaintance who asked for taxi money, led to Galette being detained at roughly 9am this morning; he was released from jail around 4pm.
In the wake of the Ray Rice scandal earlier this year, the NFL is obviously particularly sensitive to domestic violence issues; as such, it’s fair to wonder if the league could opt to use Galette as something of a poster boy, and use its new policy to come down hard on the star pass-rusher. Under the new standard, Galette is subject to a six-game suspension, although the policy does allow for longer suspension if “mitigating factors” are present. Rice and Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy were both involved in similar episodes earlier in 2014, but as the league had not yet implemented its code when those players came under scrutiny, this could be the NFL’s first chance to show its opposition to domestic violence.
Even if Galette is not found guilty of any crime, he is still subject to league discipline, as Larry Holder of NOLA.com explains. The NFL will not interfere with cases that are being investigated by law enforcement, instead waiting until authorities decide whether to move forward and press formal charges. In such cases, the player will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list (as in the Adrian Peterson incident), and continue to earn a salary while on leave.
The incident could have an impact of Galette’s future with the Saints, an issue he reportedly referenced while he was being arrested. Per Michelle Hunter of NOLA.com, Galette told officers that he couldn’t “afford to take a domestic violence charge because of his contract.” However, given the parameters of his four-year, $41.5MM deal, this episode probably won’t affect his status with New Orleans. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explained in September, Galette is due a $12.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year — that bonus is fully guaranteed, so even if the Saints part ways with Galette, he’ll still be owed that money. However, it’s possible that Galette’s contract included a clause that nullifies the guarantees in the event of a suspension, as Holder suggests in a separate piece — although such clauses usually refer to PED bans.
According to his representative Lionel Burns, Galette is “concerned about … working to clear his good name, which he has established on and off the football field.” Burns also downplayed the seriousness of the incident, although that’s to be expected from a personal lawyer. “I want to make it clear this is not a Ray Rice-type situation,” said Burns, via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter links). “So anyone looking for that type of sensationalism in this unfortunate situation … you’re not going to find it here.”
AFC Notes: Jets, Ballard, Marrone, Ravens
Refuting an earlier report, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that while the Jets did speak with Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, New York is isn’t interested in Roseman himself. Rather, Gang Green was seeking Roseman’s assessment of Rick Mueller, Philadelphia’s director of pro personnel and a candidate for the Jets’ GM opening. Mueller, 47, has also worked with the Jaguars and Saints, in addition to spending a good deal of time in the UFL. Here’s more from the AFC.
- The Bears have received permission to interview Chiefs personnel director Chris Ballard, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Ballard, who worked with Chicago until joining Kansas City in 2012, will meet with Bears ownership either Friday or Saturday.
- Doug Marrone spoke with Jets owner Woody Johnson by phone today, tweets Peter King of Sports Illustrated, who adds that a formal interview should take place soon. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News confirms this (Twitter link), saying that although New York plans to interview Marrone this week, nothing has been scheduled yet.
- The Ravens will have the option to carry over about $5.785MM in salary cap space into 2015, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes. $2MM of that total comes from Haloti Ngata‘s forfeited base salary resulting from his four-game suspension.
Bill Polian To Remain At ESPN
4:53pm: A source tells Florio that the deal between Polian and the Bills broke down primarily because of money — namely, Polian wanting more of it. Florio also speculates that Polian used Buffalo’s interest in him as leverage to garner a better contract with ESPN. Additionally, Polian had wanted Marrone to remain as head coach, so Marrone’s opt-out probably lessened Polian’s interest in the job.
1:29pm: Former NFL executive Bill Polian has informed Bills owner Terry Pegula that he will continue to work as an analyst for ESPN rather than accept a position with Buffalo, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Facebook link via Adam Schefter). Bills ownership never made a formal offer to Polian, who worked with the club from 1984-93, but the two sides did have talks, both about an advisory role and a top front office job, before Polian decided to stick with his broadcasting position.
Reports yesterday indicated that Buffalo had hired Polian to serve as its team president, but Polian refuted those claims. Per Tim Graham of the Buffalo News, Polian was inclined to take the Bills position before speaking with ex-Buffalo coach Doug Marrone, who condemned the organization (Twitter links). As the two have a long relationship, Polian acted on Marrone’s advice, and declined Pegula’s offer.
Polian, 72, has worked as the general manager of three teams: the Bills, the Panthers, and most recently, the Colts, with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2007. Indianapolis fired him as GM after the 2011 season. According to Mortensen, Polian has received interest from other clubs, as well, but ultimately decided to stay with ESPN rather than return to a personnel role. A highly-decorated GM, Polian is a six-time recipient of the NFL’s Executive of the Year award.
Though current Bills general manager Doug Whaley is expected to keep his job, reports that Buffalo wanted to bring in Polian to lead its front office isn’t good news for Whaley, who had a hand in drafting E.J. Manuel and had already traded the Bills’ 2015 first-round-pick. Additionally, Buffalo CEO Russ Brandon is reportedly drawing interest from Oakland, which is interested in hiring Brandon as its team president, meaning that the organization’s entire structure could be in flux. Graham had reported that Brandon was likely to remain with the Bills, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out (via Twitter), it’s now clear that Buffalo was negotiating with Polian without Brandon’s knowledge or consent, which could indicate his role in the club’s hierarchy has been reduced.
Polian’s decision could also affect the Bills’ head coaching search — Polian was reportedly high on Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and was thought to be interested in bringing in the play-caller as Buffalo’s head coach. Reich will interview with the club next week, but it’s fair to wonder if he’s still among the favorites for the job without Polian in the front office.
Eric DeCosta To Remain With Ravens
Despite receiving interest from numerous clubs with general manager vacancies, Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta will remain in Baltimore, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link). DeCosta, 44, had been linked to GM openings in Chicago and New York, but instead he’ll opt to remain in his current role as Ozzie Newsome’s right-hand man.
DeCosta, who is contractually designated as the Ravens’ “GM-in-waiting,” has worked in Baltimore since 1996, rising through various scouting and personnel positions before being named assistant GM in 2012. As such, he’s had a hand in the drafting of stars like Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, DeCosta receives heavy interest in league circles every hiring season, but always opts to stay in Baltimore. It’s just my speculation, but DeCosta could look at the flameouts of former Ravens personnel men Phil Savage and George Kokinis (both in Cleveland), and decide to remain with Baltimore, viewed as one of the most stable organizations in the NFL. Indeed, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that because DeCosta is usually wooed by dysfunctional clubs, it makes more sense for him to stay with the Ravens.
Both the Bears and the Jets will look elsewhere for their new general manager, but it was New York that seemed most interested in DeCosta. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News says that DeCosta would have been a “home-run hire” for Gang Green, adding that it’s fair to say that the NY GM job would have been his if he wanted it (Twitter links).
NFC Notes: Fitzgerald, Austin, Koetter, Fangio
Despite general manager Steve Keim’s confirmation that the Cardinals won’t release Larry Fitzgerald during the offseason, the veteran receiver still doesn’t expect to return to Arizona next season, a source told Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Fitzgerald, who is set to count $23.6MM against the Cards’ 2015 cap, is said to be unhappy with his role in Arizona’s offense, per Garafolo. He’s due an $8MM roster bonus in March, meaning a final decision will have to made on his future before then. Here’s more from the NFC.
- Confirming earlier reports, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told reporters both the Falcons and the 49ers have requested permission to interview him (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). In Austin’s first season as Detroit’s DC, the club finished second it total defense and third in defensive DVOA. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell thinks Austin’s performance has warranted a promotion. “I think he’s deserving of it, and I think he’s going to get one,” said Caldwell, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I think if, once they get an opportunity to see him and listen to him and watch what he’s been able to do, I think it’ll happen for him and I think it’ll be absolutely outstanding.”
- Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter will interview with the Buccaneers about the same position in Tampa Bay, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. It’s unclear if Koetter, 55, is still under contract with Atlanta, but the club is probably allowing him to seek other employment following head coach Mike Smith’s firing. Per Marvez, Koetter could also act as an OC under Jim Tomsula or Dan Quinn if either of the two secures a head coaching job.
- If 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio becomes a head coach, he’s expected to make Niners secondary coach Ed Donatell his DC, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Donatell was granted permission to talk with Washington about their coordinator vacancy, while Fangio, who’s a contender for the 49ers HC job, wasn’t (yet).
Latest On Eagles, Kelly, Roseman
In a seemingly innocuous move, the Eagles parted ways with vice president of player personnel Tom Gamble yesterday; though a “parting of ways” is often a soft way to cloak an outright firing, the decision still seemed fairly minor. However, Gamble’s ouster could be a sign of greater turmoil within the Eagles organization, and an indication of strife between head coach Chip Kelly, general manager Howie Roseman, and owner Jeffrey Lurie. As Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com writes, Gamble was a close friend of Kelly’s, so if there is a rift between Kelly and Roseman, Gamble’s firing shows that Lurie could side with the GM rather than the coach.
Even more pressing is the news that Roseman has had talks about becoming the Jets’ general manager, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Kelly controls the roster in Philadelphia, so it’s plausible that the 39-year-old Roseman is simply interested in a promotion to a role that allows him final say over a 53-man roster. But as Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com writes, it’s also possible that Roseman went to Lurie with a “him-or-me” demand, using any overtures from the Jets as leverage, and had Gamble fired.
Dating back to the Andy Reid-era, the Eagles have run their organization as something of an oligarchy, presenting team decisions as calls made by a small group of people rather than a single executive, writes Sheridan. In prior years, it was a combination of Reid, Roseman, Joe Banner, and Tom Heckert who shared power in Philadelphia — Roseman, of course, is the last man standing among that group. And now that a second power struggle seems to be occurring, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wonders (via Twitter) if a Jim Harbaugh/Trent Baalke scenario could happen in Philadelphia. The San Francisco duo couldn’t overcome personal struggles despite a largely successful run together in the Bay Area, and it’s fair to wonder if a similar plot could play out with the Eagles.
Doug Marrone To Interview With Bears, Falcons
Doug Marrone is the favorite to become the next head coach of the Jets, but that hasn’t stopped him from setting up other interviews. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the ex-Bills coach will interview with both the Bears and the Falcons.
In Chicago, Marrone would be tasked with either fixing the flaws of quarterback Jay Cutler, or working with a new QB in the event Cutler is traded. Despite being a former offensive coordinator, Marrone’s Buffalo offenses haven’t been very impressive, although he was handed sub-par options in E.J. Manuel and Kyle Orton. He has shown a willingness to hand his defense to an experienced coordinator, and Mike Pettine and Jim Schwartz’s units turned in dominant performances in 2012 and 2013, respectively. As such, Marrone could probably be trusted to bring in a talented DC to turn around the Bears’ defense, which ranked 28th in DVOA.
Defense has also been the problem in Atlanta, so Marrone again would likely need to bring in a strong defensive coach to lead the turnaround. Like the Bears, the Falcons have some promising young talent on offense, though Atlanta can boast a better quarterback situation and potential cornerstone left tackle in Jake Matthews.
The Bears are known to be interested in Todd Bowles, Adam Gase, Gary Kubiak, and Dan Quinn, while the Falcons have shown interest in Teryl Austin, Bowles, Gase, Josh McDaniels, Quinn, and Rex Ryan.
Minor Moves: Thursday
We’ll keep track of the New Year’s Day transactions right here, with the latest moves being added to the top of the post:
- The Cardinals have signed offensive tackle Cameron Bradfield to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Bradfield, 27, started 27 games over four seasons with the Jaguars before signing with the Falcons earlier this year.
- The Bengals have signed rookie receiver Eric Ward to their practice squad, reports Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link). Ward, an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech, was signed by the Titans earlier this year, but released in early September. He takes the place of fellow wideout Cobi Hamilton, who was promoted to the active roster yesterday.
AFC East Notes: Reich, Jets, Marrone, Bills
Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is in high demand — we learned this morning that the Bills are interested in San Diego’s play-caller, but Buffalo isn’t the only AFC East looking into Reich. The Jets are also considering the 53-year-old Reich, and are tentatively expected to interview him for their head-coaching position next week, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (Twitter link). More from the AFC East…
- The Jets are also interested in ex-Bills head coach Doug Marrone, and he’ll interview for the HC job on Sunday or Monday, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the feeling in NFL circles is that Charley Casserly, acting as a consultant for New York during their coaching search, has long been infatuated with Marrone, and is pushing him on Jets ownership, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- Marrone, of course, is a free agent due to an opt-out clause that allowed him to leave the Bills in the event of an ownership change. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk Buffalo inserted the clause into Marrone’s contract in order to keep him away from the Browns, who had offered a higher salary. As a result, the Bills are out both their head coach and his $4MM 2015 salary.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines the Bills’ head coaching options, looking at internal and external assistant coaches, as well as former NFL head coaches who could intrigue Buffalo.