Coach Rumors: Coughlin, Shula, Shaw, McCoy
The Giants have yet to announce a decision one way or the other on head coach Tom Coughlin, but it sounds like we’ll find out shortly whether the club will be in the market for a new coach. According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Coughlin is scheduled to meet with Giants ownership at 1:00 pm eastern time, and it appears a decision has been made.
As we wait to find out Coughlin’s fate, let’s check in on a few other coaching-related notes and rumors….
- Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula figures to draw interest from teams searching for a head coach, but he doesn’t plan to interview while Carolina remains alive in the postseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Since the Panthers aren’t scheduled to play until the divisional round, that would mean any potential suitors for Shula would have to wait until at least January 17th, and possibly later, to interview him, which could reduce interest.
- Rapoport also provides an update on David Shaw, tweeting that the Stanford coach plans to remain in his current role, despite the possibility of garnering interest from the 49ers and/or Colts.
- Chargers head coach Mike McCoy is scheduled to address the media later today, and as Ben Higgins of 10News in San Diego tweets, that looks like a positive sign for McCoy, since teams don’t typically schedule presser for coaches that are being fired.
- The Browns‘ unusual approach to their coaching and GM searches could complicate the process for the team, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Since executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown will have final say on the 53-man roster, rival teams will have the option of blocking their own executives from interviewing for Cleveland’s GM job. The Browns also plan to hire a head coach before landing a GM, so while it may be appealing for a head coaching candidate to have the opportunity to bring in his own personnel guy, that guy would have to be unemployed, or employed by a team willing to let him go.
- Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is among the candidates the Eagles are expected to consider for their head coaching job, per Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
King’s Latest: Mularkey, Manziel, Bradford
Even though Mike Mularkey is technically the Titans‘ interim head coach, rather than the team’s permanent solution, that doesn’t necessarily mean the club will conduct a full-fledged coaching search. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, the Titans have yet to reach out to any top outside coaching candidates, even as other teams begin to schedule and conduct interviews.
There has been a little more buzz lately suggesting that the Titans are seriously considering sticking with Mularkey, and in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King of TheMMQB.com suggests that Mularkey looks safer than anticipated. Tennessee has yet to announce any sort of decision yet, but we should find out soon whether the club intends to interview outside candidates or simply move forward with Mularkey.
Here are a few more noteworthy tidbits from King’s latest MMQB:
- According to King, the Browns don’t want Johnny Manziel anymore, “but won’t say so for fear of eliminating [his] trade value.” While King doesn’t expect Manziel to play another snap for Cleveland, it’s worth noting that a new head coach and general manager may feel differently about the former first-round pick.
- Sam Bradford won’t be motivated to sign with the Eagles over any other team in free agency, says King. If the Eagles don’t use their franchise tag on Bradford, it sounds like the former first overall pick will reach the open market, since agent Tom Condon likes to maximize his client’s earnings, and Bradford “isn’t crazy about Philadelphia” as a city, according to King.
- Doug Marrone‘s interview for the Browns‘ head coaching job will take place on Tuesday, per King. The former Bills head coach also reportedly has an interview lined up with the Dolphins.
Bucs’ Logan Mankins Considering Retirement
Veteran Buccaneers guard Logan Mankins admitted after the Buccaneers’ loss to the Panthers on Sunday that he may have played his final NFL game, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Mankins has yet to make a decision, but confirmed that he’s considering the possibility of calling it a career.
“I don’t know,” Mankins said. “I am at the point in my career where I’m going to take a little time and evaluate what I want to do with my family, with myself and my career and see where it goes.”
Asked if Sunday’s game would be his last as an NFL player, Mankins replied, “It could. It might not be. I don’t know yet. A wise guy always use to tell some of the teams I was on to never make a rushed decision after the season. Take a little time to think about it.”
If he does decide to retire, Mankins will finish his playing career with a pretty impressive NFL résumé. The former first-round pick, who turns 34 this March, earned six Pro Bowl berths and played in two Super Bowls, though he didn’t win one — he joined the Patriots the year after they won Super Bowl XXXIX, and then was traded to Tampa Bay prior to New England’s 2014 championship season.
Mankins has one year left on his current contract, so if he does decide to continue playing, the Buccaneers will have a decision of their own to make. The Fresno State alum is on the books for $7MM in 2016, but that entire amount is non-guaranteed.
South Notes: Titans, D. Brown, Colts, Saints
The NFL appears to believe the Titans‘ ownership structure in the wake of Bud Adams‘ passing may not comply with all the league’s rules and provisions, and litigation could be looming between the team and the league, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, the Titans “strongly disagree” with the NFL’s position on the situation, believing there are several other franchises with “more difficult ownership situations” than Tennessee’s.
As we wait to see how the situation in Tennessee plays out, here’s more from around the NFL’s South divisions:
- Texans left tackle Duane Brown will have surgery this Wednesday to repair a torn right quadriceps, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. Brown, who will miss the playoffs, had another solid season in 2015 and probably isn’t going anywhere. Still, it’s worth noting that he’s now in his 30s, and he barely has any dead money left on his contract, which features $9.5MM+ cap hits for the next three years.
- Per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter links), the Colts haven’t yet discussed a contract extension with linebacker Jerrell Freeman, who is eligible for free agency this winter. That doesn’t necessarily mean the club won’t make an effort to get something done in the coming weeks or months, but as Holder points out, Indianapolis has explored other options at the position within the last year.
- Sean Payton‘s accomplishments over the last 10 years with the Saints speak for themselves, and if he decides he wants to pursue another head coaching opportunity this offseason, GM Mickey Loomis owes it to the coach to allow him that opportunity, writes Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Earlier today, we heard that the Saints may seek a second-round pick as compensation for Payton if they decide to let him go, though there’s some skepticism that the team would get more than a mid-rounder.
- Whether Payton stays or goes, a tumultuous offseason is on tap for the Saints, says Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune.
Eagles Rumors: HC Search, Peters, Bradford
Two current NFL head coaches, Sean Payton of the Saints and John Harbaugh of the Ravens, are atop Jeffrey Lurie‘s wish list to replace Chip Kelly in Philadelphia, writes Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.
While the team may have a shot at Payton, there’s essentially no chance of landing Harbaugh, a former Eagles assistant. Harbaugh still has two years left on his contract, and Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes that, despite the Ravens’ disappointing 2015 campaign, the team has no plans to move on from its head coach.
As the Eagles consider head coaching options, here are a few more notes of interest out of Philadelphia:
- Mike Shanhan, who is interviewing for the Dolphins’ head coaching job and has interest in the 49ers’ vacancy, has also expressed interest in the Eagles’ head coaching opening, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). It’s not clear yet whether that interest is mutual, or whether the Eagles will schedule an interview with Shanahan.
- Pat Shurmur‘s head coaching interview with the Eagles is taking place today, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirms (via Twitter). Shurmur will be the second in-house candidate to interview for the job, with running backs coach Duce Staley having also met with the team.
- In a piece for the Inquirer, McLane examines what kind of coach the Eagles should be targeting, with veteran left tackle Jason Peters suggesting “a strong guy, somebody like Andy Reid.”
- Of course, it’s not a lock that Peters will be back with the team, but he wants to return to Philadelphia, and expressed confidence that he’s the best option at left tackle for the Eagles, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News details. “I can still play tackle,” Peters said. “I’m the best we’ve got. Who they going to put there? Who’s better than me in this locker room? Nobody. Who can they draft, better than me? Nobody. Who can they pick up, better than me? Nobody.”
- Sam Bradford is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, so he may have played his last game with the Eagles, but the quarterback’s performance on Sunday showed why the team should strongly consider bringing him back, writes Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Latest On Dolphins’ Head Coaching Search
8:13am: The Dolphins have also lined up an interview with Jaguars assistant Doug Marrone, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who tweets that Marrone is interviewing with the Browns as well.
7:51am: With the Dolphins’ season now over, weekend reports indicated that the team would interview Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase on Thursday, and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin at some point this week. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), that Austin interview will take place on Tuesday, which is the same day the Detroit assistant is reportedly scheduled to meet with the Browns.
Austin won’t be the only head coaching candidate to sit down with the Dolphins on Tuesday. Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reports that former Denver and Washington coach Mike Shanahan will interview for Miami’s head coaching job on Tuesday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (via Twitter) that it will be Shanahan’s second meeting with the team, after having interviewed with the Fins on December 22nd.
According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), another candidate of interest to the Dolphins is Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley. However, with Haley’s Steelers set to play this weekend in the Wild Card round, Miami wouldn’t be able to schedule an interview with him until next week.
Finally, while he’s not viewed as a top candidate for the Dolphins’ permanent head coaching job, interim HC Dan Campbell will get a formal interview from the club this Friday, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). As Rapoport notes, Campbell may be a long shot, but he’ll at least get the opportunity to state his case.
Chip Kelly, Mike Shanahan Interested In 49ers’ Job
Former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has reached out to the 49ers to express interest in San Francisco’s head coaching job, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), and Kelly is far from the only former NFL head coach interested in the position. Per Michael Silver of NFL.com, former Denver and Washington coach Mike Shanahan has also conveyed interest in the job, after interviewing a year ago for the opening.
While it remains to be seen how strongly Kelly’s and Shanahan’s interest in Jim Tomsula‘s old post is reciprocated by the 49ers, it certainly appears as if the team will have no shortage of candidates interested in the role. Former Packers and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren has also reportedly reached out to San Francisco to let the club know he has interest in the job.
There may be some concern that Shanahan, 63, and Holmgren, 67, could be past their coaching primes, so Kelly could be the most intriguing name of the bunch for the Niners’ decision-makers. A mobile quarterback like Colin Kaepernick could have bounce-back potential under Kelly, who has a strong relationship with 49ers executive Tom Gamble, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets.
In addition to Kelly, Shanahan, and Holmgren, Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and Saints head coach Sean Payton have been cited as options for the 49ers, though those two men will be more difficult to interview, with Jackson’s club alive and well in the playoffs, and Payton still under contract with New Orleans.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears that the Saints will likely want a second-round pick to part ways with Payton, which may deter potential suitors like San Francisco. However, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints coach is ultimately dealt for a mid-rounder, since he wouldn’t want his new club to give up much.
So far, it doesn’t appear the 49ers have scheduled any formal interviews as they search for Tomsula’s replacement, but that figures to change very soon.
Top 20 Teams Set For 2016 NFL Draft
With the 2015 NFL regular season now complete, the 2016 draft order has been set for the teams that didn’t earn playoff berths this year.
The order for the top 20 is determined first by record — the teams with the worst records get the highest picks. The tiebreaker for teams that finish with identical records is strength of schedules. The easier the team’s schedule, the higher its pick. The thinking there is that if two teams finished with the same record, the team that played the easier schedule is likely the “worst” of the two teams, earning that club the higher pick.
Via NFL.com, here’s how the top 20 breaks down for the 2016 NFL draft, with each team’s record and opponents’ winning percentage noted in parentheses:
- Tennessee Titans (3-13, .492)
- Cleveland Browns (3-13, .531)
- San Diego Chargers (4-12, .527)
- Dallas Cowboys (4-12, .531)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11, .473)
- Baltimore Ravens (5-11, .508)
- San Francisco 49ers (5-11, .539)
- Miami Dolphins (6-10, .469)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10, .484)
- New York Giants (6-10, .500)
- Chicago Bears (6-10, .547)
- New Orleans Saints (7-9, .504)
- Philadelphia Eagles (7-9, .508)
- Oakland Raiders (7-9, .512)
- St. Louis Rams (7-9, .527)
- Detroit Lions (7-9, .535)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-8, .481)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-8, .500)
- Buffalo Bills (8-8, .508)
- New York Jets (10-6, .441)
While teams that played weaker schedules will get the higher draft picks – via tiebreaker – in the first round, that’s not the case for every round. Teams that finished with identical records will rotate order throughout the draft, so the Browns, for instance, will pick ahead of the Titans in round two.
As for the remaining 12 spots, those will be determined based on which teams are eliminated from the playoffs first. The four teams knocked out in the Wild Card round will pick 21st through 24th, for example — the clubs with the weaker records will get the higher picks. The full order will be determined after the Super Bowl, with this year’s champion getting the last pick of the first round — unless, of course, that’s the Patriots, who won’t have a first-rounder in 2016.
Adam Gase, Teryl Austin Line Up HC Interviews
Two NFC North assistants are among the hottest head coaching candidates of the offseason, and Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have already lined up multiple interviews for this week, according to various reports.
We had already heard that Gase would get interviews from at least three teams with head coaching vacancies, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) has since confirmed the preliminary schedule for the Chicago OC. Gase will interview with the Eagles on Tuesday, the Browns on Wednesday, and the Dolphins on Thursday, per Rapoport.
Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets that Gase would have “definite interest” in the Colts’ head coaching job as well. However, Indianapolis has yet to confirm a decision one way or the other on Chuck Pagano, and it’s not clear if Gase would be one of the team’s targets if Pagano is replaced.
As for Austin, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that he currently has formal interviews lined up with the Browns and Dolphins, with Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com indicating (via Twitter) that Austin’s meeting with the Browns will happen on Tuesday.
According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Austin will likely meet with the Eagles this week as well. However, Mortensen says Philadelphia will meet first with interim head coach Pat Shurmur and – as previously noted – Gase.
Got all that? If not, don’t worry — on Monday, Pro Football Rumors will introduce a head coaching search tracker so you can easily keep tabs on which candidates each team with an opening is pursuing and interviewing.
East Notes: Chip, Dolphins, Bills, M. Williams
Hours after being fired as head coach of the Eagles, Chip Kelly released a statement reflecting on his tenure (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports). The statement, which can be read in full at the link, saw Kelly thank both owner Jeffrey Lurie and Philadelphia fans, while expressing regret that he wasn’t able to lead the club to a Super Bowl title.
Here’s a look at more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Alex Marvez of FOX Sports lists three potential candidates for the Dolphins‘ head coaching job, identifying former Lions coach Jim Schwartz, Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula, and UCLA coach Jim Mora Jr. as viable options for Miami.
- Bills safety Aaron Williams‘ season is over, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), who reports that Williams’ practice period has expired. Williams, who was on injured reserve/designated to return, was said to be mulling retirement earlier this month as he deals with a neck injury.
- Former Syracuse offensive tackle Sean Hickey, who has spent time with the Saints and Patriots this year, visited the Bills, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
- Wilson also passes along a workout note on the Giants, tweeting that New York auditioned defensive back C.J. Conway this week. Conway is a familiar face for the Giants, having started the year on the team’s practice squad before being cut in Week 2.
- We learned earlier today that the Bills plan to cut defensive end Mario Williams during the offseason, and that decision won’t disappoint at least of Williams’ teammates, per Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News (Twitter links), who quotes a fellow Bill as saying Williams displays “zero effort,” “doesn’t care about anybody but himself,” and has “totally checked out.”
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.