South Notes: Falcons, Colts, Saints, Texans
In addition to announcing Dan Quinn as their new head coach today, the Falcons confirmed several other members of their coaching staff, via a team release. As previously reported, Kyle Shanahan will serve as the offensive coordinator in Atlanta, while Richard Smith will be the defensive coordinator and Raheem Morris will hold the title of assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator.
Other members of Quinn’s staff include Bobby Turner (RBs coach), Mike LaFleur (offensive assistant), Keith Armstrong (ST coordinator), Bryan Cox (DL coach), Wade Harman (TEs coach), Terry Robiskie (WRs coach), and Eric Sutulovich (assistant ST coach).
Here’s more on the Falcons and a few other teams from the NFC South and AFC South:
- Perhaps more interesting than any of the Falcons‘ assistant coach announcements was the revelation that Quinn will indeed have control of the 53-man roster, as had been speculated (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution). As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, GM Thomas Dimitroff still has final say over the draft and free agency, so it’s a setup similar to the one in Seattle.
- Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will get paid, but Stephen Holder of the Indy Star doesn’t necessarily see it happening this offseason. When Luck does get that fat contract, likely worth $20-$25MM annually, it won’t leave the Colts completely thin across the board as the team has been anticipating this for quite some time. The Colts currently rank in the bottom half of the league in current spending, giving them significant flexibility both this year and in years to come.
- Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes that the Saints will still have to do some serious financial maneuvering this offseason beyond turning roster bonuses into signing bonuses. That maneuvering, while keeping the Saints “legal” for the start of the new league year on March 10, would leave no room for signing new players or improving the roster. Many have said that the Saints will be impeded by their big spending, but Woodbery notes that they have found themselves in this spot before. Last offseason, they didn’t find themselves with a lot of breathing room, but they still found a way to sign safety Jairus Byrd to a large multi-year deal.
- The Texans have hired Mike Devlin (OL coach), Pat O’Hara (offensive assistant), and Paul Pasqualoni (DL coach), and promoted Anthony Pleasant to a defensive assistant role, the team announced today in a press release.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
2015 NFL Draft Order Set For First Round
Following Sunday’s Super Bowl, the order for the first round of the 2015 NFL draft has officially been set, with the Buccaneers kicking things off at No. 1, and the Patriots wrapping things up at No. 32.
The first-round order will dictate how the order for the remaining rounds plays out, with teams that finished with the same records rotating choices in subsequent rounds — for instance, while the 2-14 Buccaneers pick ahead of the Titans in the first round, the Titans will get the first selection in the second round. This provision doesn’t apply to some playoff teams, however. For example, despite both finishing 12-4, the Packers and Patriots are locked into the 30th and 32nd picks, respectively, based on how far they advanced in the postseason.
So far, only one first-round pick has been traded. The Browns acquired the Bills’ first-rounder in last year’s Sammy Watkins deal. When the NFL officially releases the full draft order later in the offseason, it will include all compensatory picks, and every traded pick. In the meantime, our round-up of 2015’s traded picks can be found right here.
Here’s the full 2015 first round draft order, via the NFL:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tennessee Titans
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Oakland Raiders
- Washington
- New York Jets
- Chicago Bears
- Atlanta Falcons
- New York Giants
- St. Louis Rams
- Minnesota Vikings
- Cleveland Browns
- New Orleans Saints
- Miami Dolphins
- San Francisco 49ers
- Houston Texans
- San Diego Chargers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Detroit Lions
- Arizona Cardinals
- Carolina Panthers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- Indianapolis Colts
- Green Bay Packers
- Seattle Seahawks
- New England Patriots
Poll: Best Head Coaching Hire Of 2015?
As our head coaching search tracker shows, all seven NFL teams that parted ways with their head coaches at season’s end have now hired replacements, with the Falcons formally announcing today that Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn would take over Mike Smith‘s old job. The Bills, Bears, Broncos, Jets, Raiders, and 49ers all made coaching changes as well.
While Quinn was one of the most highly-regarded assistants in the league, there are a number of other intriguing names among this year’s group of seven new coaches. A pair of head coaches – John Fox and Rex Ryan – who have had success in the past jumped from one team to another, while other top coordinators like Gary Kubiak and Todd Bowles also landed new jobs leading their own teams.
Time will tell which of these seven teams made the best move, but based on what we know right now, which hiring do you like the most?
East Notes: Revis, Washington, Butler, Jets
Cornerback Darrelle Revis technically remains under contract with the Patriots for a second season for now, but with a $25MM cap hit looming, it seems awfully unlikely that the star corner will actually play out the second year of that deal, despite recent reports that suggest the Pats will consider picking up the option. If Revis were to become a free agent, he’d be one of the most coveted players on the market, but would he be the top defender available? Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press asked seven current or former players whether they’d prefer to sign Revis or Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and Suh narrowly edged Revis, by a 4-3 margin.
Here’s more from around the league’s two East divisions:
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com and John Keim of ESPN.com each take a look at Washington‘s offseason today, with Tandler delving into GM Scot McCloughan‘s potential approach to free agency, while Keim identifies a few players who could become cap casualties this winter.
- In addition to saving the Super Bowl with his last-minute interception on Sunday, Patriots defensive back Malcolm Butler practically saved Derek Simpson’s career as an agent as well, writes Natalie Pierre of AL.com. As Pierre explains, Butler was Simpson’s only client in three years to sign an NFL contract and stick on a 53-man roster, saving the agent from having to restart the certification process.
- Former Jets tight ends coach Steve Hagen has shifted to assistant special teams coach on Todd Bowles‘ staff, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link).
- ESPN.com’s Todd Archer examines how a possible lucrative contract extension for Marshawn Lynch could affect the stock of Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray this offseason.
2015 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates: NFC East
The deadline for assigning a franchise or transition tag on a 2015 free-agent-to-be is less than a month away, and we’re in the process of taking a look at players who are candidates to be tagged this year. Last week, we examined all four AFC divisions, covering the East, North, South, and West. This week, we’re shifting our focus to the NFC, starting with the East. Here’s a breakdown of the franchise and transition tag candidates for Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington:
Dallas Cowboys:
- Candidates: Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray
- Odds of being used: Likely
- Rolando McClain, another Cowboys free-agent-to-be, might be a viable candidate for a tag at another position, but as an inside linebacker, he’d be subject to the pricier franchise salary assigned to an outside linebacker, making it too expensive to really consider. That leaves Bryant and Murray as possible candidates, and it seems probable that one of the two will receive a tag. Bryant, who will be Dallas’ No. 1 priority in free agency, is the likelier option, but if he and the Cowboys work out a long-term extension within the next few weeks, it would make sense to consider franchising Murray.
New York Giants:
- Candidates: Jason Pierre-Paul
- Odds of being used: Possible
- Pierre-Paul came on strong in the season’s second half, increasing his overall sack total to 12.5. JPP was having a good year even without the sacks, playing particularly well against the run, but that sack figure is what improved his earning potential as he neared free agency. A former first-round pick, Pierre-Paul only turns 26 this month, and has a chance to be the best pass rusher to reach the open market, depending on what happens with Ndamukong Suh and Justin Houston. That’s a valuable asset to keep around, so if the Giants can’t work out a long-term deal with him, franchising him could be the team’s best course of action.
Philadelphia Eagles:
- Candidates: Jeremy Maclin, Brandon Graham
- Odds of being used: Possible
- Maclin perhaps isn’t in the same tier as top free-agent-to-be wideouts Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, but he certainly should head up the second tier, along with Randall Cobb. A year ago, Maclin turned down a five-year offer from the Eagles, choosing to bet on himself with a one-year contract that could significantly increase the value of a multiyear deal this offseason. That decision paid off, as the 26-year-old posted career highs in receptions (85), receiving yards (1,318), and touchdowns (10), and now it might be the Eagles that prefer to just stick to one year. If it comes down to having to offer Maclin a five-year, $50MM+ deal or locking him up at the franchise salary for one year, the club may favor the latter. As for Graham, he’s probably not a truly realistic candidate for a tag, since he still hasn’t become more than a part-time player in Philadelphia, but when he sees the field, he has played very well — Pro Football Focus (subscription required) had Graham down for 53 total quarterback pressures this year in just 524 defensive snaps, ranking him as the league’s third-best 3-4 outside linebacker.
Washington:
- Candidates: Brian Orakpo
- Odds of being used: Very unlikely
- As I observed when I discussed the Steelers and Jason Worilds, if a team is willing to tag a player once, and he plays well in the following season, it makes sense to at least consider it again. In Orakpo’s case though, the edge defender was struggling even before a torn pectoral wiped out the second half of his season, recording just 0.5 sacks in his first seven games. 2014 second-round pick Trent Murphy is a younger, cheaper alternative to Orakpo, so more likely than not, Washington will simply let Orakpo walk if he wants a lucrative deal.
AFC Notes: Cody, Manziel, Hightower, Bills
The Ravens made their release of defensive tackle Terrence Cody official today, cutting ties with him just weeks before he was scheduled to hit free agency. The timing of the move can be explained by Cody’s off-field legal troubles — according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), the Baltimore County Police Dept. announced today that Cody has been indicted for animal cruelty by a grand jury, and was processed and released on a $10K bail. In a series of tweets, Zrebiec details the charges against Cody, which include multiple counts of animal abuse or neglect involving a dog, illegal possession of an alligator, and marijuana possession. A former second-round pick, Cody figured to draw some interest in free agency, but the charges against him figure to diminish his value significantly.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The fact that Johnny Manziel has entered rehab does not mean he must be placed in the NFL’s substance abuse program, but the league would have the power to do so. League spokesman Greg Aiello has declined to confirm one way or the other whether the Browns quarterback will enter into the program, according to Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk.
- Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will undergo labrum surgery now that the team’s season is over, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Hightower should be ready to go for the 2015 season.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com takes a look at potential release candidates on the Bills, predicting that the team will at least think about cutting linebacker Keith Rivers, guard Kraig Urbik, and cornerback Leodis McKelvin.
- Prior to hiring Joker Phillips as their new wide receivers coach, the Browns interviewed former Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow for the position, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Chargers‘ offseason, suggesting that the team should do what it can to re-sign free agents like King Dunlap and Brandon Flowers.
- Titans fans could surely be frustrated by the production of former player (and current Patriots linebacker) Akeem Ayers, but ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky believes the organization missed out on another defender who played last night. Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett gave the Patriots fits during the Super Bowl, and Kuharsky wonders what could have been had Tennessee pursued him in free agency in 2013.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Colts, Duron Carter Agree To Deal
FEBRUARY 2, 5:40pm: The deal is finally official, as the Colts have announced the Carter signing via a press release.
JANUARY 27, 5:20pm: The Colts and Carter have agreed to terms, but official confirmation is not expected to come until February, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
4:47pm: The Colts are closing in on an agreement with CFL wideout Duron Carter, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). While he typically wouldn’t be allowed to sign with an NFL team until his contract with the Montreal Alouettes expires on February 10, Carter’s agreement with the team allows for his release if he agrees to terms with an NFL club, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
Carter, who turns 24 in March, put up 1,030 yards and seven TDs on 75 catches in 2014 for the Alouettes. He has been a hot commodity so far this offseason, having met with – and worked out for – a number of teams over the last few weeks, including the Vikings, Browns, Panthers, Chiefs, and others. While Indianapolis was reported over the weekend to be the frontrunner for the young wideout, Minnesota was also viewed as a strong contender for Carter, particularly given his father’s history with the club.
Off-field issues and baggage plagued Carter earlier in his career, as he bounced between multiple schools, including Ohio State and Alabama, before going undrafted in 2013. Having produced consecutive solid seasons in Montreal, Carter has seen his stock rise, and while his new NFL deal likely won’t pay more than the minimum base salary, he should be in line for one of this year’s biggest signing bonuses among reserve/futures signees.
Assuming Carter does finalize a deal with the Colts, he should every opportunity to earn a spot on the 2015 roster, particularly with the futures of Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks still up in the air — both players are eligible for unrestricted free agency this winter. If neither Wayne nor Nicks return to Indianapolis, Carter would join T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief as part of a young, intriguing receiving corps for signal-caller Andrew Luck.
According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Carter had effectively made his choice last week, though negotiations were ongoing this week with more than one team. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities had indicated yesterday that resolution on Carter’s situation was expected to come at some point this week.
Nick Hardwick To Announce Retirement
Longtime Chargers center Nick Hardwick has decided to call it a career, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Gehlken, Hardwick will announce his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.
“I’m nervous about tomorrow just because it’s so final,” Hardwick told Gehlken. “To declare your intentions publicly and vocally, it’s so final. But I’m also really excited. It’s going to be a really good celebration of a fabulous career. I’ve had a lot of fun, and I learned a lot. That’s where I am now, reflecting what I took from it.”
Hardwick, 33, has served as San Diego’s starting center since being selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2004 draft, the same year that the team added Philip Rivers. Although injuries wiped out a pair of seasons for Hardwick, along with a handful of games here and there, the veteran lineman has still logged 136 games (all starts) for the Chargers.
This past season, a neck injury forced Hardwick to the injured reserve list after Week 1, wiping out a streak of 67 consecutive starts. Considering he had already mulled the possibility of retiring a year ago, and had endured a neck injury in the past, it’s not surprising that the Purdue alum would decide to end his career at this point. Hardwick’s contract also expires this winter, so the Chargers won’t carry any cap hit on their books for him in 2015.
While Hardwick won’t leave any money on the club’s cap, his departure will leave a significant hole in the middle of the Chargers’ offensive line. With Hardwick retiring and left tackle King Dunlap eligible for free agency, that line will be a priority for San Diego this offseason.
Falcons To Hire Raheem Morris, Richard Smith
FEBRUARY 2, 4:26pm: According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), Smith will indeed have the defensive coordinator title in Atlanta. The Falcons also plan to hire a secondary coach separate of Morris and a linebackers coach separate of Smith, with the intention of building a big staff like Pete Carroll‘s in Seattle.
JANUARY 26, 1:18pm: While the team has yet to formally announce anything yet, Morris and Smith have both accepted positions with the Falcons, per reports from Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter) and Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Klis says Smith will have a “senior defensive position” in Atlanta, so it’s still not entirely clear whether he’ll have the DC title.
9:48am: The only team in the NFL without a head coach officially in place is expected to formally install Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in that role a week from now, and is already moving toward putting together its staff. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Falcons intend to hire Washington secondary coach Raheem Morris and Broncos linebackers coach Richard Smith.
While multiple reports over the weekend indicated that Morris was expected to land with the Falcons, the team’s interest in Smith is new information, and is corroborated by Albert Breer of the NFL Network (all Twitter links). According to Breer, Smith will likely handle the run defense in Atlanta, while Morris will be in charge of the pass defense. Breer adds that Morris’ title is expected to be assistant head coach, which should mean that Smith will be named the club’s defensive coordinator.
With Quinn still focused on preparing Seattle’s defense for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots, neither Morris’ deal nor Smith’s has been finalized yet, but it appears they’ll both join a staff that’s expected to be a “big one in numbers,” per Breer, who notes that Quinn also figures to bring a Seahawks assistant or two with him to Atlanta. We heard on Friday that Seattle defensive backs coach Kris Richard was a good bet to land a defensive coordinator job with either the Falcons or Seahawks, so perhaps with Morris and Smith expected to lead Atlanta’s unit, Seattle will promote Richard to replace Quinn.
Until the Falcons officially name Quinn their new head coach, there will be several moving parts in play here, so we likely won’t get any resolution until next week. Still, it appears that the staff in Atlanta is starting to come together.
Falcons, Dan Quinn Agree To Five-Year Deal
4:19pm: The Falcons have officially hired Quinn, according to a press release from the team.
“I am grateful for this opportunity, and I am excited to be the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons,” Quinn said in a statement. “This felt like the right fit from the beginning, and I want to thank Mr. Blank for his resolve as this was an extended and complicated process. My goal is to build upon the foundation that has been laid here and to play a physical brand of football as we build a championship caliber team.”
8:26am: With the Super Bowl over, the Falcons and Dan Quinn have officially come to terms on their long-anticipated agreement that will make Quinn the team’s new head coach, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, Quinn and the Falcons have agreed to a five-year contract.
It was reported over a week ago that Quinn and the Falcons had a handshake agreement in place, which could only be formally finalized after the Seahawks played in the Super Bowl. A former defensive line coach, Quinn has led the league’s top defense in Seattle in each of the last two seasons as the club’s defensive coordinator. While his stint with the Seahawks had an unfortunate ending, the 44-year-old is viewed as a strong head coaching candidate, having interviewed with several teams since the regular season ended.
With an official press conference to announce Quinn’s hiring expected to happen on Tuesday, the former Seahawks defensive coordinator can shift his focus to completing his staff in Atlanta. Kyle Shanahan is already lined up as the team’s offensive coordinator, and Raheem Morris is joining the club on the defensive side, though not in the coordinator role.
Since Quinn is expected to have plenty of input on the defensive play-calling, it’s not clear if the Falcons will bring in an official DC to work with Quinn and Morris. If they do, Seahawks defensive backs coach Kris Richard is a candidate to make the move from the Seahawks to the Falcons as well.