Coach Updates: Chudzinski, Ravens, Raiders
We rounded up one set of coaching updates and rumors this morning, but several more have trickled in since then, so we’re due for another recap. Here’s the latest:
- The Colts are blocking offensive assistant Rob Chudzinski from interviewing for any teams’ offensive coordinator jobs, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Bears, 49ers, and Rams are among the teams that have been linked to Chudzinski and will have to look elsewhere.
- A day after being officially replaced as the Jets’ offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg has found a new job, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who announced today that Mornhinweg had joined his staff in Baltimore as the team’s quarterbacks coach (Twitter link). Mornhinweg replaces Rick Dennison, who left the Ravens to become Denver’s offensive coordinator.
- During Harbaugh’s conversation with reporters, the Ravens head coach added that he was very impressed with Adam Gase‘s interview for the club’s offensive coordinator job, but that he viewed Marc Trestman as a better fit (Twitter link via Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com).
- Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) provides an update on the Raiders‘ defensive coordinator hunt, writing that Jack Del Rio has been talking to Mike Smith about the position for about a week, Eric Mangini is interviewing today, and Mel Tucker is also on the team’s radar.
- The 49ers are interested in former Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who says San Francisco would likely want Sparano as a tight ends coach.
- Rumors about Dick LeBeau closing in on a deal to become the Cardinals‘ linebackers coach are a surprise to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who tweets that as of a couple days ago, LeBeau was only interested in becoming a defensive coordinator, not a position coach.
GM: Jets Will Be “Very Active” In Free Agency
New Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan was introduced to local media today along with new head coach Todd Bowles, but before Maccagnan met with a full room of reporters, he sat down for a one-on-one interview for the club’s official website. Asked during that conversation about his approach to free agency, Maccagnan indicated that he expects the team to be “very active” this March.
“We definitely have a lot of cap space,” Maccagnan said. “Our goal is to look at all avenues possible in free agency. I don’t want to give away our philosophy in terms of how we’re going to attack free agency, but our goal is to ideally fill some of our needs via free agency, which will allow us to be a little more flexible in the draft in terms of looking for the best player available — building through the draft is ideally what I’d like to do, but we’ll be very active in free agency.”
After the Jets decided to part ways with John Idzik at season’s end, there was speculation that the team would try to bring aboard an anti-Idzik — someone who had strong personnel background rather than a cap specialist. Maccagnan certainly fits that bill, and it appears his approach to free agency will differ from Idzik’s as well. The ex-Jets GM sat on approximately $20MM in cap space in 2014, despite the team having multiple needs that could have been addressed in free agency, particularly at the cornerback position.
Early estimates have the Jets heading into the 2015 offseason with between $40MM and $50MM in cap room, so while Maccagnan won’t necessarily pursue star players, the club should have plenty of flexibility to consider an array of options when free agency opens on March 10.
Jaguars Hire Greg Olson As OC
WEDNESDAY, 9:49am: As expected, the Jaguars have made their hiring of Olson official today, announcing that he is the team’s new offensive coordinator (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com).
TUESDAY, 8:24pm: The Jaguars are expected to name Olson as their new offensive coordinator on Wednesday, according to DiRocco (on Twitter).
7:42pm: Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Jags will not hire an offensive coordinator tonight.
4:42pm: Gus Bradley claims that he has yet to offer the job to anyone, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times Union (on Twitter).
2:55pm: The NFL’s annual version of musical chairs continues today, as former Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson has landed a new job, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). La Canfora reports that, after an extensive search, the Jaguars are hiring Olson to become their new offensive coordinator.
Olson’s two-year stint with the Raiders wasn’t overly successful, with his offense finishing in the bottom five in the NFL in DVOA both years, including 30th overall in 2014. Still, Olson didn’t have a ton of talent to work with in Oakland — in 2013, Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin split time at quarterback, and this past season, second-round rookie Derek Carr took the reins, with James Jones and Andre Holmes acting as his top receivers.
In Jacksonville, where he coached quarterbacks in 2012 prior to joining the Raiders, Olson will work with another 2014 draftee, in third overall pick Blake Bortles. There’s plenty of uncertainty heading into the offseason in Jacksonville as well, with Cecil Shorts eligible for free agency and Bortles having struggled in his rookie year. However, there’s also some young talent on the roster, including Denard Robinson, Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson, and Marqise Lee.
Besides talking to Olson, the Jaguars also interviewed several other candidates as they searched for a replacement for Jedd Fisch. Adam Gase, Nathaniel Hackett, Greg Olson, Anthony Lynn, and Kirby Wilson are among the interviewees who are still available and whom Olson beat out. The biggest surprise in the bunch is Gase — he was viewed a strong candidate for the team, particularly after the Ravens elected to hire Marc Trestman as their offensive coordinator.
The hiring of Olson is the second major addition to the offensive staff today by the Jaguars, who also reached an agreement with Doug Marrone to become the team’s assistant head coach and offensive line coach.
Coach Notes: Browns, Ravens, Rams, Austin
Six of the seven teams changing head coaches this offseason have officially hired replacements, and the Falcons appear fully prepared to wait for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. However, while there may not be much drama left among the league’s head coaching searches, there’s still plenty of intrigue in the coordinator searches, as a number of noteworthy coaches continue to look for jobs. Here’s a round-up of the latest updates:
- The Browns have canceled their offensive coordinator interview with Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The meeting hasn’t been rescheduled, and no reason was given for the cancellation, so it’s not clear why it will no longer happen.
- In addition to not interviewing Saunders, the Browns also won’t speak to former Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). A Tuesday report had suggested Mornhinweg was expected to talk to the club about the job.
- While Mornhinweg apparently won’t interview with the Browns, he has drawn interest from the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Baltimore hired Marc Trestman as its new offensive coordinator yesterday, so Mornhinweg would be a candidate for the team’s quarterbacks coach job.
- The Rams have been denied permission to speak to two of their offensive coordinator candidates, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports that the Colts blocked the Rams from talking to Rob Chudzinski, while the Packers thwarted St. Louis’ efforts to talk to Alex Van Pelt. The Rams still hope to interview Adam Gase, who is in Chicago today to speak to the Bears.
- While Teryl Austin could still technically end up becoming the Falcons‘ new head coach, it sure looks like the Lions defensive coordinator will be returning to Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.
- The Broncos will hope for a change of heart from the Bengals on secondary coach Vance Joseph, whom Denver targeted as its top defensive coordinator target, but with Cincinnati refusing to release Joseph from his contract, the Broncos are moving forward on other candidates, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
- Mike Smith has been the Raiders‘ top target for defensive coordinator since Jack Del Rio was named head coach, tweets Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune. If an established coach like Smith lands Oakland’s DC job, he’ll have more autonomy than a younger coach would — Del Rio would be more involved on D in that case, says McDonald.
Bears Hire Vic Fangio As DC
4:30pm: The Bears (on Twitter) announced the hiring of Fangio.
10:01am: After mulling over his decision for several days, Vic Fangio has decided to join John Fox‘s staff with the Bears, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). According to La Canfora, the former 49ers defensive coordinator drew significant interest from both Chicago and Washington, and finally made his decision this morning.
Fangio had been considered a candidate for the 49ers’ head coaching opening, but was passed over in favor of fellow Niners assistant Jim Tomsula. At that point, the team agreed to release the defensive coordinator from his contract to pursue other opportunities. Fangio interviewed for the DC jobs in Chicago and Washington, and according to La Canfora, both teams “wanted him badly.”
After ranking 13th in DVOA in 2013, Fangio’s defense in San Francisco improved in Football Outsiders’ rankings in 2014, placing fifth overall. The Niners became a top-five defense despite being without suspended linebacker Aldon Smith for much of the season, and injured linebacker NaVorro Bowman for the entire season. Patrick Willis and first-round rookie Jimmie Ward also finished the year on injured reserve.
Having landed Fangio, the Bears figure to turn their attention to locking up an offensive coordinator. The team has reportedly been denied permission to speak to Mike Mularkey of the Titans and Jim Bob Cooter of the Lions, and has also been linked to Colts assistant Rob Chudzinski.
La Canfora adds (via Twitter) that former 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell will also likely be joining Fangio in Chicago in the same role. Donatell was released from his Niners contract at the same time as Fangio, and the duo was viewed as a potential package deal.
As for Washington, the team appeared set to hire Chargers assistant Joe Barry as its defensive coordinator before Fangio became available, so it would make sense to revisit that possibility. John Keim of ESPN.com tweets as much, suggesting that – based on conversations he has had – Barry “has to be at the top of the list now” for Washington.
Washington Hires Joe Barry As DC
4:15pm: Washington made it official with an announcement, according to Chargers PR director Bill Johnston (on Twitter).
11:21am: Just over an hour after reports indicated that Vic Fangio would be joining the Bears as their new defensive coordinator, Washington has decided on a DC of its own, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport, who reported last Wednesday that the club planned to hire Joe Barry, tweets that Barry is indeed back on track to become the team’s new defensive coordinator — “for real this time.”
As I noted when Rapoport’s initial report surfaced, Barry has one previous stint as a defensive coordinator under his belt, with the Lions from 2007 to 2008. Of course, Barry left that position at a low point, following the club’s 0-16 campaign in ’08. Barry’s run in Detroit is perhaps best remembered for prompting one reporter to ask his father-in-law, head coach Rod Marinelli, if he wished his daughter had “married a better defensive coordinator.”
Since leaving the Lions, Barry has worked as an assistant for the Buccaneers, USC, and the Chargers, holding the position of linebackers coach at each one of those stops. As Washington’s new defensive coordinator, Barry will be tasked with turning around a unit that finished 27th in DVOA in 2014, including 32nd against the pass. The team also allowed 27.4 points per game this season, tied for the third-worst mark in the NFL.
While Barry’s hiring has yet to be officially announced, it would be a surprise at this point if it was derailed again. It seems that Washington’s plan to hire Barry only got delayed when Fangio became available — according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Washington badly wanted to hire the former 49ers defensive coordinator, who ultimately chose the Bears instead.
During the club’s search to identify a replacement for Jim Haslett, Washington also reportedly interviewed Raheem Morris, Eric Mangini, Ed Donatell, Clancy Pendergast, and Wade Phillips.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Chiefs officially announced the signings of 19 players to reserve/futures contracts today in a team release. All but one of those deals, including contracts for quarterback Terrelle Pryor and former first-round pick Derek Sherrod, had been previously reported. The new name in the group is cornerback Aaron Hester, who worked out for Kansas City earlier this month. The Chiefs also noted that the Pryor signing came about as a result of an ACL injury to quarterback Tyler Bray, who will undergo surgery this week (Twitter links via B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com).
- Former Cowboys defensive back Micah Pellerin has signed a reserve/futures contract with the Browns, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). After being cut in the preseason by the Titans, Pellerin spent time on both the Cowboys’ active roster and practice squad during the season.
Ravens Hire Marc Trestman As OC
3:31pm: It’ll be a three-year agreement for Trestman and the Ravens, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
2:31pm: Marc Trestman, who was let go by the Bears at season’s end, has become the third 2014 head coach today to land a new job with another team. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Trestman will replace Gary Kubiak in Baltimore, having been hired as the Ravens’ new offensive coordinator.
Despite a nightmarish season in Chicago which saw Jay Cutler under fire from critics and resulted in Trestman losing his job, the Bears’ offense actually ranked in the top half of the league in DVOA, finishing 14th after placing sixth in 2013. The offense never fully came together and produced consistently in 2014, but Trestman had success with Cutler and Josh McCown the year before, and Chicago’s poor defensive play played a larger part in the team’s overall struggles than the offense did.
After being fired by the Bears, Trestman reportedly interviewed with the Jaguars and Browns, and was mentioned as a possible target for a couple other clubs in the market for an offensive coordinator. While his disappointing stint with the Bears didn’t earn him interviews for other head coaching jobs, the 59-year-old still has a strong resumé as an offensive coach, having previously acted as the offensive coordinator for the Browns, 49ers, Cardinals, and Raiders.
Once it became clear that Kubiak was headed to Denver to become the Broncos’ new head coach, the Ravens reportedly identified Adam Gase and Rick Dennison as potential offensive coordinator candidates. However, Dennison followed Kubiak to the Broncos to become the new OC in Denver. As for Gase, a report earlier this week indicated that he was likely to land with either the Ravens or Jaguars, so perhaps Baltimore’s hiring of Trestman opens the door for Gase to land in Jacksonville — he still has multiple suitors though.
Besides Trestman, former Bills head coach Doug Marrone and ex-Raiders head coach Dennis Allen have also found new jobs today, reaching agreements with the Jaguars and Saints respectively, in assistant roles.
AFC West Notes: Kubiak, Manning, Raiders
The Broncos introduced head coach Gary Kubiak to the media today, and while there’s been some speculation that it might not be the most compatible of marriages, given the differences between Kubiak’s offense and the record-setting group in Denver, the new coach downplayed that notion.
“We actually teach everything,” Kubiak said (Twitter links via the Denver Post). “We’re going to do what the players do best, what this team does best. We’re going to run the Denver Broncos offense, not Gary Kubiak’s offense.”
Here’s more from Kubiak’s presser and from out of the AFC West:
- Having previously announced that he intended to stay with the Ravens, Kubiak said today that the Broncos‘ head coaching job was the only one he would’ve considered. “I was very comfortable saying ‘No, I’m going to continue this path that I’m on,'” Kubiak said. “But this was a game-changer. Simple as that” (Twitter links).
- Kubiak confirmed that he has already talked to Peyton Manning via text message, stressing that he’ll be there in “any way he can” for the Broncos quarterback as he makes his decision (Twitter links). As Mike Klis of the Denver Post details, Manning will have to make his final decision on whether to play in 2015 by March 9, since his salary becomes fully guaranteed the next day.
- Broncos general manager John Elway confirmed today that Kubiak will have a “huge influence” on the club’s decisions in free agency (Twitter link).
- Despite the fact that the Raiders are 11-37 during his three seasons as general manager, Reggie McKenzie appears to have plenty of job security, writes Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Asked about McKenzie’s status this week, owner Mark Davis said, “He’s got a contract for two more years; that’s pretty secure.”
- Eric Mangini‘s interview with the Raiders for the team’s defensive coordinator position is taking place today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Coach Notes: Joseph, Broncos, Falcons, Bears
It’s been a busy day so far for coaching movement around the NFL, as a pair of 2014 head coaches – Doug Marrone and Dennis Allen – found new assistant roles. Two NFC teams also reached agreements with new defensive coordinators, with the Bears landing Vic Fangio and Washington hiring Joe Barry.
There are still several notable openings around the league, and a handful of coaching-related updates to pass along this afternoon, so let’s dive right in…
- Buzz around the league still suggests that Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph is a favorite for the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator vacancy, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. However, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports that the Bengals would still need to grant Joseph permission to leave his position in Cincinnati, which the team has yet to do.
- While there’s some work to be done on the defensive side of the ball, Gary Kubiak and the Broncos have finalized their offensive staff, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who passes along the details in his latest piece.
- Multiple sources tell Marvez that presumed Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will retain Atlanta’s defensive line coach Bryan Cox and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong. It’s not clear if Cox will hold the same title under Quinn, but the plan is for him to work with the Falcons’ front seven, writes Marvez.
- In addition to reaching an agreement with Fangio today, the Bears also parted ways with several assistants, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Jahns tweets that linebackers coach Reggie Herring, tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, and special teams assistant Dwayne Stukes won’t return to the club.
- Appearing on The John Murphy Show (audio link via BuffaloBills.com), Bills co-owner Kim Pegula admitted that the team didn’t have Rex Ryan on its short list heading into the head coaching interview process, but loved the impression he made in his interview (hat tip to Pro Football Talk). “Rex almost was a candidate we put in there because obviously his name was all around as a candidate that was open and we really didn’t give much thought to him,” Pegula said. “We had obviously interviewed a lot of people before him. And he came in and I think we were just very pleasantly surprised at how very down to earth he really was in person and his love of the game and some of the things that he said on what he really wanted to do with his life and where he wanted to help us as being part of the team.”