Coach Updates: Raiders, Ryan, 49ers, Bucs
As they search for a new head coach, the Raiders have requested permission to interview Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Anderson (via Twitter), the Raiders are genuinely intrigued by Hamilton, having heard good things about him. Because Indianapolis has a game this weekend, Hamilton won’t be able to speak to Oakland until next week at the earliest, assuming he has interest in the job.
Here are a few more coaching-related notes from around the NFL:
- Reports have suggested that Rex Ryan has no interest in accepting a coordinator job this offseason, but that doesn’t mean that teams won’t try. According to Joe Fortenbaugh of the National Football Post, the Dolphins made an offer to the former Jets head coach to become Miami’s next defensive coordinator. Per Fortenbaugh, the offer was for multiple years and was worth approximately $8MM in total.
- A league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that “a perception exists that Rex has been politicking too aggressively” for the Falcons‘ head coaching vacancy, which could rub owner Arthur Blank the wrong way. Ryan is scheduled to interview for the position.
- Multiple Shanahans appear to be in the mix for the 49ers‘ head coaching job — Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com indicated that Niners GM Trent Baalke spoke to Mike Shanahan on Tuesday, while Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweeted earlier this week that Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is a candidate for San Francisco. It’s not clear if the team has set up an interview with either coach yet.
- The 49ers got their interview process underway yesterday, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was the first candidate to sit down with the team, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. As we heard last night, Seahawks DC Dan Quinn interviewed later in the day.
- Rick Stroud of the Tampa Tribune identifies 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman and Jets OC Marty Mornhinweg as likely candidates for the Buccaneers‘ OC job, with the team expected to request interviews for both. Like Dirk Koetter of the Falcons, whose name surfaced yesterday, those coordinators work for teams that recently parted ways with their head coaches. According to Stroud, the Bucs may also pursue ex-Bears head coach Marc Trestman.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
We’ll round up Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL right here, including transactions by teams still in the playoffs as well as clubs looking ahead to next year:
10:10pm:
- The Lions have signed TE Ifeanyi Momah to a 2015 reserve/future contract, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).
3:57pm:
- The Chiefs signed former Seahawks tailback Spencer Ware, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
- Jets quarterback Matt Simms reworked his contract today to avoid becoming an exclusive rights free agent in 2015, according to a team release. The club also added kicker Andrew Furney and running back Daryl Richardson on reserve/futures deals, in addition to the six players whose reserve contracts we heard about yesterday.
- In addition to confirming reserve/futures contracts for Garrison Smith and Chris Martin, as was reported yesterday, the 49ers announced in a press release that they’ve signed running back Kendall Gaskins, tight end Xavier Grimble, wide receiver Lance Lewis. All five players finished the season on San Francisco’s practice squad.
- Running back Terrance Cobb announced (via Twitter) that he has signed a futures deal with the Raiders. Cobb initially signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie in May, and was cut in the preseason.
- The Bears may not have a head coach or GM, but they’re still adding players to their roster — Chicago signed defensive end Jamil Merrell to a reserve/futures contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
- Former Canisius College basketball player Chris Manhertz announced (via Instagram) that he has signed a contract with the Bills. According to Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (via Twitter), the ex-hoopster projects as a tight end. The Bills have since confirmed the signing of Manhertz, and announced a deal for fullback Corey Knox as well.
2:19pm:
- Offensive tackle Justin Renfrow has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, creating an opening on the unit, according to the team.
- The Steelers have also made a change to their taxi squad, signing wide receiver Tim Benford and releasing cornerback Jordan Sullen, per Burt Lauten (via Twitter). The addition of Benford provides some insurance for the receiving corps, after the team cut wideout Justin Brown from its active roster today.
- The Browns signed a pair of kickers, Travis Coons and Carey Spear, to reserve/futures contracts, the club announced today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). The two kickers join seven other players who signed futures deals yesterday with Cleveland.
- The Jaguars have signed offensive lineman Cody Booth, tight end Marcel Jensen, defensive back Peyton Thompson, and wide receiver Tony Washington to reserve/futures contracts, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. All four players spent time on the club’s practice squad this season.
- The Saints signed five more players to reserve/futures deals, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune, who lists running back Edwin Baker, kicker Dustin Hopkins, tight end Orson Charles, and offensive linemen Mike Brewster and Andrew Miller as the latest recepients. We learned yesterday that the club also signed wideout Willie Snead and fullback Toben Opurum to futures contracts.
Coach Notes: Jets, Ryan, McDaniels, 49ers
Not long after he was fired by the Jets, Rex Ryan jumped on a plane to Florida to watch his son’s Clemson Tigers play in the Russell Athletic Bowl, as Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post writes. When asked what it was like to speak with his players for the final time, Ryan said, “It was rough, man. But hey, that’s the way it is.’’ With a vacancy in New York and others elsewhere, here’s a look at the latest coaching rumors..
- Charley Casserly, who is now consulting the Jets, inquired about UCLA head coach Jim Mora‘s buyout clause and contract language last week, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter).
- Former Jets coach Rex Ryan has interviews scheduled with the Falcons and 49ers for their openings, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will interview with the Falcons and 49ers this week, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The 49ers will interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn tonight, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- There may not be a head coaching candidate more sought after this offseason than Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles — according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), every team with a head coaching vacancy has contacted the Cards about interviewing Bowles. That includes the Raiders and Bears, which hadn’t been previously reported. Since Arizona plays in the Wild Card round, Bowles won’t be able to interview with any teams until next week.
- The Bears are the third team to request permission to speak to Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Falcons and 49ers had previously asked to interview Gase, who can talk to clubs during Denver’s bye week.
- The Titans‘ and Jaguars‘ coaching staffs will participate in the Senior Bowl game, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The 2-14 Buccaneers passed on the opportunity, and Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) is curious about the team’s motives, considering the benefits of participating in the game. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that he heard last week from one Jaguars official that the Bucs may pass on the Senior Bowl because they’d be busy looking for an offensive coordinator — of course, as of today, the Jags are in the same boat.
Raiders Sign Nine Players To Reserve Deals
The Raiders announced today in a press release that they have signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts. One of those nine players – running back Terrance Cobb – broke word of his signing earlier in the day, but the other eight are new names. Here are the rest:
- Jeremy Gallon, WR
- Justin Jackson, LB
- Vernon Kearney, DB
- Dan Kistler, T
- Lamar Mady, G
- Seth Roberts, WR
- Kona Schwenke, DT
- Jansen Watson, CB
Six of the Raiders’ signees finished the 2014 season on the team’s practice squad — Cobb, Gallon, and Schwenke did not.
Jordan Phillips To Enter Draft
Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has decided to forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL draft, he announced today on Twitter.
“To Sooner Nation thank you for a great four years at the best university in America,” Phillips wrote. “After a thorough but difficult decision I have decided to enter the 2015 NFL draft. Thanks for your support through everything.”
Phillips, a redshirt sophomore, was a disruptive force in the middle of the Sooners’ defensive line this season, starting all 13 of the team’s games and recording 32 tackles to go along with a pair of sacks. Projecting a potential NFL nose tackle, Phillips is ranked as the eighth-best defensive tackle prospect, according to WalterFootball.com. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweeted earlier today that he has a first-round grade on Phillips.
Texans Sign 10 To Futures Contracts
The Texans have locked up nine players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2015 season, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Here are the players who inked new deals with the club:
- Kourtnei Brown, DE
- Jace Davis, WR
- Matt Feiler, T
- James Ferentz, C
- Charles James, CB
- Travis Labhart, WR
- Ben Malena, RB
- Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR
- Terrance Parks, S
Eight of the nine players signed by the Texans finished the season on the team’s practice squad. Labhart was the lone player who wasn’t on the taxi squad at season’s end, while two players who were a part of the unit – quarterback Ricky Stanzi and guard Alex Kupper – have yet to sign new deals.
Meanwhile, the Texans haven’t made an official announcement regarding his status, but agent David Canter tweeted that his client, defensive end Tevita Finau, has also signed a futures deal with the team, making it 10 overall signings for Houston.
Giants Notes: Coughlin, JPP, Fewell, Eli
Giants co-owner John Mara, head coach Tom Coughlin, and general manager Jerry Reese all spoke to reporters today in New York, and touched on a few notable topics along the way. Here’s a round-up of some of the highlights from the presser, via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (all Twitter links):
John Mara:
- Mara stressed that he still believes in Coughlin, Reese, and the rest of the staff, despite disappointing results on the field in the last two seasons.
- While Mara said the fates of the coaching assistants will ultimately be Coughlin’s decision, he conceded that “the defense did not play well.”
- The Giants typically won’t let a coach head into the final year of his contract without an extension, but Mara hasn’t yet decided whether or not he’ll extend Coughlin’s deal, which expires after the 2015 campaign. Asked if ’15 would be a “win or else” season for Coughlin and others, Mara said he didn’t consider that an unfair stance.
- Mara admitted that after the team’s loss to the Jaguars earlier in the season, he wanted to “fire everybody.”
- Mara would be “very surprised” if Jason Pierre-Paul isn’t a Giant next season. While he cautioned that the price would have to be right, the Giants co-owner acknowledged that the franchise tag will be an option for retaining JPP.
Tom Coughlin:
- Asked about the job security of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, Coughlin said he’s “evaluating everything,” but also strongly defended the embattled DC. Asked if he felt like players responded to Fewell, Coughlin replied, “Yes, I do.”
- Vacchiano notes that it doesn’t sound as if Coughlin wants to fire either Fewell or special teams coordinator Tom Quinn — the head coach was “very defensive” of both.
- Coughlin was noncommittal about how long he intends to continue coaching, joking that he thinks he has at least another decade left in him.
Jerry Reese:
- The GM suggested that he thinks the Giants are heading in the right direction and “could have a really good football team going into next year.”
- After spending aggressively in free agency in 2014, Reese said the team doesn’t plan to take the same approach in 2015.
- Discussing Coughlin, Reese said, “You can tell quickly if a team’s not going to play for a coach. That never happened.”
Here are a few more Giants-related links from the last 24 hours:
- Eli Manning is ready to discuss a contract extension, but isn’t necessarily making it a priority, and will defer to the team, as he tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
- Giants quarterback coach Danny Langsdorf will leave after one season in New York to accept a job as the offensive coordinator for Nebraska, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
- Declining to talk about his contract status, Pierre-Paul indicated that he wasn’t going to make any promises about returning to the Giants as he nears free agency, per George Willis of the New York Post.
- Asked about the possibility of the Giants replacing Fewell or other members of the defensive staff, cornerback Prince Amukamara said, “From what I am hearing I could see that happening” (link via Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News).
AFC East Notes: Jets, Lynn, Brady, Bills
As the AFC East’s only playoff team takes a week off before preparing to host its first postseason contest, let’s round up the latest notes from out of the division….
- We can add an internal candidate to the Jets‘ list of potential head coaches, according to Kristian Dyer of Metro New York, who tweets that Anthony Lynn will interview for the position. Lynn, who has served as the team’s running backs coach and assistant head coach for the last three seasons under Rex Ryan, is likely being interviewed to help the Jets satisfy the terms of the Rooney Rule.
- When it was first reported yesterday that Tom Brady had agreed to restructure his contract with the Patriots, it was presented as simply a matter of converting guaranteed salaries into salaries guaranteed for injury only, but that’s not the only change that was made to Brady’s deal. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains that the Pats also added $1MM to each of Brady’s base salaries for the next three seasons.
- Brady’s willingness to rework his contract has been presented as a magnanimous gesture that will allow the Patriots to be more flexibility when they negotiate with other players, but Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com doesn’t quite see it that way. As Barnwell outlines, the fact that Brady essentially gave up his guaranteed money makes it easier for the Pats to part ways with the quarterback in the next three years. That could benefit Brady as well, since allowing the club to cut him without swallowing a ton of guaranteed money would allow him the freedom to pick his next destination in unrestricted free agency. Of course, presumably both sides would prefer for Brady to maintain his current high level of play for the next few seasons, allowing him to finish this contract without any drama.
- With Kyle Orton retiring and E.J. Manuel likely not the long-term answer in Buffalo, John Kryk of the Toronto Sun wonders if the Bills could explore the trade market this offseason. In Kryk’s view, Robert Griffin III would make a better target for the Bills than Jay Cutler.
NFC Notes: Garrett, AP, Suh, Brees, Bucs
Cowboys decision-makers Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have publicly lauded head coach Jason Garrett for his work this season in Dallas, suggesting that his job is safe, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says there’s “a school of thought in some league circles” that if the Cowboys get upset this weekend by the Lions, the team may not re-sign Garrett this offseason. In my opinion, leading this Cowboys team to a 12-win season will likely be enough to earn Garrett a new deal, but it’s a situation worth monitoring.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- As the Vikings wait for Adrian Peterson to potentially be reinstated in 2015, head coach Mike Zimmer said today that he’ll be “in [Peterson’s] corner” if he returns to the Vikings next season, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. “Adrian was always great with me,” Zimmer said. “I think he’s a good person. I think obviously he’s a great running back and if it works out that way and things work out and he gets his life in order – that’s the most important thing, he gets his life in order, he gets the opportunity to come back – then I will be in his corner whatever the decision is made.”
- Ndamukong Suh‘s latest “misstep” complicates his pending free agency, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who says the ramifications of the defensive tackle’s one-game suspension could make the Lions think long and hard about whether to sign Suh to a lucrative new multiyear pact.
- Working out a contract extension similar to the one signed by Tom Brady with the Patriots in 2013 would be a win-win situation for Drew Brees and the Saints, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Brees still has two years left on his current deal, but tacking on a few extra years could give him some additional security and create some cap flexibility for New Orleans.
- The Buccaneers spent big in free agency last offseason and it certainly didn’t translate to regular-season success. However, as Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune details, that doesn’t mean the Bucs will shy away from free agency in 2015.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes an early look at the Buccaneers‘ offseason, including the team’s projected cap space and the prospective free agents that should be let go or retained.
Steelers Sign Ben Tate
1:35pm: The Steelers have officially signed Tate, the team announced today in a press release. Pittsburgh cut wide receiver Justin Brown to create an opening on the 53-man roster for the incoming addition.
8:14am: With Le’Veon Bell‘s status for Saturday’s Wild Card game up in the air, the Steelers are hosting free agent running back Ben Tate for a visit today, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, assuming the visit goes well, Pittsburgh is expected to sign Tate.
It’s been an underwhelming season for Tate, who was viewed as a breakout candidate heading into 2014 after leaving Houston, where he had backed up Arian Foster for the first few years of his NFL career. In Cleveland, Tate struggled and was hampered by injuries early in the season, and fell behind rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West on the team’s depth chart. The Browns opted to release Tate, at which point the Vikings claimed him on waivers, but the 26-year-old didn’t impress in Minnesota either, and the team cut him last week.
For the season, Tate accumulated just 371 rushing yards on 119 carries, good for an average of 3.1 yards per rush. That’s a significant step down from the 4.7 mark he posted during the previous three seasons in Houston, over a span of 421 carries.
Bell suffered a hyperextended knee during the Steelers’ regular season finale against the Bengals, and is considered highly questionable for this weekend’s game against the Ravens. If Bell can’t go, and Pittsburgh does bring Tate aboard, the Auburn product may be thrown into the mix immediately — among the team’s other options, third-round pick Dri Archer likely isn’t ready for a featured role, while fellow rookie Josh Harris had just nine rushing attempts all season. In fact, with LeGarrette Blount now playing in New England, no current Steelers running back besides Bell had more than 10 carries in 2014.