Workout Updates: 1/15/16
After working out earlier this week for the Jets, free agent offensive tackle Lamar Holmes got a look from another AFC East team, auditioning for the Dolphins, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Holmes, a former third-round pick, started 19 games at tackle for the Falcons in 2013 and 2014. However, he spent most of the 2015 season on the PUP list due to a foot injury, and was ultimately cut by Atlanta in December with an injury settlement, allowing him to explore other opportunities. If he’s healthy, he should get a chance to sign somewhere and compete for a roster spot in 2016.
Here are the rest of today’s workout updates:
- In addition to trying out Holmes, the Dolphins also brought in CFL pass rusher Cleyon Laing, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. An Iowa State product, Laing recorded 40 tackles and eight sacks for the Toronto Argonauts this season.
- Another CFL star, wide receiver Eric Rogers, continued his NFL tour by working out for the Titans, tweets Caplan. Wilson (Twitter link) adds Laing and quarterback Jerry Lovelocke to the list of players who tried out for Tennessee.
- Linebacker Jason Ankrah, who appeared in two games in 2014 for the Texans, auditioned for the Packers, per Wilson (Twitter link).
- The Chiefs worked out a pair of tackles, Kevin Graf and Bryce Quigley, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Kansas City remains alive in the postseason, so the team could be considering those offensive linemen as additions to the current roster, but I expect they’re candidates for reserve/futures contracts instead.
Community Tailgate: Best Head Coach Hire?
As the NFL postseason begins, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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With the NFL postseason in full swing, and four intriguing divisional playoff games on tap for this weekend, the league would probably like the focus to be on those games, and on the build-up to Super Bowl 50. Instead, this week’s news cycle has been dominated by Los Angeles relocation and head coaching changes, with several teams announcing new head coaches within the last few days.
In today’s Community Tailgate, we’re looking for your thoughts on those head coaching hires. Did any teams make mistakes by firing their previous coaches, or by not choosing a different replacement? Which hire do you like most? Are there any candidates who didn’t get a shot at a head coaching job this time around that you think would have been better choices for the teams making changes?
Here’s a recap of the changes made so far, via our tracker:
- Cleveland Browns hired Hue Jackson to replace Mike Pettine.
- Miami Dolphins hired Adam Gase to replace Dan Campbell (interim)/Joe Philbin (permanent).
- New York Giants hired Ben McAdoo to replace Tom Coughlin.
- Philadelphia Eagles are hiring Doug Pederson to replace Pat Shurmur (interim)/Chip Kelly (permanent).
- San Francisco 49ers hired Chip Kelly to replace Jim Tomsula.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Dirk Koetter to replace Lovie Smith.
What do you think of the hires? Which moves do you like the best, or the least? Which coaches that didn’t get a shot should have received stronger consideration? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!
Lions To Retain Jim Caldwell As Head Coach
The Lions won’t become the seventh team this offseason to make a head coaching change, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman tweets that new general manager Bob Quinn and the Lions have decided to retain Jim Caldwell as the club’s head coach.
[RELATED: Lions hire Bob Quinn as general manager]
“After spending a significant amount of time together, it is clear that our football philosophies are very similar,” Quinn said of Caldwell, per Twentyman (Twitter link).
Quinn’s reference to spending “a significant amount of time” with Caldwell since joining the Lions is corroborated by a Thursday report which suggested that the two men had already met “on at least four different occasions.” There was some speculation when Quinn, a longtime Patriots executive, got the GM job in Detroit that he’d turn to one a New England assistant like Josh McDaniels, but it appears the Lions are opting for continuity instead.
Caldwell, a former head coach in Indianapolis, has a 44-36 record in five total seasons as a head coach, including an 18-14 mark during his two seasons in Detroit. After leading the Lions to an 11-5 record and a postseason berth in 2014, Caldwell struggled this season with a roster that no longer featured defensive difference-maker Ndamukong Suh.
Still, the Lions’ performance down the stretch, along with his players’ endorsement, likely earned Caldwell another shot. After a 1-7 start to the 2015 season resulted in the firing of GM Martin Mayhew and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Detroit finished strong, winning six of its last eight games.
While the Lions had to cope with losing Suh in 2015, there’s a chance that the club will be without one of its other longtime stars in 2016. Calvin Johnson has indicated he may elect to retire rather than continuing his NFL career, and even if he opts to keep playing, the team may have to do something to address his contract, which will feature a $24MM+ cap hit next year. Johnson’s future is just one of many storylines to watch this offseason in Detroit as we see what kind of roster Caldwell will be presiding over in 2016.
One key figure who appears to be remaining in Detroit along with Caldwell is offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, who took over for Lombardi during the 2015 season, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. That’s good news for Matthew Stafford, whose performance under Cooter was much improved and quieted speculation that the Lions could move on from their quarterback this winter.
With Caldwell hanging on to his job with the Lions, the Titans appear to be the only NFL club that still needs to make a decision on a new head coach this offseason, barring a surprise change from one of the eight remaining playoff teams. So far this month, the Browns, Dolphins, Giants, Eagles, 49ers, and Buccaneers have hired new head coaches, as our tracker shows. Tennessee could become the seventh team to make a change, though Mike Mularkey is considered a strong candidate to keep that job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucs Hire Dirk Koetter As Head Coach
FRIDAY, 7:46am: The Buccaneers have formally announced that Koetter will be the team’s new head coach. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link), Koetter signed a five-year contract with the club.
THURSDAY, 10:42pm: The Buccaneers will officially introduce their new head coach at a Friday afternoon press conference, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
5:00pm: The Buccaneers and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter are finalizing an agreement that will make him Tampa Bay’s new head coach, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Schefter, the deal will be done shortly.
[RELATED: Dirk Koetter lining up Buccaneers coaching staff]
Koetter, who joined the Buccaneers as their offensive coordinator a year ago, interviewed for the 49ers’ head coaching job and was mentioned as a candidate for the Dolphins before those teams hired Chip Kelly and Adam Gase respectively. All along, Koetter was considered more likely to remain in Tampa Bay, with reports surfacing within an hour of Lovie Smith‘s dismissal suggesting that the OC was the front-runner to become the Bucs’ head coach.
Under Koetter’s guidance in 2015, the Bucs averaged 375.9 yards per game, good for fifth in the NFL. Tampa Bay also placed fifth in rushing yards per contest with 135.1 yards on the ground per game. With Koetter calling the plays, running back Doug Martin managed to get back to his old form, while 2014 third-round pick Charles Sims made great contributions as a pass-catching option.
Of course, it was Koetter’s work with first overall pick Jameis Winston that likely played the largest part in the Buccaneers’ decision to hang onto him. Koetter is the second offensive coordinator today poised to receive a promotion to head coach from his current team after building a strong rapport with his franchise quarterback — we saw the Giants do the same thing with Ben McAdoo, who has worked well with Eli Manning.
Before he joined the Buccaneers, Koetter served as the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011 and the Falcons’ offensive coordinator from 2012 to 2014. While it’s probably not fair to attribute Matt Ryan‘s struggles this season entirely to Koetter’s departure, it’s still worth noting that Atlanta’s offense took a step backward in 2015. Per Football Outsiders, the Falcons slipped from 10th to 23rd in offensive DVOA.
As our head coaching search tracker shows, the Buccaneers also interviewed Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin, in addition to Koetter. I noted earlier this week that the longer the Bucs extended their coaching search, the more likely it would seem that the team wanted to wait for one of those assistants still in the playoffs. But with the club choosing Koetter instead, there’s no need to wait.
Barring any additional firings, the Titans are now the only NFL team in the market for a head coach.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Kaepernick, Jets, Foster, Draft
The 49ers announced today that Chip Kelly will be the team’s new head coach, which created a whole new set of questions about whether Colin Kaepernick might have a future in San Francisco after all. After being benched in 2015, Kaepernick, who is owed a base salary of nearly $12MM in 2016, looked like a candidate to be traded or released this offseason.
According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), however, Kelly told the Niners in his interviews that he likes both Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, so the team and its new coach are keeping their options open. Kelly plans to sit down with Kaepernick at some point to determine which direction to go, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who tweets that Kelly will make the call on the club’s quarterback.
While we look forward to seeing if Kaepernick can be rejuvenated under Kelly, let’s check out a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….
- General manager Mike Maccagnan indicated today that his Jets would like to re-sign Muhammad Wilkerson and the franchise tag is definitely in play for the defensive lineman, says Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Still, Wilkerson is facing a six-month rehab for his broken leg, and may have to be placed on the PUP list to start training camp. Cimini gets the sense that the Jets GM isn’t optimistic about keeping both Wilkerson and defensive tackle Damon Harrison.
- As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes, Arian Foster‘s future with the Texans remains up in the air, but it looks like something’s got to give, since the veteran running back is coming off a torn Achilles and has a cap hit of nearly $9MM in 2016. “We’ll have to see how healthy he is,” Texans owner Bob McNair said. “But until we know that, there’s really not much you can think about.”
- The Jets are showing significant interest in CFL star wide receiver Eric Rogers, who visited them on Wednesday after working out for them a few weeks ago, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that the Lions and Rogers may be a logical fit as well, since new GM Bob Quinn worked him out in New England, and wide receiver may be a position of need for Detroit.
- Mel Kiper’s first mock draft of 2016 at ESPN.com (Insider-only link) features Joey Bosa, Jared Goff, and Laremy Tunsil coming off the board in the top three to the Titans, Browns, and Chargers respectively.
Coach Rumors: Caldwell, Eagles, Bucs, 49ers
Within the last couple days, most teams still seeking head coaches have made their decisions, even if they haven’t made those decisions official quite yet. The Giants and 49ers formally hired Ben McAdoo and Chip Kelly, respectively, while the Eagles and Buccaneers have reportedly settled on Doug Pederson and Dirk Koetter. Philadelphia will have to wait until Pederson’s Chiefs are eliminated from the postseason to officially bring him on board, while the Bucs and Koetter are said to be finalizing the terms of his deal.
The flurry of moves leaves the Titans as the only NFL team currently without a head coach, but that could change soon. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell remains on the hot seat in Detroit, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the team has yet to make a decision on its coach, despite the fact that Caldwell and new GM Bob Quinn have met “on at least four different occasions.”
With most head coaching vacancies filled, Quinn has the luxury of being patient in making his decision, particularly if he ends up targeting candidates that survive their playoff games this weekend. Still, he likely won’t want to leave Caldwell twisting in the wind for too long, so I’d expect a decision sooner rather than later.
As we wait to see what the Titans and Lions do with their head coaching positions, let’s check in on some Thursday updates on coaching staffs around the NFL….
- With Doug Pederson lined up for the Eagles‘ head coaching job, there has been plenty of speculation today on his coordinators. Here’s a round-up of those rumors:
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) identifies in-house candidate Pat Shurmur and Chiefs assistant Brad Childress as possible offensive coordinators for Pederson.
- Anthony Gargano of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link) hears that Childress will likely become the Eagles’ new OC, though I expect the former Vikings head coach probably be a candidate for the same role in Kansas City. For what it’s worth, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets that Shurmur’s fate has not yet been decided.
- On the other side of the ball, the Eagles have interest in Jim Schwartz as their defensive coordinator, though it’s not clear if he’s Pederson’s choice or the team’s, says Don Banks of SI.com (Twitter links). Banks adds that Schwartz has job offers as a defensive assistant from multiple teams.
- Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link) also identifies Schwartz as a DC candidate for the Eagles, while McLane tweets that Schwartz and Mike Pettine could both be names to watch.
- With his odds of landing a head coaching job this year dwindling, former Falcons head coach Mike Smith is a candidate for the Buccaneers‘ defensive coordinator position, tweets Peter Schrager of FOX Sports.
- Ryan Day, the Eagles‘ quarterbacks coach in 2015, is a name to watch as new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly considers his options for an offensive coordinator, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- If the Bengals decide to replace offensive coordinator Hue Jackson internally, longtime quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese is the most logical candidate, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Saints GM Talks Brees, Payton, Roster Depth
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis spoke today to reporters, including Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, about a number of issues related to the team, including the status of the head coach and quarterback. Let’s dive right in and round up several of the more notable quotes from the GM, via Woodbery….
On Drew Brees and how his $30MM cap number will affect the Saints:
“I know this: Drew’s going to be our quarterback. We’ll figure out how we’re going to handle the contract, whether it stays the same and just remains right in place, or whether we do something different. That’s all part of what we’ve got to figure out in the coming weeks.
On the team’s more general cap situation:
“I keep reading how we’re in dire straits with the cap and this, that and the other. It’s not a great cap situations, but it’s not as dire as sometimes I think it’s painted out to be. We know where we’re at, we know what we have to do.”
On the possibility that Sean Payton was going to leave the team this offseason:
“Here’s what I can tell you: I never had a discussion with another team. No one called me and I never called anyone else.
“[Payton’s] first statement when he walked in the room [for the end-of-season meeting] was, ‘Hey, I want to be here. I want to be coach for the Saints.’ It never really went beyond that. Then it was just a matter of how are we going to approach this season, what are the things we need to do, and let’s get going.”
On free agent signings or contract extensions that go south, and the Saints’ depth issues:
“Are there mistakes? Yeah, absolutely there are. We always own them. We’re not shying away from a decision that I’ve made or that we’ve made that didn’t turn out. We also don’t trumpet the ones that do work out, either. That’s up to you guys.
“You know what makes it hard to build depth? Having two draft picks taken away from you [for Bountygate]. That makes it hard. I’d say that’s more impactful than making a mistake on a contract.”
On how long and hard he considered the big Junior Galette extension in 2014:
“Not hard enough. I should have thought harder about that. That’s my mistake.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Raiders’ Relocation Options
On Tuesday, the Raiders were promised a $100MM consolation package when their Carson stadium plan was not approved. That money, we were told, would be given to the Raiders if they wound up staying in Oakland and building a new stadium. As it turns out, they might still be able to put that money toward a new stadium even if it’s outside of Oakland.
[RELATED: Mark Davis: Raiders interested in other cities]
League sources tell Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News (on Twitter) that there is “market flexibility” with the $100MM grant. The sense is that if the Raiders can’t work out something in Oakland but can work out something in San Diego, then that $100MM will be available to them (link).
Of course, even if the Chargers end up leaving San Diego, that’s not the only potential non-Oakland landing spot for the Raiders. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports identifies four possible cities for relocation besides San Diego, though he does place the Chargers’ current home at the top of his list. And sources tell Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com that Mark Davis and the Raiders would “take a serious look” at their options in San Diego if the Chargers head to Los Angeles.
Still, San Antonio is another city that has real interest in the Raiders, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle details. Former San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs confirms that he talked to Davis this week, adding that San Antonio has “got the whole program put together” for a possible Raiders move.
Unlike the city of St. Louis, whose mayor Francis Slay said this week that he currently has “no appetite” for pursuing another NFL team with the Rams leaving, San Antonio leaders are interested in bringing the NFL to the city. However, McCombs acknowledges that the interest will need to be mutual for Davis and the Raiders to consider moving to Texas.
“We still have to get them to want to come here,” McCombs said during an appearance on ESPN San Antonio. “[Davis] was born and raised there and he has a great feeling for the state of California. But it appears he is going to need to go somewhere.”
While there’s a decent chance that the Raiders will stay in Oakland for the 2016 season as the franchise assesses its options, there’s currently no lease in place for the team to play next season at O.co Coliseum, so many scenarios remain in play for ’16 and beyond. The Raiders are likely hoping the Chargers will make a quick decision so there will be some clarity on whether a spot in Inglewood alongside the Rams may be available a year from now.
Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Giants, Jags, Titans, Marrone
As the divisional round of the NFL postseason inches closer, the coaching carousel continues to spin for many of the clubs that have been eliminated from Super Bowl contention. Here are the latest coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- While there probably won’t be an official announcement until Friday at the earliest, sources expect the Giants to head into 2016 with Mike Sullivan at offensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo at defensive coordinator, and Joe Philbin coming aboard the assistant head coach and QBs coach, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Jaguars are interviewing Lou Anarumo, who finished 2015 as the Dolphins’ interim defensive coordinator, for their defensive coordinator opening, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets. Jacksonville is taking its time identifying a replacement for Bob Babich, having interviewed Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel earlier this week.
- Doug Marrone completed his interview for the Titans‘ head coaching position today, and Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link) hears that the former Bills head coach made a good impression.
- The Chargers have hired former Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson for the same position in San Diego, the team announced today in a press release.
- In addition to confirming their previously-reported hiring of linebackers coach Jim Herrmann, the Colts have announced that they’ve fired offensive line coach Hal Hunter, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
Alabama RB Derrick Henry To Enter Draft
Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry has decided to enter the 2016 NFL draft, according to Joe Schad of ESPN.com. By entering this year’s draft, Henry will forgo his final year of college eligibility.
Henry, a Consensus All-American, led the nation with 395 carries for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns in his junior year at Alabama. He capped his incredible year by rushing for 158 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries in the Crimson Tide’s championship win earlier this week.
Henry’s staggering workload may be of some concern to teams, since only six running backs in NFL history have ever racked up 395 or more rushing attempts in a regular season. Still, he is viewed as one of the top backs in this year’s draft class, trailing only Ezekiel Elliott in the estimation of CBSSports.com and ESPN’s Todd McShay. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report currently places Henry fourth among running backs on his big board.
While Henry doesn’t currently project as a first-round pick, he looks like a good bet to come off the board on day two of this year’s draft. He could also be joined by several of his Alabama teammates in the 2016 draft class. Schad reports that defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson has seriously considered entering the draft, while defensive end Jonathan Allen and tight end O.J. Howard have also weighed the possibility.
The deadline for NCAA underclassmen to declare their intent is next Monday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.