Coach Rumors: Coughlin, Eagles, Giants
The latest coaching news from around the NFL:
- The Eagles have confirmed (via Twitter) that their interview with former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has concluded. Coughlin becomes the sixth candidate to sit down with Philadelphia, though one of those six – Adam Gase – has since been hired by another team. Be sure to check out our head coaching search tracker for the full breakdown.
- Meanwhile, Coughlin’s old team in New York conducted a head coaching interview of its own today. The Giants announced in a press release that their meeting with ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith has been completed. An interview with Bengals OC Hue Jackson will likely be next up for Big Blue.
- The Browns are using Monday to take a step back and regroup on their head coaching search, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. There are plenty of options on the table for Cleveland, with the club having interviewed seven candidates to date and having been linked to others.
- Veteran wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson is expected to interview for a wide receivers coaching job with the Rams and Dolphins, a source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
AFC Notes: Titans, A. Smith, Pacman, Weeden
The Titans‘ meeting today with Chiefs executive Chris Ballard is expected to be the last interview the team conducts in its search for a new general manager, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Whether that means a hiring will follow shortly thereafter remains to be seen. With NFL team owners gathering in Houston for the next couple days, it’s possible Tennessee will wait until later in the week to make and announce a decision on its new GM.
[RELATED: Titans to interview Chris Ballard for GM job]
Once that new GM is in place, the Titans will begin their head coaching search in earnest. According to Cole, the club wants to fight the perception that it’s a dysfunctional franchise, which means going through the general manager hiring process before rushing into a head coaching search, to assure the new GM is on board with the new coach, and vice versa.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The investigation into criminal abuse allegations against Broncos defensive lineman Antonio Smith has concluded, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who tweets that the Fort Bend District Attorney’s office won’t charge Smith. The NFL figures to conduct its own investigation into the allegations and could discipline Smith, but the veteran defender won’t face any legal ramifications.
- After playing a key part in the Bengals‘ Wild Card meltdown on Saturday night, Adam Jones said today that he’d like to return to the team, though there have been no recent talks (Twitter link via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com). The veteran cornerback and return man known as Pacman had another solid season in Cincinnati, right up until the final minute of the team’s final game.
- Quarterback Brandon Weeden will weigh his options in free agency, but says he’d love to return to the Texans, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. And why not? Weeden led the team to two wins – one in relief and one as a starter – after compiling a 5-19 record in his previous NFL starts.
- Within his look ahead to some of the Ravens‘ offseason decisions, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says the team will almost certainly have to restructure Joe Flacco‘s contract this winter, even if GM Ozzie Newsome said he’s fine keeping it at $28MM+.
Los Angeles Rumors: 1/11/16
3:12pm: A consensus is building within the league for the Rams and Chargers to share a stadium in Inglewood, according to Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. Multiple league officials and owners not involved with either the Inglewood or Carson proposals have made note of that momentum, with one owner (whose preference hasn’t been previously reported or stated) telling the Times that the Carson plan isn’t even close to being as strong as Inglewood’s.
According to Farmer and Fenno, league insiders think Chargers owner Dean Spanos doesn’t want to have to turn his back on a partner – Mark Davis and the Raiders – but there’s a belief that the issue can be resolved during this week’s meetings in Houston.
While the majority of owners favor a plan that would land the Rams and Raiders in Inglewood, one owner acknowledged that “we just can’t solve all three stadium problems in one fell swoop.” So this week’s discussion will be crucial, as the NFL’s 32 owners debate how to clear some of the hurdles involved in the plan.
11:34am: The NFL’s team owners are meeting in Houston this week to discuss the Los Angeles situation, and in a perfect world, a vote would take place on Wednesday to determine the fate of the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders. However, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there’s a chance that owners could postpone that vote in order to finalize the details of their preferred outcome.
Florio cites a source with “intimate knowledge of the dynamics” who says there’s a 25% or 30% chance of that vote being postponed, perhaps for a few weeks at most, which means it’s still more likely than not that some sort of resolution is agreed upon in the coming days. But no matter what solution the NFL’s owners decide, there figure to be plenty of roadblocks to overcome, particularly if the league wants to move forward with a new proposal like the one Jerry Jones has reportedly suggested.
As we wait to see what happens in Houston this week, here are a few more details to keep in mind:
- For a Rams/Chargers partnership to work, Chargers owner Dean Spanos would have to overcome his distrust for Rams owner Stan Kroenke, and would have to believe that Kroenke would give the Chargers a fair shot if they play in Inglewood, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
- Additionally, a Rams/Chargers team-up would put the Raiders in an interesting spot. In his previously-linked piece, Florio suggests that Mark Davis‘ franchise would benefit from the deal enough financially that it would be more viable for the team to build a new stadium, presumably in Oakland. However, Cole indicates that Davis and the Raiders may resume their exploration of a move to San Antonio if the team’s L.A. plan falls through. According to Cole (video link), Davis has a parcel of land between San Antonio and Austin that could house a stadium, and Jerry Jones may not have as much leverage to keep another franchise out of Texas if he essentially helped push that franchise out of its L.A. deal.
- Peter King of TheMMQB.com reports a few interesting Los Angeles nuggets in his latest column, writing that the Chargers are “heavy favorites” to move to L.A., and would likely be one of two teams to relocate. According to King, the NFL would allow teams to pay the $550MM relocation fee at a rate of $64.5MM annually over 10 years, which obviously accounts for interest.
- King also weighs in on the issue of the odd team out, suggesting that if the Rams and Chargers move to L.A., the Raiders would be set up with “one of the most golden of parachutes.” As an official familiar with the league’s thinking explains: “Whoever is not going to Los Angeles will be generously taken care of. The league will create a safety net for that team.” If that’s the case, the franchise may not need to create extra leverage by exploring a relocation to San Antonio, as noted above.
No Decision Yet On Lions HC Jim Caldwell
The Lions introduced new general manager Bob Quinn today at an afternoon press conference, but the team has yet to make a decision on head coach Jim Caldwell, who remains in limbo. While Quinn initially said during today’s presser that he met with Caldwell today, he later acknowledged that it was more of an introduction than a meeting — it only lasted about 30 seconds (Twitter links via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
Quinn doesn’t expect to meet again with Caldwell today, and doesn’t have a timetable for his decision on the head coach, but he’d like to make that call sooner rather than later (Twitter links via Birkett and Twentyman). Still, the former Patriots executive won’t rush the decision, and would like to get to know Caldwell. Quinn added today that he expects to meet with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson before announcing anything on Caldwell (Twitter link via Birkett).
As Quinn deliberates on Caldwell, we’ve got a few more items to pass along out of Detroit, so let’s dive in and round them up…
- Although Quinn is going into his meeting with Caldwell with an open mind, he has other potential head coaching candidates at the ready, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora (Twitter link) would be surprised if the Lions end up targeting Patriots coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia as Caldwell’s potential replacement, though Quinn did praise both Pats assistants today, suggesting they’re both ready and willing to become head coaches (Twitter link via Birkett).
- Quinn not only got the general manager title in Detroit — he also was named executive VP and received a five-year contract, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. As Caplan observes, it’s an impressive package for a first-time GM.
- Quinn will report directly to owner Martha Ford, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, the new GM said today that he’s not sure the old interim GM – Sheldon White – will be back with the club, per Twentyman (Twitter link). White has been with the franchise for nearly two decades, in several roles and under multiple regimes, so it would be a little surprising if he went anywhere.
- Quinn will have “zero tolerance” when it comes to guns and domestic violence with his players, according to Birkett (Twitter link).
Dolphins Rumors: Miller, Cameron, Matthews
The Dolphins are expected to make plenty of changes on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, after the addition of blockbuster free agent Ndamukong Suh failed to make the unit a formidable one in 2015. However, there are many moves coming on offense as well, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details.
After Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner underperformed this past season, the Dolphins realized they’ll “need to do what it takes” to upgrade at the position, perhaps on both sides of the line, according to Jackson. While the Dolphins may target a top free agent such as Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele, the team’s pursuit of a player like that will depend how high the bidding gets.
Let’s round up a few more of Jackson’s notes on how Mike Tannenbaum, along with new GM Chris Grier and head coach Adam Gase, will try to retool the Dolphins’ offense….
- The Dolphins don’t expect to engage in serious talks with free agent running back Lamar Miller for several weeks, and the chances of Miller staying with Miami “depend on the economics,” a club official tells Jackson. In other words, the club won’t overpay, since 2015 draftee Jay Ajayi could step in and compete for more carries. The Fins don’t want to spend big at the position.
- While the Dolphins are happy with their starting tackles, they plan on finding a new swing tackle to replace Jason Fox.
- One Dolphins official on tight end Jordan Cameron: “There’s a lot to like about him, but we wish there was more production.” The team’s front office is fond of Cameron, but will probably want to reduce his cap hit ($9.5MM) if he stays on the roster.
- Wide receiver Rishard Matthews acknowledges that he’s more likely to sign elsewhere than to return to the Dolphins. “I would have to be offered something I can’t refuse [to re-sign],” Matthews said.
- Quarterback Logan Thomas indicated that Tannenbaum told him he’ll have a legitimate chance to compete for the Dolphins’ backup job behind Ryan Tannehill next season. As Jackson notes, that seems to leave the future of Matt Moore – a pending free agent – in doubt.
East Notes: RGIII, Cousins, Jets, Bills, Eagles
Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III made it through the 2015 season healthy, which means his 2016 salary – currently guaranteed for injury only – won’t become fully guaranteed. As such, it’s probably just a matter of time until the team releases the former second overall pick, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets and Jason Reid of ESPN.com writes.
The RGIII era in Washington is set to come to an end, having overlapped with the start of the Kirk Cousins era, and it remains to be seen what sort of long-term future Cousins has in Washington. For now though, all signs (and reports) point to the club aiming to lock up its new starting quarterback via a multiyear contract or the franchise tag this offseason.
Following Washington’s Wild Card loss to the Packers, Cousins was asked about his future and replied, “I want to be where I am wanted,” per John Keim of ESPN.com. For now, that will almost certainly mean staying in D.C.
Here’s more from across the NFL’s East divisions:
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has 10 suggestions for offseason roster moves for Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan. Among them? Re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bilal Powell, extending Damon Harrison, drafting a quarterback and edge rusher, and trading Muhammad Wilkerson.
- With the Bills not expected to be major players in free agency, the team will have to explore different avenues to find contributors for 2016. As Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News suggests, that means that a few of the 14 players signed by the team in December could end up being in the mix for roster spots next season.
- Zach Berman of the Philadephia Inquirer takes an early look at some upcoming offseason decisions for the Eagles, identifying the club’s biggest needs and most important free agents.
Coach Updates: Joseph, Texans, Browns, Bucs
Earlier today, we passed along a report suggesting that former interim head coach Dan Campbell is unlikely to remain with the Dolphins. Now, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports has another update on Miami’s coaching staff, walking back his weekend report which suggested it was a “done deal” that Bengals assistant Vance Joseph would be joining the Dolphins as their defensive coordinator.
According to Marvez (Twitter links), Joseph can’t sign with another team until next Tuesday unless he’s released from his contract by the Bengals — the Dolphins could request Cincinnati release Joseph from his deal early, but the Bengals wouldn’t be required to do so.
Meanwhile, it’s not an absolute lock that Joseph will join the Dolphins when he’s free to sign with a new team. Per Marvez (Twitter link), there’s still a chance that the Bengals’ defensive backs coach could become Hue Jackson‘s defensive coordinator if Jackson gets a head coaching job, so a bidding war for Joseph’s services could be looming.
As we wait to see where Joseph lands, let’s round up a few more coaching-related updates…
- The Texans have fired three assistant coaches, including special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Wide receivers coach Stan Hixon and special teams assistant Anthony Pleasant were also let go.
- Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and three other Browns assistants have been asked to remain with the team if the new head coach wants them, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. That means defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, and several other Cleveland coaches will be free to explore opportunities elsewhere.
- According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, “word on the coaching circuit” indicates Jon Gruden would have listened very earnestly if the Colts‘ head coaching job had become available. Gruden has been linked to the Eagles’ coaching vacancy, but it doesn’t appear the ESPN analyst is going anywhere.
- After former NFL GM Mark Dominik (Twitter link) alluded to a coach in the postseason who would be a strong candidate for the Buccaneers‘ head coaching opening, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) identified that coach as Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin. Goodwin interviewed with the Bucs on Friday, but won’t be able to speak to the club again for at least a week, with Arizona still alive in the playoffs.
Dan Campbell Likely To Leave Dolphins
As we learned on Sunday, Dolphins special teams coach Darren Rizzi is the only assistant expected to remain with the team under new head coach Adam Gase. That Sunday report suggested that the fate of Dan Campbell remains up in the air, but according to Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post, the former interim head coach is unlikely to be back with the club.
[RELATED: Dolphins hire Adam Gase as head coach]
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross indicated over the weekend that he’d love to retain Campbell, though he left that decision up to Gase. As it turns out, there may not be a decision for the new head coach to make. Abramson suggests that Campbell “wants to move on and will almost certainly leave.”
While it appears Campbell and most of the other Dolphins assistants are on their way out, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets that no decisions on the coaching staff had been finalized as of this morning. I expect we’ll get more concrete updates on the anticipated changes at some point this week.
In his first stint as an NFL head coach, Campbell had mixed results. After taking over for Joe Philbin when the Dolphins were 1-3, the interim head coach led the team to consecutive blowout wins to get back to .500. However, Miami won just three of its final 10 games, finishing with a 6-10 record for the season and a 5-7 mark under Campbell.
Campbell, a tight end himself over the course of his NFL playing career, served as the Dolphins’ tight ends coach prior to his promotion. If and when he officially departs from Miami, he’ll likely seek an offensive assistant job elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Meeting With John DeFilippo
SATURDAY, 7:38pm: The 49ers did interview DeFilippo, but they view him as a candidate for their offensive coordinator job more than their vacant head coaching position, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reports (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 10:18am: After having interviewed former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and Bills assistant HC Anthony Lynn, the 49ers are meeting today with Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), today’s sit-down between the DeFilippo and the Niners is more of an “informational” meeting, rather than a formal interview.
[RELATED: 49ers meet with Chip Kelly, Anthony Lynn]
DeFilippo, in his first year as the Browns’ offensive coordinator, has also drawn interest from the Rams for St. Louis’ OC position, even though he didn’t exactly work miracles in Cleveland. The Browns’ offense finishing 25th in the NFL in yards per game (331.9) and 30th in points per game (17.4).
Still, given the players he had to work with, it may have taken a miracle for DeFilippo to produce above-average results. The Browns started three different quarterbacks – Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, and Austin Davis – and saw free agent signee Dwayne Bowe, who received a $9MM guarantee, catch just five balls. The team was also missing top wideout Josh Gordon, who was suspended for the year.
As for the 49ers, Rapoport describes their mutual interest with Kelly as “very real” (Twitter link), while Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) hears that Kelly is a big fan of Colin Kaepernick. That may work in Kelly’s favor as the Niners consider their head coaching options, but as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, several other candidates for the job would be excited about working with Kaepernick, or have had interest in him in the past.
Be sure to check out PFR’s head coaching search tracker for the latest on San Francisco’s hunt for Jim Tomsula‘s replacement, as well as updates on the other six openings around the NFL.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lions Hire Bob Quinn As GM
9:31pm: Quinn was also named the club’s executive vice president, and will report directly to owner Martha Ford and president Rod Wood, the team announced via press release.
6:47pm: The Lions have announced the hiring of Quinn, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
4:23pm: The Lions are expected to hire Patriots director of pro scouting Bob Quinn as their new general manager, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Quinn was one of four candidates linked to the job.
[RELATED: Calvin Johnson considering retirement]
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that the Lions say they have nothing to confirm at this time, but that may just mean the team isn’t ready yet to make an official announcement. According to Birkett (Twitter link), Quinn was believed to be in town today for his interview.
Having fired general manager Martin Mayhew during the 2015 season, the Lions had promoted Sheldon White to replace him on an interim basis, and White was one of the four candidates the team was said to be considering for the full-time job. Giants assistant general manager Kevin Abrams and Seahawks co-director of player personnel Trent Kirchner were also in the mix, though Birkett tweets that the Lions never got around to interviewing Kirchner.
Quinn has spent nearly his entire career with the Patriots, having joined the organization way back in 2000. Starting as a player personnel assistant, Quinn became a regional scout before being promoted to national scout in 2008. In 2009, he was named New England’s assistant director of pro personnel, and he was eventually promoted to director of pro scouting in 2012.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick endorsed Quinn for a general manager job earlier this week, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Belichick’s support helped Quinn’s case. Longtime Cowboys executive Gil Brandt also likes the moves, tweeting that the longtime Patriots exec will make an “excellent” GM for the Lions.
Per Rapoport, the Lions and Quinn are currently finalizing the details of his contract. Once it becomes official, the new Lions GM will have some decisions to make, including deciding the fate of head coach Jim Caldwell. If Quinn decides to go in another question, it seems likely that Patriots assistants Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia will be among the head coaching candidates Detroit considers.