Browns Add Paul DePodesta To Front Office
11:03am: The Browns have officially announced the hiring of DePodesta as the team’s chief strategy officer, via a press release.
“We are fortunate to bring in Paul, an extremely talented, highly respected sports executive who will add a critical dimension to our front office,” Haslam said in a statement. “His approach and ambition to find the best pathways for organizational success transcend one specific sport and his experience as a high level sports executive make him a terrific addition to the Cleveland Browns.
“While we are excited about what Paul will provide our organization, we remain fully focused on the critical task of identifying the right head coach and a top talent evaluator who will provide the football expertise needed to be successful.”
For more on how DePodesta’s departure will affect the Mets, be sure to check out the MLB Trade Rumors story on the move.
10:50am: After parting ways with general manager Ray Farmer and personnel executives Bill Kuharich and Morocco Brown this week, the Browns are making an unorthodox addition to their front office. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link), the team is hiring Paul DePodesta from the front office of the New York Mets, with the intention of making him an executive VP, answering only to Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Alec Scheiner.
[RELATED: Browns fire head coach Mike Pettine, general manager Ray Farmer]
Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter) confirms that DePodesta will be joining the Browns, though Mortensen suggests the team’s newest executive will hold the title of chief strategy officer. Either way, it’s certainly an out-of-left-field choice for the Browns, with DePedosta joining Cleveland’s new executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown in a front office that thus far looks very light on experience in terms of NFL roster building and player evaluation.
Known best for the role he played in Michael Lewis’ Moneyball, as Billy Beane’s assistant general manager for the Oakland Athletics, DePedosta is considered an analytics-oriented executive, so his hiring suggests the Browns are going in a certain direction in their front office.
According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter), DePedosta, who previously worked as the GM for the Los Angeles Dodgers, will be above Brown within the club’s organizational structure. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the two execs will work alongside one another, each reporting independently to Haslam.
While the Browns figure to eventually bring in executives with more NFL experience, it appears this isn’t the first time the team has explored hiring an MLB executive. According to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (Twitter links), Haslam offered a front office job to former Cleveland Indians president Mark Shapiro last August. Shaprio turned down the offer and eventually joined the Toronto Blue Jays as their team president.
Coach Rumors: Rams, Eagles, Titans, Tomsula
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, but there may be changes coming to his coaching staff in the coming weeks, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. A year ago, St. Louis was one of the last teams to make a change at offensive coordinator, and it doesn’t sound like Fisher is in a hurry to finalize changes this year either.
“We’ll start the evaluation process,” Fisher said. “Go back and we’ll discuss our restricted free agents, our unrestricted free agents and prioritize things from a coaching perspective. Then, we’ll get the ball rolling as far as the self-scouting and things like that. Separately from them, I’ll be dealing with when and if there’s going to be and potential staff changes.”
Rob Boras took over as the Rams’ interim offensive coordinator late in the season, and is a candidate to keep the job, but Fisher remains undecided on that position. As we wait to see which direction the team goes, let’s check in on a few more coaching-related notes from around the NFL…
- Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is on the Eagles‘ radar for a head coaching interview, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Koetter has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Dolphins’ head coaching vacancy.
- The Titans have yet to request permission to interview any of the “hot” head coaching candidates, sources tell Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Presumably, McCormick is referring to coordinators like Adam Gase, Teryl Austin, and Hue Jackson, among others. It seems that the club may be prioritizing its search for a general manager before seriously pursuing any head coaching candidates.
- After having been fired by the 49ers, Jim Tomsula should have plenty of opportunities around the NFL as either a defensive line coach or defensive coordinator, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who tweets that calls are “already coming in” for Tomsula.
- The Colts didn’t attempt to make a run at Alabama head coach Nick Saban before agreeing to an extension with Chuck Pagano, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio suggests that none of the current job openings are really an ideal fit for Saban, so rumors of his return to the NFL may be postponed for another year.
- Asked during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio if any of this year’s head coaching openings appeal to him, former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher once again dismissed the idea of returning to the NFL (Twitter link). “I tell people all the time, I had the best job in football [and] I stepped down from it” Cowher said. “I’m very comfortable working at CBS right now.”
Washington To Sign Cary Williams
Washington will add some veteran secondary depth to its 53-man roster in advance of this weekend’s playoff game against the Packers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com,
who reports (via Twitter) that cornerback Cary Williams is signing with the the club.
[RELATED: Washington To Keep Kirk Cousins For 2016, Discussing Long-Term Deal]
After spending several seasons as a starting cornerback for the Ravens and Eagles, Williams signed a three-year, $18MM deal last March with the Seahawks, looking to step in as a replacement for departed free agent Byron Maxwell. However, the 31-year-old struggled this season in Seattle, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 102nd out of 118 qualified cornerbacks at the time of his release last month. Williams was inactive for his final two games with the Seahawks before he was cut.
Heading into the postseason, Washington is without top cornerback Chris Culliver, who landed on injured reserve in November, and the team also had two defensive backs – cornerback Dashaun Phillips and safety Kyshoen Jarrett – leave Sunday’s game with injuries. As such, Williams will provide some veteran insurance, and could even step in and play immediately in the Wild Card round.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants To Interview McAdoo, Spagnuolo
After a report yesterday indicated that the Giants were “fully expected” to include their offensive and defensive coordinators in their search for a new head coach, word has surfaced that the team does in fact plan to interview those assistants. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that DC Steve Spagnuolo will get an interview this week, while Jordan Raanan of NJ.com reports (via Twitter) that OC Ben McAdoo will sit down with the club this week as well.
The Giants’ ownership group is believed to be fond of both McAdoo and Spagnuolo, with multiple reports suggesting that McAdoo had been viewed as a potential long-term replacement for former head coach Tom Coughlin. The Giants’ offensive coordinator perhaps has the stronger case for the job than Spagnuolo after a 2015 season in which New York finished in the top eight in the NFL in terms of both yards per game (372.3) and points per game (26.3).
On the other side of the ball, Spagnuolo’s unit struggled, allowing a league-worst 420.3 yards per contest, including nearly 300 yards per game through the air, which also ranked dead last in the NFL. Some of that can be attributed to injuries and a dearth of talent on defense, particularly in terms of the pass rush. Still, it wasn’t exactly a banner year for Spagnuolo, so if the Giants promote one of their coordinators, I’d bet on McAdoo.
McAdoo and Spagnuolo are the first two candidates for the Giants’ job confirmed to have interviews lined up, though the team has also been linked to others, including Saints head coach Sean Payton. If New York were to hire an outside candidate, it’s not clear if that new coach would keep both current coordinators on board. With Eli Manning having expressed a desire for McAdoo to remain with the organization, I’d once again probably give the offensive coordinator a better chance of sticking around than the defensive coordinator.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Roddy White Not Interested In Taking Pay Cut
Veteran receiver Roddy White may have seen his role reduced in Atlanta this year, but he’s not interested in seeing his salary reduced as well. Speaking to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, and later to 680 The Fan in Atlanta, White said on Monday that he’s not interested in taking a pay cut for 2016.
White, 34, played all 16 games for the Falcons in 2015, but was targeted just 70 times and caught only 43 balls for 506 yards and a single touchdown. All of those totals are his lowest marks since 2006, his second NFL season.
While White expressed some dissatisfaction with his usage earlier in the season, he repeatedly stressed that he wants to remain in Atlanta, indicating in October that he intends to be a “Falcon for life,” then doubling down on that stance in December when he said he plans on being a Falcon “forever.”
Still, it’s not clear if White will be given the opportunity to play out the final two years of his contract with the Falcons without accepting a pay cut or a restructuring of some sort. His salaries for 2016 and 2017 are relatively modest – $2.75MM and $3MM, respectively – but he can earn $1.5MM in bonuses each season as well — $1MM for making the 53-man roster, then up to an additional $500K in per-game roster bonuses.
Throw in $1.888MM in annual prorated signing bonus money and White’s cap numbers for the next two seasons exceed $6MM, making him the sixth-most expensive player on the roster. In order for those cap charge to be viable, the Falcons would have to count on White bouncing back and exceeding his 2015 numbers, but it’s not clear that sort of rebound is in the cards for the veteran wideout.
We’re still at least a few weeks away from the Falcons having to make any real cap decisions for 2016, but this will be a situation worth monitoring this winter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Giants, Bills, J. Collins, Cooper
In the wake of Tom Coughlin‘s departure, a report indicated that the Giants could consider their in-house assistants for the head coaching job, but offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo looks like a much more viable possibility than defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes, Spagnuolo is more likely to be one-and-done during his second stint as the Giants’ DC.
McAdoo, on the other hand, is viewed as a future head coach by Giants co-owner John Mara, who “sees a lot of Tom Coughlin in him,” an NFL source tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. One league source who spoke to Vacchiano suggests McAdoo will likely be a head coach somewhere within the next two or three years, meaning the Giants could have to decide this winter how much they like him. As the source puts it: “Do you want him coaching for you, or against you?”
While the Giants ponder that question and consider other possibilities for their head coaching job, let’s round up several more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions….
- Bills general manager Doug Whaley recognizes that his future in Buffalo is tied to quarterback Tyrod Taylor at this point, so it makes sense that the GM would exercise patience in addressing Taylor’s contract, writes Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. As Dunne observes, it’s better for the Bills to make Taylor show he deserves a lucrative contract in 2016 than it would be for the team to extend him now and risk having another QB extension backfire.
- As of this week, teams are permitted to finalize contract extensions with players selected in the 2013 draft who are still on their rookie deals, prompting Mike Reiss of ESPN.com to explore the possibility of a new pact for New England linebacker Jamie Collins. Reiss writes that the Patriots have had a Collins extension on their radar for a while, and speculates that it might take Bobby Wagner money (four years, $43MM) to lock up the former second-round pick.
- Riley Cooper‘s time with the Eagles will likely come to an end this winter, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who suggests that the wideout may end up being remembered in Philadelphia as “the poster boy for Chip Kelly‘s failed culture war.”
- After spending big in free agency during his first year with the Jets, general manager Mike Maccagnan will face a different challenge this time around, as he focuses on roster depth and sustainability over short-term fixes, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Coach Rumors: Payton, Giants, Fins, Marrone
Coaching-related news and rumors have dominated Pro Football Rumors on the first Monday of the offseason (for 20 teams, at least), and they show no signs of letting up just yet. Here’s the latest from around the NFL on teams with coaching vacancies and candidates to fill those jobs:
- The Browns have requested and received permission to interview Patriots‘ defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Lions have asked for and received permission to interview Patriots director of pro scouting Bob Quinn for their GM job, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is scheduled to interview with the Browns for their head coaching vacancy on Wednesday, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- Saints head coach Sean Payton is monitoring the Giants‘ situation “very closely,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s not clear whether Payton would be a top choice for the Giants, or whether the team would be willing to give up a draft pick to land him, but it sounds like the New York job would be at or near the top of Payton’s wish list if he leaves New Orleans.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com also weighs in on the Giants‘ job, tweeting that the club is “fully expected” to include its coordinators in its search. That means OC Ben McAdoo and DC Steve Spagnuolo could both get interviews.
- As we speculated earlier today, the Dolphins are meeting with former Falcons head coach Mike Smith to discuss their head coaching opening, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Smith’s interview with the club is happening today.
- Doug Marrone‘s interview for the Browns‘ head coaching vacancy will take place on Thursday, not Tuesday, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Matt Lombardo of 97.5 The Fanatic passes along a report from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, who says Marrone will also interview with the Eagles (Twitter link).
- A report earlier today suggested that Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula didn’t want to interview for any head coaching jobs while Carolina remains alive in the playoffs. However, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), Shula said this afternoon that he’ll make that decision if and when he receives an invitation to interview for a head coaching position.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/4/16
Now that the 2015 regular season is in the books, teams can begin signing players to reserve/futures contracts, adding those players to their 90-man offseason rosters. Generally, these players finished the season on a team’s practice squad, though some were free agents at season’s end.
Here are today’s reserve/futures deals:
Atlanta Falcons signed four players (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Matt Simms, QB
- C.J. Goodwin, WR
- Gus Johnson, RB
- Collin Rahrig, G
Baltimore Ravens signed seven players (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun):
- Brennen Beyer, LB
- Leon Brown, G
- Nordly Capi, DE
- Blaine Clausell, T
- Chuck Jacobs, WR
- Nick Perry, S
- Harold Spears, TE
Buffalo Bills signed seven players (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Cyril Richardson, G
- Phillip Thomas, S
- Blake Annen, TE
- Jacob Maxwell, TE
- Cedric Reed, DE
- Jonathan Dowling, S
- Ronald Patrick, C
Chicago Bears signed nine players (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune):
- De’Vante Bausby, CB
- Matt Blanchard, QB
- Cornelius Edison, C
- Paul Lasike, RB
- Marcus Lucas, WR/TE
- Danny Mason, LB
- Nathan Palmer, WR
- Gannon Sinclair, TE
- Martin Wallace, G/T
Cleveland Browns signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Sean Baker, DB
- Dan France, OT
- Garth Gerhart, C
- Connor Hamlett, TE
- Tim Scott, DB
- Dylan Wynn, DE
Dallas Cowboys signed eight players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Donte Foster, WR
- Mike McAdoo, DE
- Brandon McGee, DB
- Derek Akunne, LB
- Buddy Jackson, DB
- Ben Malena, RB
- Efe Obada, DE
- Keith Smith, LB
Denver Broncos signed four players (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9NEWS)
- Cyrus Gray, RB
- Jace Davis, WR
- B.J. Lowery, DB
- DeVier Posey, WR
Detroit Lions signed five players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Khaseem Greene, LB
- Casey Pierce, TE
- Ryan Spadola, WR
- Corey Washington, WR
- Tyrus Thompson, OT
Jacksonville Jaguars signed nine players (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union):
- Rasheed Bailey, WR
- Kadeem Edwards, OL
- Shaq Evans, WRt
- Ben Koyack, TE
- Rashad Lawrence, WR
- Sean Porter, LB
- Chris Reed, G
- Rashaad Reynolds, CB
- Earl Wolff, S
Miami Dolphins signed one player (link)
- Tyler Davis, WR
New Orleans Saints signed five players (link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune):
- Reggie Bell, WR
- Alden Darby, S
- Brandon Dixon, CB
- Cyril Lemon, G
- Bryan Witzmann, T
New York Giants signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Tavarres King, WR
- G.J. Kinne, QB
- Shane McDermott, C
- Leon McFadden, CB
- Tom Obarski, K
- Jake Rodgers, OT
Philadelphia Eagles signed seven players (Twitter link via team):
- Brett Boyko, G
- Malcolm Bunche, G
- Brandon Hepburn, LB
- Freddie Martino, WR
- Kevin Monangai, RB
- Travis Raciti, DE
- Deontae Skinner, LB
San Diego Chargers signed six players (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
- Richard Crawford, DB
- Brad Sorensen, QB
- Tim Semisch, TE
- Chuka Ndulue, DT
- Isaiah Burse, WR
- Ben Gardner, DE
Seattle Seahawks signed three players (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Andrew East, LS
- Ronnie Shields, TE
- Phillip Sims, QB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed nine players (link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times):
- Josh Allen, G
- Andre Davis, WR
- Antoine Everett, G
- Ben Gottschalk, C
- Gerod Holliman, S
- Martin Ifedi, DE
- Derrick Lott, DT
- C.J. Roberts, CB
- Joel Ross, CB
Tennessee Titans signed five players (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com):
- David Fluellen, RB
- Kevin Greene, TE
- Nick Harwell, WR
- Josue Matias, G
- Will Poehls, T
Washington signs three players (link via team):
- Christo Bilukidi, DL
- Desmond Bishop, LB
- Jerrell Powe, DL
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/16
The 12 NFL teams still alive in the postseason can continue to make changes to their 53-man rosters this week, and a couple of them have already done so today, so let’s round up Monday’s minor moves….
- The Bengals have placed linebacker and special-teamer Emmanuel Lamur on injured reserve, promoting linebacker Trevor Roach from their practice squad in a corresponding move, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Cincinnati’s IR has been fairly sparsely populated this year, with Lamur joining Darqueze Dennard, Marquis Flowers, and James Wright on the list.
- Per agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link), the Texans are signing offensive tackle Andrew McDonald to their 53-man roster in advance of their playoff game against the Chiefs. When Houston makes the move official, the team figures to place injured tackle Duane Brown on IR to make room on the roster, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. McDonald finished the regular season on the Chargers’ practice squad.
Browns Fire Bill Kuharich, Morocco Brown
After parting ways with general manager Ray Farmer, the Browns have also let go of two front office executives he hired in 2014, reports Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Russini reports that Cleveland has fired Bill Kuharich and Morocco Brown.
Kuharich and Brown had been key members of the Browns’ player personnel department, with Kuharich serving as the executive chief of staff, while Brown held the title of VP player personnel. Kuharich, who interviewed last winter for the Jets’ general manager job, took over as the Browns’ GM on an interim basis in the fall when Farmer served his four-game suspension.
As for Brown, when Cleveland hired the former Washington director of pro personnel in May 2014, the move was lauded, with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) suggesting that Brown was on track to run a team someday. We’ll see where he lands now that he’s out of the picture for the Browns.
When the Browns’ officially hire a new general manager, it looks like that GM could be tasked with adding new personnel execs of his own.