Lions Interview Marvin Lewis For HC
Thus far, the Lions’ GM search has generated more headlines than their hunt for a new head coach, but their HC pursuit will soon kick into high gear. Detroit started that process by interviewing longtime Bengals HC Marvin Lewis several days ago, as Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report.
[RELATED: Lions to pursue Seahawks GM John Schneider]
Lewis interviewed with the Texans for their HC vacancy last month, so the 62-year-old appears to be firmly back on the NFL radar. He currently serves as the co-defensive coordinator on Herm Edwards‘ staff at Arizona State.
The defensive acumen that he displayed while working as the Ravens’ DC from 1996-01 helped Lewis secure the Cincinnati gig in 2003, a position he held for 16 seasons. Though his 0-7 record in the postseason has garnered plenty of attention and ultimately contributed to Lewis’ ouster, the fact that he got the formerly moribund Bengals to the playoffs seven times during his tenure was in and of itself a major accomplishment.
Detroit is considering a wide variety of candidates for its HC post. Robert Saleh, the current 49ers defensive coordinator, is said to be high atop the team’s wish-list, but the Lions are also considering offensive-minded coaches. Chiefs offensive coordinator and hot commodity Eric Bieniemy is a target, as is Titans OC Arthur Smith.
Peter Schrager of the NFL Network reports that Saleh, Bieniemy, and interim HC Darrell Bevell are expected to interview this week (Twitter link).
Carson Wentz To Request Trade
The relationship between Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz is fractured beyond repair, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Wentz is expected to ask the Eagles for a trade this offseason and will do whatever he can to facilitate a deal out of Philadelphia.
Wentz was benched for rookie signal-caller Jalen Hurts a few weeks ago, but shortly thereafter, it was reported that Philadelphia had not lost faith in Wentz and had no intention of trading him (though that may have simply been a tactic to maintain its leverage in trade negotiations). Wentz, however, was said to be rattled by the team’s decision to select Hurts in the second round of this year’s draft and was upset with how his benching unfolded. As a result, he is looking for a fresh start elsewhere.
Just yesterday, we learned that the Eagles plan to retain Pederson for the 2021 season, so assuming Mortensen’s report is accurate, the club may be choosing its head coach over its former MVP-candidate quarterback. However, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says the Eagles still believe the situation is salvageable (Twitter link), so it remains to be seen how aggressive the team will be in trade talks.
If the club does elect to move on from Wentz, a trade is much more feasible than a release. Trading Wentz before the third day of the 2021 league year would result in a dead cap charge of just under $34MM for 2021, but given that Wentz’s cap number for next season is set to be just above $34MM, the Eagles would actually save a bit of cap space and would at least have some draft pick compensation in their pocket. Releasing Wentz would result in a massive dead cap hit of nearly $60MM, and while the Eagles could spread out that hit over two years by designating him a post-June 1 cut, carrying $30MM on the books for two consecutive seasons for a player no longer on the roster wouldn’t make much sense.
Because of the presence of former Eagles OC Frank Reich and their abundance of cap space, the Colts have been rumored as the most likely destination for Wentz in the event a trade is consummated. Indeed, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says Wentz would prefer Indianapolis over several other clubs (video link), and if incumbent Colts signal-caller Philip Rivers elects to retire at season’s end, Indy will certainly be in the market for a QB.
Rapoport says that Rivers, who signed a one-year, $25MM pact with the Colts this offseason, is very much open to retirement, and his decision may hinge on whether the team advances to the playoffs. TV networks are said to be eyeing Rivers, who could easily transition to the broadcast booth if he hangs up the cleats.
Lions To Pursue Seahawks GM John Schneider
The Lions are leaving no stone unturned in their search for a new GM. In addition to three in-house candidates and myriad external options, including a few high-profile targets, the club is expected to make a run at Seahawks GM John Schneider, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
Schneider has long been considered one of the best executives in the game, and he and Pete Carroll have forged a remarkably productive GM-HC tandem since they came to Seattle in 2010. Under their leadership, the ‘Hawks have compiled a 111-63-1 record, five division titles, two NFC championships, and a Super Bowl.
But Carroll, not Schneider, has final authority over all personnel decisions. That means that a club like the Lions could interview Schneider if it offers him full control (though as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, it may not be quite that simple, and Detroit may need to send compensation to Seattle if it wants to hire Schneider away). Plus, while Carroll signed a long-term extension several months ago that will run through the 2025 campaign, Schneider is only under contract through the 2022 draft, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Rapoport says that, in addition to Detroit, Schneider is expected to get a call from at least one other team,
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says the Lions would also be interested in Steelers GM Kevin Colbert. Colbert has gone year-to-year with Pittsburgh for awhile, but that’s because he wants to leave open the possibility of retirement. He plans to be back with Pittsburgh in 2021, so it looks like another one-year pact is on the horizon.
Vikings assistant GM George Paton, who has been a fixture on the GM rumor mill in recent years, is also on the Lions’ radar, per Rapoport, and there is a new and interesting connection between Minnesota and Detroit. Paton’s boss, Rick Spielman, is the brother of new Detroit exec Chris Spielman, who is expected to have an integral role in the Lions’ search process.
Cowboys To Retain OC Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is staying put. Moore may or may not have taken an interview to become Boise State’s head coach, but despite mutual interest between him and his alma mater, the 32-year-old will remain in the professional ranks, the Cowboys announced.
Moore’s contract with Dallas was due to expire at the end of the season, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports, he signed a lucrative extension that will run through the 2023 campaign (Twitter link). According to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports (via Twitter), Moore would not have even considered collegiate openings, but because it was Boise State that came calling, he had to think about it.
“I am very excited to remain with the Dallas Cowboys as the offensive coordinator,” Moore said. “I will no longer be pursuing the head coaching job at Boise State. I love Boise State. I will always root for them, and I hope one day to be a part of the program again.”
Despite injuries along the Cowboys’ O-line and starting quarterback Dak Prescott this year, the team’s offense is still a top-12 unit in terms of total yardage. Prescott played under the franchise tag this season, but the expectation is that he will remain in Dallas for the foreseeable future, and he has spoken in the past about the importance of a quarterback having continuity at the OC post. The future is also bright at the skill positions and on the offensive line, so Moore’s unit should be able to produce at a high level going forward.
And as Jon Machota of The Athletic observes, Moore’s ultimate goal is to become an NFL head coach. Assuming the offense does, in fact, continue to thrive, he may start attracting HC consideration from other clubs — and maybe even the Cowboys — within the next couple of years.
NFC West Rumors: Fitzgerald, Gould, Reed
Speculating about Larry Fitzgerald‘s future has become something of a holiday tradition over the past few seasons. The surefire Hall-of-Famer did say earlier this year that if the Cardinals were to win Super Bowl LV, he would ride off into the sunset, but Arizona’s hopes for its first Lombardi Trophy suffered a major blow in an upset loss to the 49ers last night.
So will Fitz be back in 2021? As Rachel Gossen of ArizonaSports.com writes, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he believes Fitzgerald could play for another four seasons, but Fitzgerald himself was noncommittal.
“I haven’t really given it much thought to be honest with you,” he said. Though Fitzgerald did add that it will be nice to have fans back in the stands when it’s safe, Kingsbury downplayed the notion that Fitzgerald would return just to receive a proper sendoff from the Cardinals’ faithful.
As we wait to see whether one of the best receivers in NFL history will call it a career, and as the Cards focus on keeping their fading playoff hopes alive, let’s round up a few more notes from the NFC West:
- The 49ers have a big decision to make on kicker Robbie Gould this week. Per the four-year extension Gould signed in 2019, San Francisco has until January 2 to pick up an option that would guarantee $2.25MM of Gould’s $4.5MM 2021 salary. Gould had hit 90.5% of his field goal attempts heading into last night’s matchup with Arizona, but he missed two FGA’s and a PAT in a 20-12 win that could have been more decisive. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the performance will not impact the team’s decision on Gould’s contract. “You got to look at the body of work, and Robbie has been unbelievable,” Shanahan said (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area).
- Claimed off waivers from the division-rival 49ers in August, Seahawks CB D.J. Reed has been a great find for Seattle. In eight games (six starts), Reed has lined up both in the slot and outside the numbers and has accumulated 49 tackles, two interceptions, and six passes defensed while yielding a modest 77.9 passer rating as the nearest defender (via NFL Next Gen stats). Though the 5-9 Reed does not fit the mold of the big-bodied specimens that Seattle generally prefers at the outside corner positions, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com thinks his presence could make the club more amenable to moving on from contract-year players Quinton Dunbar and Shaquill Griffin. Reed will be entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2021.
- As Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic points out, the Rams would be about $26MM over the 2021 salary cap if the cap is decreased to $175MM as many expect. So while the club can certainly restructure the contracts of players like Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp to create space, it will also have tough decisions to make on pending free agents. Rodrigue posits that, if DC Brandon Staley gets hired as a head coach, he may try to bring safety John Johnson and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd with him, though Los Angeles will doubtlessly prioritize re-ups with both players. Meanwhile, Rodrigue sees players like WR Josh Reynolds and TE Gerald Everett signing elsewhere this offseason.
Bears To Retain HC Matt Nagy?
Over the past few weeks, it was looking increasingly likely that Bears head coach Matt Nagy would be fired at season’s end. But after a six-game losing streak that appeared to dash the club’s playoff hopes, Chicago has won two in a row and suddenly controls its own destiny in its push for a wildcard berth.
As such, multiple sources tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that the Bears are expected to retain Nagy in 2021 (Twitter link). If his team defeats the 1-13 Jaguars today, Nagy will have secured at least eight wins in each of his three seasons in the Windy City, and that may be enough for ownership to keep him around for another year.
Obviously, a loss to the tanking Jags would be a major blow to Nagy’s prospects, but it currently sounds as if he will be safe if the Bears beat Jacksonville, regardless of what happens against the NFC-leading Packers next week. Assuming that’s the case, it will be interesting to see what the club does with GM Ryan Pace, who was also said to be facing an uncertain future in Chicago. After all, a new GM may or may not want to be married to Nagy, so if Nagy stays, Pace might stay as well.
Part of the reason for Nagy’s changing fortunes is the improved play of QB Mitch Trubisky. Since Trubisky was reinserted into the starting lineup four games ago, the Bears are averaging 31 points per game, and the former No. 2 overall pick looks more comfortable and confident. Nagy has employed more play action passes to help his young signal-caller, and Trubisky has completed 68% of his passes for eight TDs against just three interceptions.
Some NFL executives tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that the Bears have to consider re-signing Trubisky, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency at season’s end since the club declined his fifth-year option earlier this year. A Trubisky re-up would validate both Nagy and Pace, and though it was difficult to imagine a month ago, it’s possible that all three men will be back with the Bears in 2021.
Latest On WFT Ownership Turmoil
Though the Washington Football Team may be able to clinch the NFC East with a win over the Panthers today, the club can never seem to escape drama. In addition to quarterback Dwayne Haskins‘ poor decision-making that made headlines this past week, more developments in the team’s ownership dispute continue to take attention away from the on-field product.
As Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman of the New York Times wrote last month, three minority owners — Frederick Smith, Robert Rothman, and Dwight Schar — are trying to sell their combined 40% ownership stake in the team. According to Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch (citing the Washington Post), the potential buyers are Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano, co-founders of California-based private equity firm Clearlake Capital.
The problem is that majority owner Dan Snyder has the right of first refusal when minority owners attempt to sell their shares, and Snyder is reportedly willing to purchase the 25% share owned by Smith and Rothman but not the 15% share owned by Schar. Smith, Rothman, and Schar have filed suit seeking a ruling that Snyder must purchase all of the shares or none of them (as their value is higher collectively than individually).
A few days ago, Will Hobson, Beth Reinhard, and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post published a story revealing that WFT paid a former female employee $1.6MM as part of a confidential settlement in 2009 after the employee accused Snyder of sexual misconduct that allegedly took place on Snyder’s private plane. Snyder believes the timing of the article is not a coincidence, and he has filed his own suit claiming that Schar is engaging in a smear campaign and is attempting to gain leverage in the ownership dispute by leaking information concerning the settlement.
As John Keim of ESPN.com details, the Post story was published several days after a New York Times piece which made clear that two separate investigations in 2009 failed to substantiate the former employee’s claims. Plus, Snyder did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement, and Snyder himself said that the team’s insurance carrier ultimately decided to settle the matter.
Of course, a number of former female employees came forward just this summer with allegations of a longstanding culture of sexual abuse within the organization, and an investigation into those allegations is ongoing. But the last we heard, Snyder himself was not directly involved in any harassment or abuse, so unless there are new developments in that regard, Snyder will not be forced to sell the club.
In the minority owners’ suit against Snyder, the court issued an order “requiring the parties to maintain confidentiality and to refrain from disparaging any of the other parties,” as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. On January 7, the minority owners and Snyder will appear in court to answer questions regarding their potential violations of that order. And according to Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal, the NFL has hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to assist in its investigation into Schar’s alleged smear tactics.
As Florio observes in a separate piece, the league does not approve of the minority owners taking their dispute to court, and it obviously wants to prevent other partial owners from forcing the hand of a majority owner by manipulating the media. But the league will also need to investigate the alleged 2009 incident, and depending on the outcome of that investigation, Schar may end up getting what he wants anyway.
Jaguars Interview Jerry Reese For GM Job
The Jaguars have interviewed former Giants general manager Jerry Reese for their vacant GM post, as Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report. Reese’s meeting with Jacksonville marks the first time he has sat for an interview since he was fired by Big Blue in 2017.
There has, however, been plenty of interest in his services. Reese turned down an interview for the Raiders’ GM job in 2018, and we heard last year that there was “heavy support” for him to return to the league. Earlier this month, a report indicated that he could be in the running for the Lions’ GM position.
Unlike other execs looking to get back in the NFL, Reese has not hired an agent and refuses to make an appearance as an analyst or commentator. Sources tell Garafolo and Rapoport that Reese may already be in a front office if he was a bit more of a self-promoter, but that simply isn’t his style.
His patience, however, might ultimately pay off. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears that the Jags’ GM gig — as well as their HC post, assuming they move on from Doug Marrone — is considered at least as attractive as any other opening in the league thanks to the club’s ~$100MM of cap space, 11 draft picks in 2021, and potential opportunity to draft Clemson star QB Trevor Lawrence.
Though the Giants went just 91-85 in Reese’s tenure as GM, the club did win two Lombardi Trophies during that time, and his abilities as an exec are widely-respected around the league. If he and the Jags come to terms, it would be considered a win for Jacksonville.
In addition to Reese, the Jags are also considering Louis Riddick and Rick Smith, as PFR’s tracker shows.
Broncos To Retain Vic Fangio
The Broncos will not be one of the teams looking for a new head coach in 2021. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports, Denver will bring back HC Vic Fangio for his third season with the team.
As the Broncos went 7-9 in 2019 and are just 5-9 this season, Fangio’s return was not a sure thing. But we had not heard any real speculation that his job could be in jeopardy, so Schefter’s report does not come as much of a surprise.
Fangio hardly fits the mold of the young, offensive genius that many teams are looking for in head coaches these days. The longtime defensive assistant was 60 when the Broncos hired him in January 2019, but as Troy Renck of Denver 7 ABC tweets, he has strong relationships with GM John Elway and CEO Joe Ellis, and Schefter says the organization not only recognizes the importance of stability, it also believes in Fangio and respects his approach (though Broncos fans will rightfully tell you that he needs to improve his in-game decision-making).
The club feels that injuries to key players like Courtland Sutton and Von Miller, along with COVID-19 issues, have conspired to undermine Fangio in 2020. Plus, the quarterback situation has been far from ideal, as the Broncos have had to use six different QBs in the past two seasons, and 2019 second-rounder Drew Lock is still very much a work in progress.
Another losing season in 2021 will likely spell the end of Fangio’s tenure in Denver, but he will get at least one more shot to get the franchise moving in the right direction.
Cowboys OC Kellen Moore Interviews For Boise State HC Job
Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has interviewed for the head coaching job at Boise State, as Mike Prater of the Idaho Press was first to report (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, meanwhile, says the interview has not happened yet, but he confirms that Boise State is interested in Moore and would like to speak with him soon (Twitter link).
Regardless of whether a summit has taken place, it sounds as if the interest is mutual. Moore, 32, quarterbacked Boise State from 2008-11 and finished in the top-10 in Heisman voting in three out of his four seasons on campus. According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Moore sees the Broncos’ HC gig as a “highly attractive opportunity,” and he is in the last year of his contract with the Cowboys.
Moore’s collegiate success as a player did not translate to the pros, as he suited up for just three regular season games in his NFL career. However, he became Dallas’ quarterbacks coach in 2018 and was elevated to OC in 2019. He has called the team’s offensive plays in each of the past two years, and his unit was the best in the league last season in terms of total offense. It looked as though the Cowboys would be equally prolific this year, but injuries to quarterback Dak Prescott and the team’s O-line have obviously made life difficult.
Still, Moore’s work has attracted plenty of attention. The University of Washington wanted to hire him as its OC last season, but Moore stayed with the Cowboys and managed to adapt to new head coach Mike McCarthy‘s schemes. He might now have the chance to run a prolific college program now that Boise State’s former HC, Bryan Harsin, has accepted the head coaching job at Auburn.
If Moore does leave, it’s unclear if McCarthy — who will be retained for 2021 — would take over play-calling duties.