Coaching Notes: Groh, Peete, Koetter
Most of the league’s head coaching and coordinator vacancies have been filled, but teams are still making important coaching decisions. Let’s round up a few of the latest coaching-related notes:
- The Eagles hired Mike Groh as their wide receivers coach, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Groh served as the Rams’ wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator in 2016, and he also worked as the Bears’ wide receivers coach from 2013-2015. Alshon Jeffery‘s best seasons came with Groh as his position coach, and in his one season with the Rams, Groh oversaw Kenny Britt‘s first 1,000-yard season (both Britt and Jeffery are eligible for unrestricted free agency this year, and Philadelphia needs wide receiver help in a big way). The 45-year-old Groh has an extensive college coaching resume, working as the quarterbacks coach for Louisville, the wide receivers coach for Alabama, and the wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, and offensive coordinator for Virginia.
- Skip Peete will remain the Rams‘ running backs coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Peete was hired as the team’s running backs coach last year after serving in that same capacity for the Raiders, Cowboys, and Bears.
- We heard on Friday that Jim Tomsula interviewed for the Saints‘ open defensive line coach job earlier this week, though ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Tomsula will interview with New Orleans during this week’s Senior Bowl. Whether it will simply be a second interview or whether the two sides have actually met at all at this point is unclear. Before his disastrous stint as the 49ers’ head coach, Tomsula was a successful D-line coach with the franchise from 2007-14.
- Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter is likely to retain his offensive play-calling duties, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Koetter said at his season-ending news conference that he was considering giving up his role as play-caller, but he appears to have thought better of it.
Patriots Open To Trading Jimmy Garoppolo
Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2017, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) reports that New England is open to trading the 25-year-old signal-caller this offseason.
This conflicts with a report back in December, wherein one source close to the Patriots indicated that he would be “stunned” if the Pats were to deal Garoppolo. There will certainly be interest in the Eastern Illinois product, who may well be the best quarterback available this offseason, but New England also values having a succession plan in place for Tom Brady, who has shown no signs of slowing down but who will be 40 years old when the 2017 season opens.
We also heard last month that, if the Patriots did trade Garoppolo, they would ask for at least a first- and fourth-round pick in return (which is what the Vikings gave up to acquire Sam Bradford last year). As Rapoport observes, the asking price for Garoppolo is one obstacle to a potential trade, as is his inexperience. He was expected to play the first four games of the 2016 season as a result of Brady’s suspension, but he played in only two because of a shoulder injury. Those two games did go exceedingly well for Garoppolo, who completed 42 of 59 passes for 496 yards and four touchdowns as the Patriots racked up wins over Arizona and Miami, but that small sample size may not be enough for rival teams to part with a first-round selection. Indeed, Rapoport suggests that this year’s Brock Osweiler fiasco may make GMs skittish about investing significant assets into an unproven signal-caller.
Plus, succession plans aside, the Patriots may not be comfortable with Jacoby Brissett serving as their primary backup next season, though they are high on the rookie QB.
Rapoport suggests that this matter may not be resolved quickly. Instead, he expects head coach Bill Belichick to “play poker” with the rest of the league, banking on someone paying up if they are left without a quarterback following free agency or the draft.
Colts Hired Psychologists For Grigson, Pagano
It had long been speculated that one or both of Colts head coach Chuck Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson would be fired after the 2016 season, and although it took a little longer than expected, Grigson was relieved of his duties yesterday. Pagano, meanwhile, will reportedly keep his job for the 2017 season (though there are rumors that he, too, could be dismissed if he fails to deliver a championship to Indianapolis next year).
As Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star reports in a series of Twitter links, there was a significant rift between Pagano and Grigson by the time the 2015 season rolled around, and nothing improved in 2016. Holder says that, this past season, Pagano went into his “bunker” and Grigson went into his, and the dysfunction was such that it was surprising that anything got done.
Holder adds (via Twitter) that owner Jim Irsay went to great lengths over the past several weeks to sort out the issues with his club, and he apparently concluded that the best thing for the Colts was to “untie” Grigson and Pagano, who both joined the team in 2012. Holder observes in a full-length piece that Irsay did not mention any of Grigson’s personnel-related shortcomings when he outlined his reasons for making a change. Instead, he said, “I don’t think you guys understand and give Ryan enough credit for what he’s done here. I really don’t.”
Those statements led Holder to believe that it was the flaws in the Grigson-Pagano relationship that ultimately triggered Grigson’s dismissal, and a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter lends a great deal of support to that theory. As Schefter writes, the Colts brought in psychologists to help repair the relationship, and the primary focus was on ways Pagano and Grigson could improve their communication. Schefter added, “one person compared the meetings to a couple going to marriage counseling, hoping they could work out their issues with the help of a third party.”
Obviously, that innovative step did not work, as the differences between Grigson and Pagano proved to be irreconcilable.
We learned earlier today that interim GM Jimmy Raye III is currently viewed as the favorite to replace Grigson on a permanent basis.
Latest On 49ers’ Head Coach/GM Search
The 49ers will bring in current Falcons’ OC Kyle Shanahan for a second interview either tomorrow or Tuesday if Atlanta should lose the NFC Championship Game today, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). If the Falcons should win, Shanahan’s second interview will take place on Friday. The 37-year-0ld is, of course, considered the runaway favorite to land the team’s head coaching job, and the second interview appears to be more of a formality than anything else.
In the meantime, San Francisco is continuing to plug away with its GM search, but Michael Silver of NFL.com tweets that long-time NFL coach Mike Shanahan (Kyle Shanahan’s father) will not be joining the team in a formal role. Vikings assistant GM George Paton and Cardinals vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough are currently viewed as the leading candidates for the 49ers’ GM position, though Kyle Shanahan has no obvious connection with either man. Per Silver (Twitter link), if team CEO Jed York does not sense a fit between Shanahan and Paton or McDonough, he may reopen the GM search.
Silver adds (Twitter links) that York has not decided whether Shanahan or the new GM will have formal control of the 53-man roster, and that York does not view roster control as a “major issue.” He is putting a larger emphasis on creating a strong partnership between coach and GM.
Silver views Paton as the top choice at the moment, with McDonough running second (Twitter link). Had Mike Shanahan returned to the team as a head coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that McDonough would have been his choice.
Redskins Promote Greg Manusky To DC
The Redskins will promote outside linebackers coach Greg Manusky to defensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
Washington fired former DC Joe Barry earlier this month, and the club compiled an extensive list of candidates to replace him, including Gus Bradley, Rob Ryan, and John Pagano (the Redskins were denied permission to interview Romeo Crennel and Paul Guenther). PFR’s coordinator tracker provides the full complement of candidates.
Manusky, though, reportedly had the backing of Redskins players, and his familiarity with the organization may have helped him land the position.
He also brings a great deal of experience to the table, having served as defensive coordinator for three different teams, but that experience is largely a mixed bag. The 50-year-old Manusky got his feet wet as a linebackers coach for the Redskins in 2001, and he worked as the linebackers coach for the Chargers from 2002-06 before being hired as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator in 2007. The 49ers’ defense proved to be one of the best in the league in 2009, but it took a step back in 2010, and Manusky was allowed to seek another position following the hiring of head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Manusky returned to the Chargers as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2011, but he was fired after his unit finished as the league’s 22nd-ranked defense. Manusky was subsequently hired as the Colts’ defensive coordinator in 2012, and he spent four years in that role. The Colts made the playoffs in three of those four seasons, but Manusky’s defense finished in the top-10 in points allowed only once during his tenure. He was fired following the 2015 campaign, and he soon caught on as the Redskins’ outside linebackers coach.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee tweets that 49ers’ linebackers coach Jason Tarver, who was another candidate for the Redskins’ DC opening, could replace Manusky as the team’s OLB coach. Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that the team will keep Kirk Olivadotti as its ILB coach and would like to promote Aubrey Pleasant to DBs coach.
As Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets, it is fair to wonder whether the Redskins would have fired Barry at all if they had known they would have ended up with Manusky and his spotty DC resume as his replacement as opposed to their big name targets like Bradley and Wade Phillips.
Falcons To Pursue Extension For Matt Ryan
The Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan are expected to explore an extension in the offseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Ryan is already under contract through the 2018 season, but Atlanta wants to be proactive when it comes to their star signal-caller, who may earn his first MVP award this year.
Ryan signed a five-year, $103.75MM deal at the end of the 2012 campaign, which culminated in a heartbreaking loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. The following three seasons saw the Falcons fail to qualify for the playoffs, and Ryan himself played well enough, but he was certainly not in the MVP conversation.
But Ryan and the offense exploded in 2016, Kyle Shanahan‘s second year as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator. Ryan threw for nearly 5,000 yards and put up 38 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions, good for a league-leading 117.1 quarterback rating. More importantly, he led the club to an NFC South title, a first-round bye, and the chance to play for the team’s first Super Bowl championship.
Plus, a new contract would not adversely impact the team’s finances. Ryan’s 2017 cap number under his current deal would be $23.75MM, and an extension would likely reduce that figure. As Rapoport observes, the club is already paying the Boston College product over $20MM a year, so an extension would be “more of a continuation than a dramatic adjustment.”
Ryan and agent Tom Condon will likely attempt to eclipse Andrew Luck‘s new deal, which features an average annual value of $24.59MM. Since signing his own contract after the 2012 season, Ryan has slid down the ranks and is now the 11th-highest paid quarterback in the game. That is likely to change over the next few months.
Since entering the league as the third overall pick of the 2008 draft, Ryan has been a steadying influence under center for Atlanta, but one of the biggest knocks against him coming into this year is that he had won only one playoff game. But on the heels of a breakout season, Ryan has the Falcons trending upwards once again, and he will be handsomely rewarded.
Jimmy Raye III Favorite For Colts’ GM Job
Jimmy Raye III, who is acting as the Colts’ interim GM in the wake of Ryan Grigson‘s dismissal, is the favorite to become the team’s full-time GM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport adds that, if head coach Chuck Pagano has a vote in the matter–and it’s not clear that he does, given his apparently tenuous grasp on his own position–Raye would get that vote.
We learned last night that the Colts’ GM job is viewed as one of the premier posts in the NFL, and that it would attract the eye of multiple rival executives. And that makes sense, given that Indianapolis has a star quarterback already signed to a long-term deal, an owner who, for all his eccentricities, does exhibit patience with his hires, and the potential opportunity to hire a new head coach at the end of the 2017 season. But despite the attractiveness of the position, the Colts may already have their man in Raye, who interviewed for the 49ers’ GM job but did not make the list of finalists.
Raye, who participated in all of two games in his NFL playing career (as a wide receiver for the Rams in 1991), certainly paid his dues over the following two-plus decades. He served as the Chiefs’ offensive quality control coach in 1995 before working in the Chargers’ organization from 1996-2012, first as a scout, then as director of college scouting, then as director of player personnel. He joined the Colts in 2013 as the club’s vice president of football operations, and he served in that capacity until yesterday, when he became the interim GM.
Raye is the son of Jimmy Raye II, who worked as a coach and offensive coordinator for a number of teams from 1977-2013.
Malcolm Mitchell Could Play Next Week
The Patriots were able to survive last night’s playoff matchup with the underdog Texans, but New England’s offense was uncharacteristically sluggish and the 34-16 final score did not tell the full story. Luckily for the Pats, however, rookie wideout Malcolm Mitchell could be returning for the AFC Championship Game next week. Per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), there is “strong optimism” that Mitchell could be back for the game that could catapult New England to yet another Super Bowl appearance.
[RELATED: Josh McDaniels Prefers 49ers’ HC Job]
Mitchell, who was selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft, put together a nice rookie season, catching 32 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He demonstrated an early aptitude in grasping New England’s unique offensive scheme, and he was able to carry that success into the regular season.
However, Mitchell suffered a knee injury in the team’s Week 16 contest against the Jets and was inactive for the Week 17 tilt against the Dolphins. After being limited in practice in the week leading up to last night’s divisional round playoff game, Mitchell was officially deactivated prior to kickoff. Newly-acquired Michael Floyd saw a pass bounce off his hands for an interception last night–although the throw was not an especially good one–so Mitchell, who has established a strong rapport with Tom Brady, could take back some of the slot receiver snaps that Floyd has enjoyed in Mitchell’s absence.
Panthers Sign Dezmen Southward To Futures Deal
The Panthers have signed safety Dezmen Southward to a futures deal, according to Bryan Strickland of Panthers.com. Southward becomes the tenth and final player who was on Carolina’s taxi squad at the end of the season to sign a futures contract. The club has signed a total of 15 players to futures deals.
When a player is signed to such a contract, it means that he is being signed for the upcoming season. Only players who are not on an active roster at the end of the season are eligible to sign futures contracts, and it allows a club to claim rights to a player before the new league year begins. Typically, players signed to futures contracts–which are generally one- or two-year deals that pay the league minimum–will be cut at some point prior to the regular season, although plenty of notable players have found success after going that route (New England’s latest playoff hero, Dion Lewis, is but one example).
Southward was selected by the Falcons in the third round of the 2014 draft, and he played in all 16 games for the club in his rookie season, notching one interception and one sack in the process. The Wisconsin product was waived midway through the 2015 season, and he spent time on the Colts’ practice squad before being waived by Indianapolis before the 2016 season opener.
Mike Zimmer Does Not Know When Bridgewater Will Return
We already knew that the Vikings will open up the 2017 season with Sam Bradford under center, but given the success that he has experienced in his young career, there is no reason to believe that Teddy Bridgewater would not get the opportunity to win his job back when he returns from his ACL injury.
The problem is, no one knows when that will be. Head coach Mike Zimmer, who made a guest appearance on ESPN this morning, said during his interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm, “We don’t know when Teddy will be back” (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Bridgewater’s injury, of course, was especially gruesome, leading some to question whether he would ever be able to return to the field. Back in October, one doctor who has worked with NFL teams said, “This is a bad injury, about the worst knee injury a player can have.”
Both Bradford and Bridgewater are under contract through 2017, and although Bradford will account for a sizable $17MM against the salary cap next year, Bridgewater is still on his rookie deal and will count just $2.18MM against the cap. Bradford played reasonably well this year, his first in Minnesota, and it is possible that, if the Vikings shore up their running game and offensive line, they could return to the playoffs with Bradford at the helm.
But Bridgewater, despite his struggles in the deep passing game, has demonstrated that he could be the team’s long-term solution under center if he can get healthy. Zimmer’s somewhat ominous statement, though, has cast some doubt on that proposition.