Vic Fangio To Return As Bears DC
It’s a done deal. On Friday, Vic Fangio agreed to return as the Bears’ defensive coordinator, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. 
There was some question as to whether Fangio would want to stay in Chicago after the firing of head coach John Fox and the hiring of Matt Nagy. Fangio was sought after by multiple teams, but he opted to stay put under the new administration.
The Packers were pushing hard to sign Fangio, but they instead chose to hire Mike Pettine. That might have something to do with Fangio’s price tag. Last year, he earned more than $2MM, and it’s possible that Chicago has given him an additional bump to stay on board. The Ravens also connected to Fangio and there were rumblings that Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur would recruit him if hired as a head coach.
The Bears ranked just 24th in points allowed last year, but placed 14th in defensive DVOA, so there’s definitely something for Fangio & Co. to build on. The team also has ~$42MM in cap space and the No. 8 overall pick to work with, so the Bears’ D could get even better in 2018.
Case Keenum Drew Interest From Bills, Bears
The rise of Case Keenum has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season. Vaulted into the Vikings’ starting quarterback job out of necessity, Keenum outperformed some of the league’s biggest names and guided the Vikings to a 13-3 record. It turns out that Keenum could have been another team’s diamond in the rough instead. 
The Bears and Bills both expressed interest in the QB, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. However, Keenum says that he chose the Vikings because they showed a greater desire to sign him.
The Bills’ previous interest in Keenum is particularly notable as they still face uncertainty under center. Tyrod Taylor is due a $6MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2018 league year and stands to earn $10MM in base salary. Now that offensive coordinator Rick Dennison has been shown the door, the Bills could further overhaul the offense by moving on from the 28-year-old (29 in August).
Meanwhile, some believe that Keenum will arrive with Pat Shurmur as a package deal if Shurmur gets a head coaching job. That could appeal to both the Cardinals and Giants.
In 2017, Keenum ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 QB, slotting him ahead of Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers, Marcus Mariota, Matthew Stafford, and Kirk Cousins. Keenum’s 67.6% completion percentage was the second-highest in the NFL, trailing only Drew Brees.
Keenum will look to continue his improbable success story with a win over the Saints on Sunday in the divisional round.
Alabama DT Da’Ron Payne Enters Draft
Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t the only Alabama underclassman going pro. Defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne and safety Ronnie Harrison announced this week that they will also skip their senior seasons in order to enter the 2018 NFL Draft.
[RELATED: Minkah Fitzpatrick Enters Draft]
Payne is leaving on the highest note possible after being named the defensive MVP of the Sugar Bowl and the National Championship game. His raw physical skills should vault him into the first round in April.
“He’s the best. He’s the best I’ve seen,”Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran said recently (via Matt Zenitz of AL.com). “I’ve never seen a guy hit 385 on the power clean every single year. His first year he hit 365 on the power clean and it was like wow, freshman, that’s incredible.”
Harrison recently received a second-round grade from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee. That’s no surprise after he racked up three interceptions and was named first-team AP All-SEC in 2017. Harrison also led Alabama with 74 tackles on the season.
Running back Bo Scarbrough is also entering the draft, but where he goes is anyone’s guess. Scarbrough split carries with Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris this past season, leaving him with a smaller share of the workload than anticipated. With solid workouts and some big games in his past (like 2016’s 180-yard showing against Washington), Scarbrough is hoping to put himself in the late-round conversation.
Bills Fire OC Rick Dennison
The Bills announced that they have fired offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. The team has yet to hire a replacement for Dennison, making them one of several teams on the lookout for a new OC. 
Dennison came to the Bills last year following the hire of Sean McDermott as head coach. The Bills managed to make the playoffs, but it was in spite of a poor passing game. The Bills placed 29th in total yards, 22nd in points, and averaged only 176.6 passing yards per game, though a Dennison defender would point out that he had to deal with the inconsistencies of Tyrod Taylor and the rawness of rookie Nathan Peterman at quarterback. Meanwhile, the team depleted itself of offensive weapons with the trade of Sammy Watkins and the loss of Robert Woods.
The Browns found their new OC on Friday morning and the Cardinals, Colts, and Giants may all be looking for a new play-caller once they hire head coaches. Already, we’ve seen six OCs replaced this offseason. When all is said and done, there will be no fewer than seven OC shakeups on the year and possibly eleven or more.
Former Chargers coach Mike McCoy could be a candidate for the opening in Buffalo, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter). Alex Marvez of SiriusXM (on Twitter) hears that McCoy and Colts OC Rob Chudzinski are the top two candidates for the job. Both men previously spent time with the Panthers, which helps their cause with McDermott.
Browns Hire Ken Zampese
The Browns have hired former Bengals offensive coordinator Ken Zampese, but he will not be Cleveland’s OC. Zampese has been brought in as the team’s new quarterbacks coach, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. 
In one sense, it’s a step back for the coach who served as the Bengals’ OC up until his firing in September. However, the Browns are likely to use the No. 1 overall pick on a QB, so Zampese will have the opportunity to groom a talented young signal caller
A strong rookie season from the No. 1 overall pick (perhaps Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen) could put Zampese back in line for OC jobs next year. Sean Ryan, the Texans’ QBs coach, can attest to that. He’s in the running for the Browns OC position after guiding Deshaun Watson to a spectacular, though injury-shortened, year.
Prior to becoming the Bengals’ OC in 2016, Zampese spent 12 seasons as the team’s QBs coach.
Cowboys’ Brice Butler Wants To Start
On the cusp of free agency, wide receiver Brice Butler says he’ll go elsewhere unless he’s given a bigger role with the Cowboys. In interviews with FS1’s “Undisputed” and “The Herd,” Butler made his position crystal clear (transcription via the Dallas Morning News). 
“With Dallas, the situation has to be right for me to go back. I have to be a starter. If I’m not starting, I’m not going back,” Butler said.
The 27-year-old (28 later this month) also opined that he could have been more productive that teammate Dez Bryant had he been given the same number of targets. Butler finished out with just 15 catches for 317 yards and three touchdowns versus Bryant’s 69 catches for 838 yards and six TDs, so it’s a bold claim on his part.
“100 percent,” said Butler when asked if he could have topped Bryant’s stat line with an equal number of opportunities. “Because I’m ready. It’s my time, I’ve been there for three years. I feel like me and Dak [Prescott] have a really good relationship. We work on routes. There’s times that we might not have completed a square-out throw in practice, and we’re taking that time out in practice to actually work on it. So I think that’s why when you saw us in the game, he tried to come to me, and most of the times we produced.“
It remains to be seen whether Butler’s bravado will be appreciated by Jerry Jones & Co. Butler is scheduled to hit the open market in March after the conclusion of his one-year $1.1MM deal.
Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick Enters Draft
No surprise here, but Alabama standout Minkah Fitzpatrick is going pro. Fitzpatrick announced on Thursday that he will forgo his final season in order to enter the 2018 draft. 
Between winning the Bednarik Award and a National Championship, Fitzpatrick couldn’t have had a better platform season. He’s lauded for his football IQ and instincts just as much as his athleticism and he also offers the versatility to play anywhere in the secondary. Many project that he will be a free safety at the next level, but he could also see time at cornerback or strong safety depending on the team’s needs.
It is expected that Fitzpatrick will be a top 10, if not top 5, selection. The Browns could target Fitzpatrick at No. 4, giving GM John Dorsey an elite safety like he had in Kansas City with Eric Berry.
In his final season on campus, Fitzpatrick recorded 60 tackles, 1.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, and one interception. He had two pick sixes in both the 2014 and 2015 season, giving him the all-time school record.
Packers Interviewed Doug Whaley
Before settling on Brian Gutekunst as their new GM, the Packers interviewed Doug Whaley for the job, as Michael Cohen of the Journal Sentinel writes. Whaley was the only out-of-house candidate to interview for the job. 
[RELATED: Packers Notes: Whitt, O’Neil, Graham, Staff]
“Doug Whaley really did a job with the interview,” Murphy said. “I think it was not confirmed, but he was the fourth interview. I knew him a little bit, so I enjoyed having a chance to spend some time with him. I’m a Bills fan, so I follow the Bills a little more closely than some of the other teams. But he put together that roster, and it’s a playoff team without a great quarterback. It made the playoffs. They have a good roster. I think that was a tribute to him. Very interesting candidate. Fascinating background. Was a stockbroker for a year, about to be a pilot and done a lot of good things. And obviously served as a GM and his background with the Steelers was intriguing, too.”
The Bills didn’t win a ton of games under Whaley’s watch, but they did snap their playoff drought this year with a roster that has Whaley’s fingerprints all over it. That was enough to garner Whaley interviews for the Packers’ opening as well as the Browns’ GM job, though it’s unlikely that Cleveland genuinely considered any candidate other than John Dorsey.
Extra Points: Redskins, Cousins, Raiders
Redskins coach Jay Gruden wants to see Kirk Cousins get a long-term contract and not just another one-year patchwork solution.
“I think something has to be done,” Gruden told Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post. “I personally don’t want to go through another one-year deal, and just [keep going] one year, one year. I think you want to have a quarterback in here that’s going to be here. And hopefully that is Kirk, and if not, we have to move on and do what we have to do as an organization. For the most part, the great quarterbacks are in the same system year in and year out, and are developing in that system. [Teams are] not holding our breath every March and April, waiting for the guy. But if that’s the case, that’s the case. But we like Kirk and his development. He’s played well at times, without a doubt, proven that he’s a good starting NFL quarterback.”
Cousins did not quite match his 2016 numbers this past season and that could help the two sides reach a midway point in extension talks. Failing that, the Redskins can franchise tag him again for a whopping $34.5MM or use the $28.8MM transition tag, giving them the option to match any offer (though they would not receive any compensation if they do not match).
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- It remains to be seen whether the Raiders will face punishment for skirting the Rooney Rule, but the league has spoken on at least one aspect of Jon Gruden‘s hiring. When asked whether the NFL permits a team to reach an agreement in principle with a new coach before firing its current coach, NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart told Mike Florio of PFT, “There is no league rule or policy on this.” During Gruden’s introductory presser, owner Mark Davis said that he had a handshake deal with Gruden before firing Jack Del Rio. The Fritz Pollard Alliance seems fairly convinced that this was a violation of the Rooney Rule since the team interviewed minority candidates after reaching a deal with Gruden. However, the league may conclude that the Raiders complied with the rule since they did technically interview Tee Martin and Bobby Johnson before putting pen to paper with Chucky.
- Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield may go without an on-field agent, as Liz Mullen of Sports Business Daily writes. It would be a daring play for Mayfield, who is facing many questions about his ability to adapt to the NFL.
- The Bears have tapped Chris Tabor to be their new special-teams coordinator, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. This marks Tabor’s second stint with Chicago, with his first coming in 2008-2010. For the last seven seasons, he’s been in Cleveland, where he’s lasted through two different owners, five GMs, and four head coaches.
Coaching Rumors: Wilks, Cardinals, Colts
The latest coaching news and rumors from around the NFL:
- It sounds like Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will get second interviews with the Cardinals and Colts and he may also get a second go ’round with the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.It’s worth noting that Giants chairman Steve Tisch sat in on Wilks’ interview, which may be a sign that the team is serious about hiring him. As shown on PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, Wilks may also be in the mix for the Lions’ vacancy.
- Former Colts running backs coach Jemal Singleton is taking a job as the Raiders’ running backs coach under Jon Gruden, a source tells Rapoport (Twitter link). Under Singleton’s tutelage, ageless wonder Frank Gore ran for 961 yards and three TDs last year plus 29 catches for 245 yards and one receiving score.
- For the latest on the many ongoing offensive and defensive coordinator searches, bookmark PFR’s Coordinator Tracker.