Lions Block Teryl Austin From Packers
Request denied. The Lions will not allow Teryl Austin to interview with the Packers for their defensive coordinator vacancy, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
This week, the Lions permitted Austin to interview with the Bengals, so this could be a move to stifle a divisional rival. Alternatively, this could be a sign that the Lions are now giving serious consideration to promoting Austin to head coach. The Lions met with Austin this week to discuss the position, making him one of seven known candidates for the gig.
This is the second time today that the Packers have been shut down when trying to poach talent from another team in the NFC North. On Friday morning, the Vikings denied their request to interview executive George Paton.
Rob Gronkowski Maxes Out Incentives
Rob Gronkowski has reason to celebrate this weekend. The Patriots tight end has been earned a First-Team All-Pro nod, meaning that he will earn the maximum $10.75MM incentive-based salary this season. 
In May, the Patriots and Gronk restructured his deal to incentivize his performance while protecting the team against another injury-marred season. The deal gave him a base salary of $5.25MM with incentive packages at three different tiers:
- A total salary of $10.75MM with either 90% play time or 80 catches or 1,200 receiving yards or an All-Pro nomination.
- A total salary $8.75MM with 80% play time or 70 catches or 1,000 receiving yards or 12 touchdowns.
- A total salary of $6.75MM with 70% play time or 60 receptions or 800 receiving yards or ten touchdowns.
With 1,084 yards (off of 69 receptions with eight touchdowns), Gronkowski satisfied the middle tier requirement. With Friday’s First-Team All-Pro selection, the tight end maxed out his 2017 package.
With a few extra dollars in his pocket, Gronkowski can rest up and get ready for the divisional round of the playoffs. The Patriots’ postseason gets underway on Saturday January 13th against the lowest winning seed from the AFC Wild Card round.
Packers Want To Interview Teryl Austin
[UPDATE: The Lions have denied the Packers’ request]
The Packers are seeking to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin for their vacant defensive coordinator position, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The team will also their own secondary coach Darren Perry for the same job. 
Austin figures to be a popular name this offseason. In early December, the Fritz Pollard Alliance listed him as one of four excellent minority candidates for head coaching jobs. The Lions met with Austin this week to discuss their own head coaching vacancy and the Bengals are meeting with Austin on Friday to about their DC opening.
Austin interviewed for a dozen head coaching positions over the past three seasons, but has not yet been given his shot. If he is unable to land a head coaching job this offseason, he may look to build his DC resume elsewhere. The Packers would give Austin the opportunity to hook on with a potential contender and make the Lions regret overlooking him.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Peppers, Giants, Apple
The Panthers would like to have 37-year-old Julius Peppers back in the fold next year, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes.
“I’d love for him to come back, absolutely,’’ head coach Ron Rivera said. “And I know we’ve managed him [in terms of practice time] and we’ll do whatever we need to. But it’s all up to him. He’s had a very good year. Who knows? Hopefully, we can keep it rolling.”
Peppers is playing out a one-year deal with a base value of $3.5MM that could reach up to $4.25MM with bonuses. Of course, his focus is currently on helping the Panthers advance in the playoffs.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- New Giants GM Dave Gettleman had a sit-down meeting with Eli Apple this week, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter). Schwartz takes this as a sign that Apple could still be in the team’s plans for 2018 and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) agrees. However, that comes with the caveat that Apple shows increased maturity. If all goes right, both Apple and offensive lineman Ereck Flowers could be a part of the team moving forward.
- The Cardinals are in town to interview Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for their head coach opening today, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). First, Schwartz gets his shot in the afternoon, followed by DeFilippo in the evening.
- The Packers want to talk to a key executive from the Ravens about their GM vacancy.
Frontrunner Emerges For Texans GM Job
A favorite has emerged in the Texans’ GM search. Bills executive Brian Gaine is the favorite for the role, according to Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
As shown on PFR’s 2018 NFL General Manager Search Tracker, Gaine appears to be up against Nick Caserio and Monti Ossenfort of the Patriots, Brian Gutekunst of the Packers, Eagles VP of player personnel Joe Douglas, Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay, and internal candidate Jimmy Raye III.
Gaine was hired away from Houston last year when he was tabbed to be the Bills’ vice president of player personnel. Gaine spent three years with the Texans and it sounds like he could be poised to return as the head honcho.
NFL Ends Tramaine Brock Investigation
Good news for cornerback Tramaine Brock. The NFL has dropped its investigation against the pending free agent, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The league informed Brock on Friday that there is “insufficient evidence to support a finding” that he violated the personal conduct policy. Without the threat of a potential suspension hanging over his head, Brock should have an easier time landing a deal this offseason. He also won’t have to worry about being held out of postseason action this year.
It was a strange 2017 for Brock. In April, the Niners cut him on the heels of a domestic violence arrest. After that charge was dropped in August, the Seahawks jumped at the chance to bolster the Legion of Boom. Then, before the start of the season, Seattle shipped Brock to Minnesota for a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick.
Brock, 29, suited up for eleven games this season, but a foot injury could prevent him from taking the field in the divisional round. In 2016, he finished second among 49ers defenders in snaps (1,102) and graded 21st in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified cornerbacks.
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie To Lose Power In Organization?
The ripple effect of Jon Gruden‘s arrival will be felt throughout the Raiders organization. The question is – will it affect the scope of GM Reggie McKenzie‘s power? We have some conflicting word on that front. 
The Raiders will keep Reggie McKenzie as GM but will be hiring an EVP of Football Operations to oversee personnel, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. He adds that the team could also hire a young executive. It’s possible that the young exec in question is Brian Heimerdinger, who Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link) recently suggested as a Gruden target. Heimerdinger remains under contract with the Jets, so the Raiders will have to work something out with Gang Green if they want to bring him on board.
Not everyone is convinced that McKenzie’s role will be reduced. Jim Trotter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that McKenzie turned down an opportunity to interview with the Packers, a possible indication that he’ll still maintain some control over the 53-man roster in Oakland.
Raiders To Name Jon Gruden As Their Head Coach On Tuesday
The worst kept secret in football is about to go public. The Raiders will name Jon Gruden as their head coach in a press conference on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The news was first reported by author Steve Corkran (Twitter link). 
Recently, Gruden admitted there is a “good chance” that he’ll become the next coach of the Raiders. However, he denied reports indicating that he will wind up with a piece of team ownership as part of the deal. Even without minority ownership, this is a colossal deal for Gruden. It’s a ten-year contract likely to be worth about $100MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The sum of Gruden’s contract is jaw-dropping, but he provides a great deal of value to the Raiders outside of football. His presence will keep the fanbase in Oakland engaged for the next two years before the move to Las Vegas. Once they arrive in Nevada, Gruden’s popularity could boost ticket sales and the value of local media rights packages.
From a football perspective, Gruden offers familiarity with team ownership and a winning pedigree. It’s also an opportunity for the Raiders to rewrite history. Under Gruden, the Raiders reached the playoffs twice, ascending to the AFC Championship game in the 2000 season before their heartbreaking loss to the Patriots in the following year. In 2002, the Raiders traded Gruden to the Buccaneers for a whopping package that included two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and $8MM in cash. That season, of course, gave us the Gruden Bowl. Gruden’s Bucs blew the doors off of the Raiders and won by a score of 48-21.
One can’t help but wonder how the late Al Davis would feel about all of this. The Raiders owner always had a pension for defying popular thought, but his reluctance to dole out exorbitant salaries to coaches is what led to Gruden’s departure in the first place. Fifteen years later, Gruden is back in Oakland with a record-breaking contract.
Unlike the Cardinals, Bears, Lions, Colts, and Giants, the Raiders did not cast a wide net in their coaching search. This week, the team interviewed incumbent tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and met with one other unknown candidate to fulfill the Rooney Rule. With that obligation out of the way, the Raiders are set to announce the signing of the only coach they were ever interested in hiring.
Already, Gruden’s staff is taking shape. The Raiders will hire Rams quarterbacks coach Greg Olson as their offensive coordinator and former Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther as their new DC, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). And, as previously reported, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will be moving from Dallas to Oakland.
The deals for each coordinator will be four years in length, giving them two years in Oakland and two years in Las Vegas, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deals will also be backloaded in order to capitalize on the absence of state income taxes in Nevada, Michael Gehlken of the Journal-Review tweets.
Packers Want To Interview Ravens’ Eric DeCosta
The Packers are seeking to interview Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta, according to Mike Florio of PFT. It’s not immediately clear whether a formal request has been submitted. If the Packers have in fact asked for a meeting, it’s not Ravens or DeCosta himself have consented. 
[RELATED: Packers Request Interview With George Paton, Vikings Say No]
In the past, DeCosta has turned down potential opportunities to become a GM elsewhere. He has been in the Ravens organization for more than 20 years and is widely viewed as the heir apparent to GM Ozzie Newsome.
For now, there are three known candidates for the Packers job, and they’re all in-house. Director of football operations Eliot Wolf interviewed on Thursday, Director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst has his interview today (per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter), and VP of football administration Russ Ball should follow shortly thereafter. The Packers asked to interview Vikings exec George Paton, but the request was denied by their NFC North rivals.
Ravens To Retain Greg Roman
The contract for Ravens assistant Greg Roman expired at the end of the season, leading to speculation that he could hook on with another team as an offensive coordinator. That won’t be the case, however, as Roman has been re-signed to a new deal that will give him the designation of assistant head coach, Alex Marvez of The Sporting News hears. 
Previously, Roman was with the club as the senior offensive assistant/tight ends coach. Before joining the Ravens in 2017, he served as the offensive coordinator of the 49ers and Bills. With six years of OC experience, he could have waited for play-calling opportunities to arise elsewhere once teams filled their head coaching vacancies. Instead, he’ll stay put, even though OC Marty Mornhinweg will be brought back for 2018.
If the Ravens’ offense sputters in the fall and Mornhinweg gets the axe, Roman will be the leading candidate to put on that headset.