Sunday Roundup: Morris, Harman, Graham
Let’s take a look at some links from around the league as the Seahawks and Patriots prepare to head off to Arizona:
- We learned earlier today that the Falcons, who will name Dan Quinn as their next head coach on February 2, will also hire Washington defensive backs coach Raheem Morris for an assistant-defensive coordinator hybrid position. NBC4’s Dianna Marie Russini tweets that Morris will not be the team’s defensive coordinator and that he will serve as an assistant of some kind.
- Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com adds that Wade Harman, the Falcons’ assistant offensive line coach in 2014, will be named as the team’s next tight ends coach. Harman served as the Ravens‘ tight ends coach for 15 years before coming to Atlanta in 2014.
- Washington has 12 players eligible for unrestricted free agency, and Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com offers his thoughts as to which of those players the team should re-sign.
- LeGarrette Blount has fallen out of favor with both collegiate and professional organizations in his football career, but Adam Kurkjian of the Boston Herald writes that Blount’s second stint with the Patriots has proven that his true home is in New England.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe wonders if the Buccaneers’ hiring of Mike Bajakian as their quarterbacks coach signals that they have already decided to draft Marcus Mariota with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Volin points out that Bajakian’s spread-option attack is much better suited to Mariota’s skillset than Jameis Winston‘s.
- Marc Sessler of NFL.com writes that Saints tight end Jimmy Graham will use tonight’s Pro Bowl as a gauge to determine whether he should undergo offseason shoulder surgery.
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post says the Broncos have reached a crossroads, and he believes the team will have more questions with Peyton Manning than without.
- Surprise Pro Bowler Justin Forsett reaffirmed this week that he wants to remain with the Ravens, writes Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. The journeyman veteran is tired of bouncing around the league and would like to establish a long-term relationship with the team that gave him the best chance to finally enjoy a breakout season.
North Notes: Hoyer, Gordon, Lions
After hearing last night that the Browns would be interested in bringing back Brian Hoyer, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com delves into the never-ending Hoyer-Johnny Manziel saga once again. Specifically, Grossi notes that one of the most overlooked aspects of that conversation is the fact that Hoyer was returning from his first major injury and surgery in 2014. and that it is therefore reasonable to expect a natural uptick in his performance in 2015. Grossi also notes that, if Cleveland does bring Hoyer back, it is unlikely the team would sign another veteran quarterback like Josh McCown, but someone like Mike Glennon may be an option if Manziel does not return.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the team’s north divisions:
- The issues concerning Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon often take a backseat to the team’s quarterback drama, but Grossi points out in the piece linked above that the Browns are taking the position that Gordon was active for only five games during the year and therefore fell one game short of qualifying for a credited season towards free agency. If Cleveland is right, and if Gordon does not prevail in a potential grievance protesting the suspension, Gordon will be under contract for 2015 and will be a restricted free agent in 2016.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that, even though Lions wide receiver Ryan Broyles was healthy for the first time in his career in 2014, he appeared in just five games and is likely down to his last chance in Detroit.
- Kyle Meinke of the Detroit Free Press looks at the Lions‘ options for upgrading their offensive line in free agency, pointing out that the team is unlikely to have enough cap space to sign the top linemen on the market, but a solid second-tier option like guard Orlando Franklin or tackle Michael Roos could be in play.
- As they look to address perhaps their biggest position of need, the Ravens met with USC cornerback Josh Shaw during Senior Bowl week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Coley Harvey of ESPN.com writes that tackle Marshall Newhouse is one of the free agents the Bengals will likely let go this offseason.
Coaching Notes: Johnson, Falcons, Kubiak, Harbaugh
Following a career that featured stops with the Giants and Jets, former NFL linebacker Pepper Johnson is returning to New York. The 50-year-old will be joining Todd Bowles staff as the Jets‘ defensive line coach, the team announced.
Johnson was on the Patriots coaching staff for 14 seasons, which included stints as the team’s linebacker and defensive line coach. He spent last season as the Bills defensive line coach.
Let’s take a look at some more coaching notes from around the league…
- Mike Jones of The Washington Post tweets that the Falcons have interest in coach Raheem Morris, and NFL Network’s Albert Breer reports (via Twitter) that Washington has granted Atlanta permission to interview their defensive backs coach.
- Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun that he “had a blast” as the Ravens offensive coordinator. The 53-year-old is also fond of his replacement in Baltimore, former Bears head coach Marc Trestman. “I think Marc will be a really good fit for Joe [Flacco]. Marc has a good personality. Joe is a mild-mannered guy, but he’s a fiery competitor on the field. I think he and Marc will do very well together.”
- Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press had some interesting notes on Jim Harbaugh‘s contract with Michigan. If the coach were to leave his contract early, he’d owe the school a prorated portion of his $2MM signing bonus. The contract also calls for flexibility should the total amount eventually fall below market value.
Draft Notes: Mariota, Rams, Bengals, Ravens
The 2015 Senior Bowl will take place later this afternoon, and we should catch a glimpse of some future NFL stars. Let’s take a look at some notes regarding these prospects, including information about this year’s Heisman winner…
- Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota has chosen Alan Zucker of Excel Sports for all off-field representation, tweets Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal.
- The Rams are keeping an eye on East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden, writes Jim Thomas of the St.Louis Post-Dispatch.
- The Bengals haven’t drafted a bona fide left tackle in the first round since Levi Jones in 2002. That may change this year, as Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com believes the team could pursue the position early in the draft. The writer focuses on LSU’s La’el Collins as a potential target.
- The Ravens are fond of their young receivers, including Kamar Aiken, Marlon Brown and Michael Campanaro. Despite this, the organization is still doing their research on a number of wideout prospects, and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that the organization met with Auburn receiver Sammie Coates earlier this week.
- Wilson writes that the Ravens also met with Ohio State wideout Devin Smith. “It went really well,” Smith said. “They showed a lot of interest. They liked the things I did on the football field.”
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Ravens announced they have signed receiver Aldrick Robinson to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Robinson, 26, was a sixth-round pick by Washington in 2011. After being waived by Washington on December 6, Robinson joined Baltimore’s practice squad three days later.
- The Broncos signed quarterback Zac Dysert to a reserve/futures deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Dysert was one of a handful of practice squad players earning more than the minimum salary in 2014. Dysert made $10K per week on Denver’s taxi squad versus the league minimum of $6,300 per week. Dysert, 24, was taken in the seventh round of the 2013 draft by Denver.
Draft Notes: Perryman, Dolphins, Lions
The Senior Bowl means plenty of draft speculation and talk of the Dolphins tapping local star Denzel Perryman has been a hot topic in recent days. However, drafting Perryman is going to require a long and thoughtful debate in Miami, as Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes. While GM Dennis Hickey doesn’t often mind drafting players that do not meet prototypical size and speed requirements (see: Jarvis Landry), assistant GM Eric Stokes does not feel the same way. Perryman, unfortunately, does not have the size one would usually want in a middle linebacker. More draft news..
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin could wind up as the next coach of the Falcons, but he’s not neglecting his duties in Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Austin booked interviews with Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton, Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant, Miami (Ohio) cornerback Quinten Rollins, and Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty last night.
- East Carolina wide receiver Justin Hardy said he a great meeting with the Ravens at the Senior Bowl, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- Penn State linebacker Mike Hull and defensive end Deion Barnes have each met with the Eagles at the Senior Bowl, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter). Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith and USC cornerback Josh Shaw have also met with the Eagles (link).
- The Giants met with wide receivers Sammie Coates and Devin Smith, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).
Coach Updates: Chudzinski, Ravens, Raiders
We rounded up one set of coaching updates and rumors this morning, but several more have trickled in since then, so we’re due for another recap. Here’s the latest:
- The Colts are blocking offensive assistant Rob Chudzinski from interviewing for any teams’ offensive coordinator jobs, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Bears, 49ers, and Rams are among the teams that have been linked to Chudzinski and will have to look elsewhere.
- A day after being officially replaced as the Jets’ offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg has found a new job, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who announced today that Mornhinweg had joined his staff in Baltimore as the team’s quarterbacks coach (Twitter link). Mornhinweg replaces Rick Dennison, who left the Ravens to become Denver’s offensive coordinator.
- During Harbaugh’s conversation with reporters, the Ravens head coach added that he was very impressed with Adam Gase‘s interview for the club’s offensive coordinator job, but that he viewed Marc Trestman as a better fit (Twitter link via Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com).
- Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) provides an update on the Raiders‘ defensive coordinator hunt, writing that Jack Del Rio has been talking to Mike Smith about the position for about a week, Eric Mangini is interviewing today, and Mel Tucker is also on the team’s radar.
- The 49ers are interested in former Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who says San Francisco would likely want Sparano as a tight ends coach.
- Rumors about Dick LeBeau closing in on a deal to become the Cardinals‘ linebackers coach are a surprise to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who tweets that as of a couple days ago, LeBeau was only interested in becoming a defensive coordinator, not a position coach.
Coach Notes: Browns, Ravens, Rams, Austin
Six of the seven teams changing head coaches this offseason have officially hired replacements, and the Falcons appear fully prepared to wait for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. However, while there may not be much drama left among the league’s head coaching searches, there’s still plenty of intrigue in the coordinator searches, as a number of noteworthy coaches continue to look for jobs. Here’s a round-up of the latest updates:
- The Browns have canceled their offensive coordinator interview with Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The meeting hasn’t been rescheduled, and no reason was given for the cancellation, so it’s not clear why it will no longer happen.
- In addition to not interviewing Saunders, the Browns also won’t speak to former Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). A Tuesday report had suggested Mornhinweg was expected to talk to the club about the job.
- While Mornhinweg apparently won’t interview with the Browns, he has drawn interest from the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Baltimore hired Marc Trestman as its new offensive coordinator yesterday, so Mornhinweg would be a candidate for the team’s quarterbacks coach job.
- The Rams have been denied permission to speak to two of their offensive coordinator candidates, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports that the Colts blocked the Rams from talking to Rob Chudzinski, while the Packers thwarted St. Louis’ efforts to talk to Alex Van Pelt. The Rams still hope to interview Adam Gase, who is in Chicago today to speak to the Bears.
- While Teryl Austin could still technically end up becoming the Falcons‘ new head coach, it sure looks like the Lions defensive coordinator will be returning to Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.
- The Broncos will hope for a change of heart from the Bengals on secondary coach Vance Joseph, whom Denver targeted as its top defensive coordinator target, but with Cincinnati refusing to release Joseph from his contract, the Broncos are moving forward on other candidates, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
- Mike Smith has been the Raiders‘ top target for defensive coordinator since Jack Del Rio was named head coach, tweets Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune. If an established coach like Smith lands Oakland’s DC job, he’ll have more autonomy than a younger coach would — Del Rio would be more involved on D in that case, says McDonald.
Ravens Hire Marc Trestman As OC
3:31pm: It’ll be a three-year agreement for Trestman and the Ravens, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
2:31pm: Marc Trestman, who was let go by the Bears at season’s end, has become the third 2014 head coach today to land a new job with another team. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Trestman will replace Gary Kubiak in Baltimore, having been hired as the Ravens’ new offensive coordinator.
Despite a nightmarish season in Chicago which saw Jay Cutler under fire from critics and resulted in Trestman losing his job, the Bears’ offense actually ranked in the top half of the league in DVOA, finishing 14th after placing sixth in 2013. The offense never fully came together and produced consistently in 2014, but Trestman had success with Cutler and Josh McCown the year before, and Chicago’s poor defensive play played a larger part in the team’s overall struggles than the offense did.
After being fired by the Bears, Trestman reportedly interviewed with the Jaguars and Browns, and was mentioned as a possible target for a couple other clubs in the market for an offensive coordinator. While his disappointing stint with the Bears didn’t earn him interviews for other head coaching jobs, the 59-year-old still has a strong resumé as an offensive coach, having previously acted as the offensive coordinator for the Browns, 49ers, Cardinals, and Raiders.
Once it became clear that Kubiak was headed to Denver to become the Broncos’ new head coach, the Ravens reportedly identified Adam Gase and Rick Dennison as potential offensive coordinator candidates. However, Dennison followed Kubiak to the Broncos to become the new OC in Denver. As for Gase, a report earlier this week indicated that he was likely to land with either the Ravens or Jaguars, so perhaps Baltimore’s hiring of Trestman opens the door for Gase to land in Jacksonville — he still has multiple suitors though.
Besides Trestman, former Bills head coach Doug Marrone and ex-Raiders head coach Dennis Allen have also found new jobs today, reaching agreements with the Jaguars and Saints respectively, in assistant roles.
Coach/GM Notes: Gase, 49ers, Eagles
Following his nine seasons as John Elway‘s backup, Gary Kubiak bounced around a bit when he entered the coaching profession. He started as the running backs coach at Texas A&M before spending a year with the 49ers as the quarterbacks coach. Kubiak then spent more than ten seasons with the Broncos before he was hired as the Texans head coach. Last season, the 53-year-old was the Ravens offensive coordinator.
As a result, Kubiak is hoping to have a lengthy tenure in Denver (via Mike Klis of The Denver Post):
“I’m excited. I’m looking forward to the work. It’s great to be home again.
“Hopefully it works out so this is the last coaching job I have in my career.”
Here are some more assorted coach and front office notes from around the league:
Coaching:
- Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase will interview with the Ravens this evening, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Ironically, Gase’s meeting would be for the position previously held by the current Broncos head coach.
- The 49ers have requested permission to interview Colts special assistant Rob Chudzinski to become the team’s offensive coordinator, tweets Rapoport. We learned earlier today that the Bears had also requested permission.
- The Eagles have hired former Broncos defensive backs coach Cory Undlin for the same role, the team announced. The team also promoted assistant Justin Peelle to tight ends coach.
- Meanwhile, former Eagles defensive backs coach John Lovett and former tight ends coach Ted Williams will stay with the organization in the pro scouting department, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).
Front office:
- The Buccaneers have denied the Eagles the opportunity to interview director of player personnel Jon Robinson for the open general manager vacancy, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While the Philadelphia job may have the GM title, Chip Kelly will have final say over roster and personnel decisions, so it wouldn’t necessarily be a promotion for an exec who already holds a director of player personnel title.
- The Eagles will have an opportunity to interview candidates from the front offices of both the Patriots and Seahawks this week, reports Jeff McClain of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). However, the team will still need organizational permission to reach out to candidates.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.