AFC Notes: Jaguars, Gase, Bills, Jets
On the eve of championship Sunday, let’s take a look at a few items from across the AFC….
- We heard yesterday that the Jaguars were looking to speak to Adam Gase about their offensive coordinator job, and Michael Silver of NFL.com reports today (via Twitter) that Jacksonville will indeed get a chance to interview the Broncos OC.
- The Bills have reached a two-year deal with former Jets assistant Sanjay Lal to become their wide receivers coach, a source tells ESPN’s John Clayton (link via Mike Rodak).
- Seth Walder of the New York Daily News lists six moves that new general manager Mike Maccagnan must make in order to point the Jets in the right direction.
- The Chiefs narrowly missed the playoffs in 2014, and are watching as Andrew Luck and the Colts – a team they nearly beat in the postseason a year ago – advance to the AFC Championship game. Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star uses the opportunity to compare the Chiefs to the Colts, taking a look at how the right offseason moves could help Kansas City take the next step in 2015.
- Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has projected Oregon star and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to be selected by the Titans with the second pick of the draft. However, the fit would be awkward, as head coach Ken Whisenhunt traditionally prefers pocket passers in order to run his offense, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
- The Browns could use receiver help next season, especially with Josh Gordon playing inconsistently since returning from suspension this season, and the team could target Jaguars pass catcher Cecil Shorts this offseason, writes Steve Doerschuk of CantonRep.com. Shorts would be an affordable option, and could relish the opportunity to move closer to home in Cleveland.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Coach Updates: Spagnuolo, 49ers, Shanahan
New Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has a huge task ahead of him, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. While Vacchiano believes that head coach Tom Coughlin made a great decision going into his past to hire his best defensive coordinator. The tough part is that Spagnuolo will have to match his past success without stars such as Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora.
- There are a number of Giants players who could improve under Spagnuolo’s tutelage, writes Nick Powell of NJ.com. Howell picks out Johnathan Hankins, Antrel Rolle, Jason Pierre-Paul, Robert Ayers, and Jameel McClain as guys who may benefit.
- The 49ers are looking for a new offensive coordinator after Greg Roman joined the Bills, and Colts offensive assistant Rob Chudzinski is well positioned to take over, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
- Other candidates for the offensive coordinator position with the 49ers include former head coaches Mike Shanahan and Lane Kiffin, reports Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. Shanhan was once thought of in the mix for head coaching jobs, and Kiffin would be coming from the University of Alabama.
- 49ers offensive assistant Ronald Curry will have an opportunity to stay with the team as the wide receivers coach, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Curry has not been given permission by the team to interview for the Bills, where he could have rejoined offensive coordinator Roman (via Twitter).
- Former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan almost was hired in Baltimore a year ago, and if Gary Kubiak leaves the Ravens to take the Broncos head coaching job, the team could revisit Shanahan, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team is still impressed with his strong interview last year.
Coach Notes: Capers, Fangio, Bills, Kubiak
Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers is not planning on retiring anytime soon. The 64-year-old has had to work some overtime since he joined the organization in 2009, as the team’s made the playoffs in each of his six seasons. However, the former Panthers and Texans coach isn’t tiring.
“I would like to coach as long as I enjoy it and feel I have something to offer,” Capers told Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel. “If I didn’t feel I have something to offer I wouldn’t do it anymore.
“I’m enjoying it. My health’s excellent. You can talk to anybody here… who spends the most hours here? And I’d like to think (I have something to offer).”
Other coaching notes from the around the league:
- Following reports that the Bears had requested permission to interview Vic Fangio, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 in D.C. tweets that the team will indeed meet with the former 49ers defensive coordinator. Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets that Fangio will then travel to meet with Washington this evening.
- In the same tweet, Barrows notes that former 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell will likely follow the coordinator wherever he goes.
- Aaron Kromer has signed a two-year deal with the Bills to become the team’s offensive line coach, according to ESPN’s John Clayton (via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak on Twitter). The former Bears offensive coordinator was fired in late December.
- Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post says Gary Kubiak is the right choice for the Broncos head coaching opening. The writer believes the coach’s communication abilities will allow him to flourish with Peyton Manning. Reversely, if Manning decides to retire, the coach would also be the “perfect man” to groom a young, developing quarterback.
Coach Updates: Fangio, Allen, Kromer, Tarver
The Bears have requested permission to interview ex-49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for the same position, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Previous reports indicated Fangio was released from his San Francisco contract earlier today, so technically Chicago shouldn’t need to ask the Niners for approval. Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com “continues to hear” (Twitter link) that former Raiders head coach Dennis Allen is the favorite for the Bears DC job.
Here’s the latest on the coaching front…
- The Bills have hired former Bears assistant Aaron Kromer as their offensive line coach, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). FootballScoop.com was the first to hear the Kromer rumblings, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted the two sides were “closing in” on a deal. Additionally, Rapoport says (Twitter link) that Buffalo has also hired David Lee as its quarterbacks coach. Lee worked with new Bills coach Rex Ryan with the Jets from 2013-14.
- After hiring his defensive coordinator earlier today, new Jets head coach Todd Bowles has added another staff member, ex-Cardinals linebackers coach Mike Caldwell (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). Per Somers, Caldwell will be named an assistant head coach in New York after the Cards let him out of his contract.
- It’s been speculated that former Raiders DC Jason Tarver could have a role on Jim Tomsula’s 49ers staff, and today Tarver interviewed for a position with San Francisco, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Tarver previously spent ten years with the Niners, beginning in 2001.
- The 49ers will not retain special teams coordinator Brad Seely, reports Maiocco. Seely, a 22-year NFL coaching veteran, had been with SF since 2011. Meanwhile, Maiocco adds that the Bills have requested an interview with Niners offensive assistant Ronald Curry, who has not been fired by San Francisco.
- The Browns continue to interview candidates for their vacant offensive coordinator position, and met with Jim Hostler today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Hostler, currently a senior offensive assistant with the Bills, was the 49ers’ play-caller during the 2007 season.
2015 Proven Performance Escalator Raises
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time in said snaps for the duration of his first three years in the league. If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s restricted free agent qualifying offer — that figure was $1.431MM last year, and will inflate commensurate with the salary cap increase. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their 2015 salary rise due to the PPE, courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.
Bengals: George Iloka, S; Mohamed Sanu, WR
Bills: Nigel Bradham, LB
Broncos: Malik Jackson, DL; Danny Trevathan, LB;
Browns: Billy Winn, DL
Cardinals: Bobby Massie, T
Chargers: Johnnie Troutman, G
Colts: Dwayne Allen, TE; T.Y. Hilton, WR
Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB; Olivier Vernon, DE
Eagles: Brandon Boykin, CB; Nick Foles; QB
Falcons: Lamar Holmes, T
Jets: Demario Davis, LB; Antonio Allen, DB
Packers: Mike Daniels, DL
Panthers: Josh Norman, CB
Patriots: Alfonzo Dennard, CB
Raiders: Miles Burris, LB
Rams: Chris Givens, WR; Trumaine Johnson, CB
Ravens: Gino Gradkowski, C
Saints: Akiem Hicks, DT; Corey White, CB
Seahawks: J.R. Sweezy, G; Russell Wilson, QB
Steelers: Kelvin Beachum, T
Texans: Brandon Brooks, G; Jared Crick, DL; Ben Jones, G
Titans: Coty Sensabaugh, CB
Vikings: Robert Blanton, S: Rhett Ellison, TE; Josh Robinson, CB; Jarius Wright, WR
Washington: Alfred Morris, RB
AFC Notes: Raiders, Broncos, Wallace, Jets
Addressing reporters at Jack Del Rio‘s introductory press conference today, Raiders owner Mark Davis announced that CFO Marc Badain had been named team president, and indicated that Del Rio “has all the resources he needs” to go out and hire assistant coaches (Twitter links via Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer). And it appears that Del Rio has taken advantage of those resources to land his first offensive assistant — Michael Silver of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders will hire Falcons assistant Mike Tice to coach their offensive line. The Falcons had previously been reluctant to grant Tice permission to speak to the Raiders, but were convinced to change their stance after Tice pleaded his case, tweets Silver. Oakland is also expected to formally contact Marc Trestman soon about the team’s offensive coordinator position, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
Here’s more from across the AFC, as the week winds down and we look forward to championship weekend:
- The Broncos have concluded their head coaching interview with Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph, the club announced today (via Twitter). Having now adhered to the Rooney Rule, Denver is free to hire Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak if this Sunday’s meeting between the two sides goes well. With Teryl Austin and Doug Marrone having canceled their interviews, Kubiak is the only candidate currently scheduled to meet with the team.
- Speaking today to reporters, including Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), Dolphins owner Stephen Ross indicated that he doesn’t think “anyone really knows” whether wide receiver Mike Wallace will be back with the team for the 2015 season. Wallace will count for $12.1MM against the cap in 2015, a significant figure, though not as high as 2014’s $17.25MM cap hit.
- With the status of players like Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas uncertain heading into the offseason, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton recognizes that he may not be the Broncos‘ No. 1 priority among free-agents-to-be, but he has “made it clear” that he wants to remain with the team, as he tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- New Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan has started making changes to the team’s front office, parting ways with senior director of college scouting Terry Bradway and director of college scouting Jeff Bauer, the team announced in a press release. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), personnel executive Rod Graves isn’t expected to return either. Mehta reports (via Twitter) that Maccagnan would like to hire Rams scout Brian Heimerdinger – whom he worked with in Houston – to the Jets’ front office. The new GM is also set to hire former Jaguars GM Gene Smith, as had been previously reported, tweets Mehta.
- The Jets would like to talk to former Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo about the same position in New York, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- Bills quarterback E.J. Manuel, who is still a year away from becoming eligible for a contract extension, has changed agent, signing with Eugene Parker of Relativity Sports, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
AFC East Notes: Spiller, Jets, Hughes, Revis
As we look forward to seeing whether the AFC East champs will represent the conference in this year’s Super Bowl, here are a few notes from around the division, on the Patriots and their rivals:
- Recent reports have indicated that Chan Gailey is a top contender for the Jets‘ offensive coordinator position under new head coach Todd Bowles, and if Gailey does land in New York, the possibility of heading to a divisional rival may be of interest to Bills running back C.J. Spiller, as he tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “There is that familiarity between me and him in that offense,” Spiller said. “So that would be a perfect match. Who knows what can happen, but I’d be foolish not to have those guys on my list. I had my best years in the league with Chan. So it’d be dumb not to give it serious thought.”
- Jerry Hughes‘ value to the Bills may not be quite as high in Rex Ryan‘s system as it would have been in Jim Schwartz‘s, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com explains. Still, Hughes has proven his worth with consecutive seasons of double-digit sacks, and general manager Doug Whaley hopes to get something done with the edge defender. “I know [primary contract negotiator Jim Overdorf] has been in contact with his representatives and started the process,” Whaley told WGR 550 on Thursday. “We’re excited and we want him back. He’s a great addition to our defense and hopefully we can get this thing done sooner than later.”
- Cornerback Darrelle Revis hates being saddled with the “mercenary” label, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, who says that two other AFC teams tried to sign Revis a year ago and were willing to offer more money than the Patriots did. With Revis expected to sign a new contract this offseason, Volin wonders if the veteran cornerback will once again accept less money to stick with the Pats.
East Notes: Cowboys, Rodgers, Bills
The Cowboys will retain coordinators Rod Marinelli and Scott Linehan and that’s huge for them in the opinion of former quarterback Troy Aikman. “To maintain the continuity with those two coordinators, two outstanding coordinators, is very, very important for this team moving forward,” Aikman told KTCK-AM (via The Dallas Morning News) “Rod Marinelli, if he had left, I thought that would be a really big blow to that defense. Scott Linehan … he was outstanding all season long. To be able to maintain the running game at difficult points in games throughout the season. To still remain committed to it. We’ve seen, for a number of years, this team get away from the run game. This year’s edition never did. I think it’s a real credit to Scott Linehan.” More from both East divisions..
- The Dolphins will not block Kacy Rodgers from taking the Jets‘ defensive coordinator job, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). However, as of tonight, the deal has not been finalized.
- A lot of people are skeptical about the Bills‘ quarterback situation with EJ Manuel currently at the helm, but new coach Rex Ryan told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he’s not concerned. “This is not just about one man or about one position,” Ryan said. “It’s about your team and more importantly the direction of your team, I think from ownership, to president [Russ Brandon], to Doug [Whaley], our General Manager. To me, it seems like everybody wants the same thing and they all feel like there is a certain way to get there. That’s where we are tied in and we are behind each other 100 percent. I think that’s something really important to me and obviously, I think, with the players we have as well, it is a great mesh.”
- With the Cowboys in need of salary cap space, cornerback Brandon Carr could be released or forced to take a pay cut. Owner Jerry Jones sounds intent on trimming his income, which is set to count against the cap for $12.7MM in 2015. “Carr played well this year and I’m not as critical of Carr as others,” Jones said. “But that’s a lot of money. One thing that we just got to do is we’ve got to make sure that every way we can, we get the value for the money,” Jones said, according to Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News.
- Eagles outside linebacker Connor Barwin hit his full escalator worth $900K, so his base salary for 2015 will rise from $5.5MM to $6.4MM, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins have 16 free agents this offseason and a dozen of them are unrestricted. James Walker of ESPN.com looked at one of those UFAs earlier today when he examined defensive tackle Jared Odrick. Odrick will probably get the most interest from teams with 3-4 schemes and Miami isn’t expected to make much of a push for him. The Dolphins need the cap space and Odrick’s spat with coach Joe Philbin doesn’t help his cause.
Minor Moves: Carter, Brown, Green
Today’s minor moves..
- The Vikings announced (on Twitter) that they have signed cornerback Jalil Carter to a reserve/future free agent contract. Carter played for the Toronto Argonauts from 2012-2014 and drew considerable NFL interest this offseason. Carter auditioned for the Chiefs, Giants, Broncos, and other clubs over the last couple of months.
- The Panthers announced (on Twitter) that they have signed former Jaguars wide receiver Mike Brown to a futures deal. Brown had seven catches for 88 yards for the Jags in 2014 prior to being dropped from the 53-man roster and subsequently re-signed to the taxi squad.
- The Bills announced that they have signed defensive back Jonte Green and guard Darryl Johnson to futures deals. Green, a sixth round pick of the Lions in 2012, played 24 games with seven starts over the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the Lions and totaled 38 tackles, one sack, seven passes defensed and one interception. Johnson originally came into the NFL as a UDFA with the Chargers after last year’s draft.
- The Steelers signed Mitchell Van Dyk to a future contract for 2015, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). Van Dyk, a tackle, was a 2014 draft pick of the Rams.
AFC Notes: Rice, Browns, Knighton, Jets
A hearing had been scheduled for today for Ray Rice‘s grievance against the Ravens, which alleged that the club owed him $3.5MM for cutting him hours after in-elevator footage of him striking his then-fiancée surfaced in September. However, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the two sides have reached a settlement agreement. While the exact amount that the Ravens are paying Rice isn’t known, the settlement signals the formal end of Rice’s appeals processes and his relationship with the Ravens. The veteran running back has been paid and reinstated, so now it’s just a matter of waiting to see if any clubs will be willing to sign him to a new contract this offseason.
Here’s more from across the AFC:
- Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter links) have a pair of updates on the Browns‘ offensive coordinator search, reporting that Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders and Bills senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler will interview for the job. Saunders will speak to the team on Tuesday, according to Cabot, while Hostler’s interview will happen this week, per Ulrich.
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter link), free-agent-to-be Terrance Knighton indicated that he hasn’t gotten from the feeling from the Broncos that they’ll bring him back for next season. With Denver defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio becoming the new head coach in Oakland, the Raiders figure to be linked to the big defensive tackle as he nears free agency.
- New Jets general manager Mike Maccaganan is “strongly considering” hiring ex-Jaguars GM Gene Smith to his front office staff, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports has another Jets update, tweeting that Falcons defensive backs coach Joe Fanna will be joining Todd Bowles‘ staff in New York.
- Longtime Jaguars fullback Greg Jones, who announced his retirement today, has interest in coaching and said he’d like to eventually become an offensive coordinator (Twitter link via Vito Stellino).
- Bills president Russ Brandon spoke to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News about the Bills’ new front office structure, which will involve GM Doug Whaley having final say on the 53-man roster, while head coach Rex Ryan decides on the coaching staff and active gameday rosters.