Bills Hire Dennis Thurman As DC
THURSDAY, 12:06pm: The Bills have officially announced the hiring of Thurman as their defensive coordinator, according to a team release.
MONDAY, 10:35pm: We learned earlier tonight that despite reports that incoming Bills head coach Rex Ryan would offer him a spot on his coaching staff, Jim Schwartz will not return as Buffalo’s defensive coordinator. Instead, as has been widely speculated, Ryan will bring along his DC from his time with the Jets, Dennis Thurman, to take over the Bills defense, according to Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
It’s perhaps a bit surprising that Schwartz is being allowed to leave Buffalo, as he guided a defense that finished second in DVOA in 2014. However, if Ryan decided he wanted to bring in his own coordinator, there wasn’t much of an option for Schwartz, who would surely be disinterested in moving to a position coach role. Instead, the Bills will return to running Ryan’s defensive schemes — because Mike Pettine, a Ryan disciple, was the coordinator in 2013, the club should be familiar with the playbook. The team will be returning to a more traditional 3-4 look, though edge defender Jerry Hughes did act as a stand-up rusher quite often in 2014, and many have opined that the changes won’t be as monumental as perceived.
Thurman, 58, has worked with Ryan since 2002, when both were employed by the Ravens. Ryan brought Thurman to New York in 2008, where he served as the secondary coach until transitioning to DC in 2013 following Pettine’s departure. A former cornerback, Thurman played in the NFL for nine years, mostly with the Cowboys. While he’ll be listed as the coordinator, Ryan will call the defensive plays.
AFC Links: Bills, Jets, Titans, Chung
Rex Ryan was introduced earlier today as the Bills head coach, and the 52-year-old addressed some of the leftover whispers surrounding his signing. Ryan disputed claims that the Bills were his “third choice” behind the Falcons and 49ers (via John Kryk of the Toronto Sun)…
“No, that’s definitely false. Did I interview with the Falcons? Did I interview with the 49ers? Absolutely. There were plenty of opportunities.”
The coach also discussed the team’s search for a quarterback, including former Jets play-caller Mark Sanchez…
“Certainly, he’ll be a guy under consideration. We’ll explore every avenue. If we think there’s a free agent like Mark or somebody else out there that we think can help us, then we’ll absolutely explore it.”
Finally, the coach acknowledged that his opportunity in Buffalo may be his last shot as an NFL head coach…
“I (have) one more shot to be a head coach and I have to get it done. And I understand I won’t have another opportunity, and don’t want another opportunity. This is the shot I want.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…
- Like it or not, Steve Serby of the New York Post says Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will forever be connected to Jets head coach Todd Bowles. The writer opines that one day, the organization may regret rushing to sign Bowles instead of waiting for Quinn to finish his playoff run.
- The Titans have a big quarterback decision on their hands as they’ll have to choose between Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, and incumbent Zach Mettenberger, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Wyatt runs down the pros and cons of each.
- After inking a three-year extension with the Patriots, Patrick Chung is determined to show New England that he’s worth the money, writes Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “I’m happy,” he said. “I’m happy. But it’s over now, and I can’t keep talking about it. I’m happy I’m back. I just gotta hopefully show them why they kept me.“
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Links: Gase, Broncos, Jags, Browns, Jets
With one team (the Bills) having introduced their new head coach today, and two more clubs (Jets, Raiders) closing in on their targets, there are four head coaching jobs still available, and it appeared coming into today that the 49ers were moving toward locking up Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. However, nothing’s done between Gase and the Niners yet, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who tweets that the Broncos OC met with John Elway to discuss Denver’s head coaching vacancy today. Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), it wasn’t a formal interview, but if there’s mutual interest between the two sides, that formal interview could still happen.
As we wait to see whether or not Gase sticks with the Broncos, let’s round up a few other notes from around the AFC….
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links) have updates on a pair of offensive coordinator searches. Per Rapoport, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson will interview for the same role with the Jaguars, while Cabot reports that the Browns will speak to their tight ends coach Brian Angelichio about their offensive coordinator opening.
- Steve Smith had a nice bounceback season in his first year in Baltimore in 2014, and remains under team control for 2015, but the Ravens want him to take a little time to decide whether or not he wants to continue his playing career, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. John Harbaugh said yesterday that the team would like Smith, who turns 36 this year, to take three weeks to see how he feels.
- Texans GM Rick Smith praised new Jets GM Mike Maccagnan, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. “He has been a valued and trusted confidant over the years and is an outstanding talent evaluator,” the GM said. Maccagnan previously served as Houston’s college scouting director.
- Maccagnan and the team’s new head coach (now known to be Todd Bowles) will each report directly to owner Woody Johnson, tweets Mehta. Maccagnan, meanwhile, will have final say over the 53-man roster. The setup in Buffalo will be similar, according to Mehta (Twitter links) — new head coach Rex Ryan will report directly to owner Terry Pegula, but GM Doug Whaley has final say on the 53-man roster.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com gave his thoughts on Maccagnan yesterday, prior to the Jets‘ hiring of Bowles as its head coach. While there are question marks about Maccagnan, Cimini is glad to see that the team didn’t hire a bean counter like predecessor John Idzik. Maccagnan is a football man with roots in player evaluation, rather than a cap guru.
- In his second offseason as the Browns‘ general manager, Ray Farmer will have plenty of notable free agent situations to address, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, who identifies six unrestricted FAs and three restricted FAs that will be priorities in Cleveland.
Coach Notes: Quinn, Bears, Cowboys, Bills
Teams considering waiting for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to become available are wary about the possibility that, despite what they’re saying, the Dolphins could hire Quinn to replace Joe Philbin, given the presence of Mike Tannenbaum, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Prior to joining the Dolphins’ front office in an official capacity, Tannenbaum was Quinn’s agent, and according to La Canfora, that connection concerned the Jets to some degree.
However, a source tells La Canfora that there’s no chance Miami will hire Quinn if he’s available next month — if another team wants to wait on him, that club should have a shot at him (Twitter link). That team isn’t likely to be the 49ers though, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who tweets that San Francisco hasn’t talked about Quinn in several days. All signs are pointing to Adam Gase for the 49ers, per Cole.
Let’s check in on a few more coaching-related items….
- John Fox‘s interview with the Bears is happening today, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, a source tells Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune that Kyle Shanahan will be one of Fox’s top offensive coordinator choices if he lands the Bears’ job.
- According to La Canfora (Twitter link), the Falcons “love” Josh McDaniels, but the Patriots offensive coordinator still seems unlikely to leave New England.
- Scott Linehan‘s deal with the Cowboys hasn’t been completed yet, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He’s waiting for his deal to get done before considering taking interviews and the sense is that it will be finalized soon (link). Linehan currently serves as Dallas’ passing game coordinator.
- It’s not clear yet if Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will return to the Cowboys, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, who says that eight teams have expressed interest in Callahan. With Linehan now handling the offensive playcalls in Dallas, it’s unlikely that Callahan will be back, in George’s view.
- Tony Sparano won’t be staying with the Raiders now that he didn’t get the team’s head coaching job, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) hears from sources that Jack Del Rio, who is expected to become Oakland’s coach, has been recruiting Marc Trestman for his offensive staff.
- Jay Glazer of FOX Sports joined Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on PFT Live to discuss the events that led to the divorce of John Fox and the Broncos. Glazer explains that the breakup, while shocking on the outside, has actually been a long time coming. Glazer sensed back at last year’s Senior Bowl that it would be a “one and done” for Fox, unless he could win a Super Bowl this season.
- Former Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is joining Rex Ryan on the Bills‘ staff, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com adds (via Twitter) that Pepper Johnson has been told there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s coaching staff if the Giants‘ defensive coordinator position doesn’t pan out for him. Speaking of Ryan, he said today at his introductory press conference that it’s not true that he preferred the Falcons and 49ers jobs to the Bills position, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Coaching Notes: 49ers, Gase, Marrone
49ers GM Trent Baalke is expected to fly back to California tonight without Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is meeting with the Broncos, tweets Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com. That doesn’t mean the 49ers won’t offer Gase their head coaching job — it just means that it’s not expected to be wrapped up tonight (link). More of the latest coaching news from around the National Football League:
- Now that Todd Bowles is off the market, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s second interview with the Falcons is expected to take place on Wednesday rather than Thursday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Jets have cancelled their Wednesday appointment with Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, which could mean that they have their man, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. That could, in theory, signal that they’ve chosen Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
- Bowles had dinner with Jets brass tonight, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). He’s staying overnight in the area, but he’ll still be meeting with the Falcons on Wednesday.
- Bowles and the Jets haven’t started discussing a contract yet, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
- The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have interviewed former Bills head coach Doug Marrone for their head coaching vacancy today.
- 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari says he will wait to find out what happens in San Francisco before deciding whether he wants to pursue the Bills job, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
Coach Notes: Jets, Bowles, Austin, Lynn
As the Jets continue to search for Rex Ryan‘s replacement, the team’s focus seems to be shifting from Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. According to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (Twitter link), he’s hearing that things could be “heating up” between the Jets and Bowles, with the Cards DC reaching out to potential staff members. Bowles still has a second interview lined up with the Falcons tomorrow, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Jets make him an offer before that meeting.
A few more coaching-related updates, as the carousel turns:
- If the Jets decide not to wait for Quinn, it appears he’ll still have interest from other clubs, including the Falcons, Bears, and 49ers, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, it doesn’t appear is if Quinn is leaning a certain direction at this point.
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has finished his visit with the Bears and remains on track to meet with the Falcons later this week, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora adds that Austin is still “very much in the mix” for the Atlanta job.
- Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn has a busy schedule these days. Per ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link), Lynn is scheduled to interview for the Browns‘ offensive coordinator job next Tuesday. The Jaguars have also received permission to speak to Lynn about their OC opening, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- Under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Bills are on the lookout for an offensive line coach. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports (via Twitter) that Buffalo has asked for permission to interview 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari, while Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Bills have been granted permission to interview Washington OL coach Chris Foerster.
Bills, DC Jim Schwartz Part Ways
As expected, after a Monday report indicated that Rex Ryan would be bringing Dennis Thurman to Buffalo as his defensive coordinator, the Bills have formally parted ways with incumbent DC Jim Schwartz, releasing him from his contract, the team announced today in a press release.
“I have the utmost respect for Jim and what he has been able to accomplish throughout his career and I know he feels the same about me,” Ryan said in a statement. “Jim’s defenses are always tough and ranked near the top of the league standings. I wanted to give Jim the opportunity to pursue other opportunities and so we have terminated his contract. He did a terrific job with the Bills defense this past year and our plan is for our defense to continue to play well and be a dominating force.”
As PFR’s Dallas Robinson noted in his story on the Bills’ expected hiring of Thurman, the move is a little surprising, since Schwartz did a great job with Buffalo’s defense in 2014 — the unit finished second in the NFL in DVOA. But Ryan and Schwartz have different defensive philosophies and wouldn’t have been a natural pairing.
The former Lions head coach will now have the opportunity to pursue other DC openings, so we’ll have to see if teams whose searches appear to be winding down, such as Washington or the Giants, decide to give Schwartz a call.
Bills Hire Greg Roman As OC
TUESDAY, 12:05pm: The Bills and Roman have officially signed their agreement, making the former Niners offensive coordinator the new OC in Buffalo, tweets Marvez.
MONDAY, 11:08am: Roman has finalized a deal with the Bills to become their new offensive coordinator, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter). He’s expected to officially sign on Tuesday in Buffalo.
SUNDAY, 2:41pm: Roman, who had already interviewed with the Bills (albeit for their head coaching vacancy), will meet with the club a second time, and is expected to be named OC, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
10:14am: We heard this morning that 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman was expected to fill the same position with the Bills, who just hired Rex Ryan as their new head coach. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms (via Twitter) that the Bills are expected to hire Roman, who worked with Ryan when the two men were Ravens coaches, as the team’s new offensive coordinator.
The Browns, Rams, and Buccaneers, among others, were also interested in Roman, who is regarded as a talented offensive mind but whose play-calling came into question during the latter stages of his tenure in San Francisco. Roman became available when former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh opted to take the top job at the University of Michigan, as he was never one of the internal candidates under consideration to replace Harbaugh. The Bills have some talent on the offensive side of the ball but have a major question mark at the quarterback position, which will be the primary concern facing both Ryan and Roman.
Coach Rumors: Bears, Jets, Falcons, 49ers
Two days after after coaching his final game for the Broncos, and one day after formally parting ways with the team, John Fox has an interview lined up with another club, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, who reports that the veteran coach will meet with the Bears. While Mortensen cautions that Fox isn’t a lock for the Chicago opening, he appears to be a strong candidate, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it’s the job Fox wants.
Per Mortensen, the Bears have been impressed with candidates Todd Bowles, Dan Quinn, Adam Gase, and Teryl Austin, but Bowles is considered a favorite for the Falcons, while the 49ers are reportedly making a push for Gase, and Quinn has a handful of suitors.
With six head coaching positions still available around the NFL, we could see plenty of movement this week, with multiple teams making hires. Here are the latest updates on those vacancies:
- The Jets and Falcons appear to be emerging as the finalists for Bowles, the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. One source tells Florio that Bowles is “very likely” to land in New York, while another source believes he prefers Atlanta. Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Bowles, who has second interviews scheduled with both clubs, will now meet with the Jets first, rather than the Falcons, which could be a sign that New York is the current frontrunner to hire him. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that Bowles will meet with Mike Maccagnan, who has yet to be officially announced as the Jets’ new general manager.
- As Seth Walder of the New York Daily News details, Seahawks defensive coordinator Quinn has long been viewed as the Jets‘ top choice, but the team is exploring other options, with Quinn potentially tied up for the next several weeks. In Florio’s previously-linked piece, the PFT scribe notes that Quinn’s interest in the Jets may not be as strong as previously believed.
- Peter King of The MMQB.com agrees that the Jets‘ focus appears to be shifting from Quinn to Bowles, and speculates that the Seahawks DC has another position lined up — perhaps with the Falcons, who seem to be targeting Quinn and Bowles. Weighing in on the other open positions, King says he continues to hear Jack Del Rio over Tony Sparano as the top candidate for the Raiders, and that the 49ers‘ choice may come down to Gase, Vic Fangio, or Jim Tomsula.
- Despite the fact that Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak has said he intends to stay in Baltimore, the Broncos will seek permission to interview him for their head coaching opening, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
- Washington would like to wrap up its defensive coordinator interviews within the next couple days and make a hire by week’s end, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. The club is speaking to Raheem Morris about the position today.
- New Bills coach Rex Ryan will retain special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
AFC East Notes: Fox, Jets, Schwartz, Bills, Fins
Ex-Broncos head coach John Fox has declined to interview for the Jets’ head coaching vacancy, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). As Schefter notes, Fox probably wouldn’t turn down a chance at a HC job unless he another opportunity already lined up. Such an opportunity might exist in Chicago, where Fox friend Ernie Accorsi is advising the Bears’ head coaching search. The Jets will presumably remain focused on Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is believed to be their top choice. Here’s more from the AFC East…
- Jim Schwartz won’t return as the Bills defensive coordinator, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Schwartz, who led a Buffalo defense that finished second in DVOA, was expected to be offered a spot on the club’s coaching staff by incoming head coach Rex Ryan, but apparently that fell through. The news coincides with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com’s report (Twitter link) that Ryan will look to bring many of his Jets assistants with him, including defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. It’s just my speculation, but two NFC East teams — the Cowboys and the Giants — could be among those with interest in Schwartz.
- Defensive coordinator isn’t the only Bills position that will be filled by a new face in 2015, and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com looks at the changes in store for the Buffalo staff next season.
- There aren’t any legitimate candidates for the franchise tag on the Dolphins’ roster, opines James Walker of ESPN.com. Walker points to tight end Charles Clay and defensive lineman Jared Odrick as two options who might be franchised, but ultimately concludes that the price tag ($8.2MM for Clay, $11MM for Odrick) is too steep.
- The Dolphins‘ chain of command following the addition of former Jets exec Mike Tannenbaum is a bit complicated, as Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report writes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.