Coaching Notes: Raiders, Giants, Browns
Let’s check out some notable coaching rumors as we start off the weekend…
- Raiders owner Mark Davis “loves” Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, it’s uncertain whether the organization is willing to wait for Del Rio to finish up his playoff run with Denver.
- According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Giants have requested permission to interview Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson for their defensive coordinator opening. Johnson has coached since 2000, but he has yet to hold a coordinator position.
- The Browns have requested permission to interview a trio of NFL coaches for their offensive coordinator opening (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter): 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Raiders offensive assistant Al Saunders and current Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. The organization is also set to interview former Bears head coach Marc Trestman,
- Rapoport tweets that Roman’s interview with the Browns is on Monday, so a hiring shouldn’t be expected this weekend.
- Bills running back coach Tyrone Wheatley will be joining Jim Harbaugh‘s staff at Michigan, tweets John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. Wheatley was previously a coach at Syracuse, Ohio Northern and Eastern Michigan.
Coach Updates: Bears, Raiders, 49ers, Rams
Earlier tonight, we learned that Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has emerged as the possible frontrunner for the Jets‘ head coaching position, with mutual interest between the two sides. Let’s round up a few more Friday coaching updates from around the NFL….
- The Bears have requested permission to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin for their head coaching job, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. We should expect Chicago’s coaching search to ramp up now that the team has hired Ryan Pace as its general manager.
- The Raiders would like to hire an established, veteran coach for their head coaching opening, but the structure of the front office is making some candidates wary about the job, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole specifically mentions Mike Shanahan as an ideal target for Oakland, given his experience and track record.
- Speaking to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com, Raiders owner Mark Davis said a candidate with previous head coaching candidate would be “preferable,” but didn’t rule out the possibility of hiring someone who hasn’t even had a coordinator job — that seems unlikely, since all of the team’s reported candidates so far have been either coordinators or head coaches. In any case, Davis added that there’s no set deadline for his club to make a hire.
- Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the contracts for all the Raiders‘ assistants except Tony Sparano are set to expire next Tuesday night.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link) confirms that Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles had his interview with the 49ers in Santa Clara today. Maiocco calls it the Niners’ last “known” interview, which suggests there’s nothing currently on tap with rumored candidates Jim Mora, Jim Tomsula, and Kyle Shanahan. San Francisco also reportedly had interest in Gary Kubiak, whose Ravens are still alive in the playoffs.
- Speaking of the 49ers, they’ve granted the division-rival Rams permission to speak to offensive coordinator Greg Roman about the same job in St. Louis, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The Rams also want to speak to Kyle Shanahan, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
NFC North Links: Suh, Briggs, Pace
There seemed to be a belief that Ndamukong Suh‘s tenure with the Lions was over. General manager Martin Mayhew hushed those rumors, saying the team would do whatever it could to keep the defensive tackle in Detroit.
“We’re going to leave every option open,” Mayhew said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “We’re not going to get into the plusses and minuses of anything in terms of working this out. I think it’s important for you guys to know that we want him back and we are willing to franchise him, transition him, whatever, but not get into the details of each tactic.”
Meanwhile, Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press opines that the Lions shouldn’t throw all of their money at Suh, suggesting the team would be better off spreading the money around.
Let’s check out more notes from the NFC North…
- Suh and Bears linebacker Lance Briggs headline Field Yates’ list of big-name free agents who could change teams this offseason (Insider-only link via ESPN.com).
- It was a bit of a surprise when the Bears hired Ryan Pace as their next general manager. Many believed Chris Ballard was the favorite for the position, but Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times says the executive’s familiarity with the franchise may have actually hurt his chances.
- Pace wouldn’t discuss the value of his contract with the Bears, but Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the pact is for five years.
- Following the hiring of Pace, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if the Bears will interview former Bills head coach Doug Marrone for the same position. The two previously worked together in New Orleans, and Florio says members of the Saints organization believe Marrone will be considered.
Coaching Notes: Fisch, Texans, Bears, Haslett
Some within the Lions organizations could be working elsewhere next season, but general manager Martin Mayhew has no issues with that. In fact, he spoke fondly about two members of his staff, endorsing both vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. Mayhew first touched on White, who is being considered for the GM job with the Eagles. Via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein:
“He’s been phenomenal. He’s exceptional at what he does. Outstanding evaluator. There are a lot of guys on this roster that he brought to the table. Rashean Mathis, for example, is a guy that he saw on tape and he brought up his desire to work Rashean out. I was against it. I was saying this is an older guy — how is this guy going to help us.
“He talked me into working him out and he had a phenomenal workout. He was exceptional in every way, shape and form, so we ended up signing him. Obviously he’s worked out great for us the last two years, having Rashean here.
“George Johnson is a guy who he brought to me who I had never seen, we signed him. I had never seen him on tape at the time that we signed him and, as you know, George made our team this year and was a big-time contributor for us. He’s always looking; he’s always in his office evaluating tape and trying to find players that can help us win. I think he’d be a great general manager.”
Mayhew also spoke about his defensive coordinator, who has multiple interviews for head coaching positions:
“He did a phenomenal job with the group and I think he has a lot of ability. I think he’s certainly capable of being a head coach in the NFL. I think I said that when he got here that at some point he’d have an opportunity to do that.
“He’s certainly worthy of the opportunity.”
Let’s take a look at some more coaching notes from around the league…
- Former Jaguars offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch will be joining Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, as Peter Schrager of Fox Sports tweets that he’ll be offered the pass game coordinator job with the Wolverines. Bruce Feldman adds that Fisch will also be the quarterbacks and receivers coach. Fisch was let go by Jacksonville in late December.
- We learned yesterday that the Texans wouldn’t be bringing back offensive line coach Paul Dunn, and the team has already found a replacement. Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez tweets that Houston will add Jets assistant coach Mike Devlin to their staff to replace Dunn.
- The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they interviewed Todd Bowles for their head-coaching position yesterday. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the interview went well, adding that the Cardinals defensive coordinator is set to meet with the 49ers today.
- Following up on a report that the Giants requested permission to interview Washington defensive backs coach Raheem Morris for their defensive coordinator opening, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that Washington granted gave the division-rival Giants the green light, while Albert Breer of the NFL Network says (via Twitter) that the interview will happen this morning.
- Since leaving his role as Washington‘s defensive coordinator, Jim Haslett has received inquiries from a number of teams, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link), who adds that it’s not clear yet whether he’ll interview for jobs.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Bears Hire Ryan Pace As General Manager
The Bears have hired Saints executive Ryan Pace to be their new general manager, the team announced today (via Twitter). New Orleans’ director of player personnel will replace Phil Emery, who was let go along with head coach Marc Trestman following Chicago’s regular season finale.
The Bears’ hiring of Pace is a bit of a surprise, after the team also spoke to Brian Gaine of the Texans, Lake Dawson of the Titans, and Chris Ballard of the Chiefs. Ballard was viewed by many observers as the favorite for the job, while at least one report indicated that Gaine would likely be the favorite of Ernie Accorsi, who is serving as an advisor for the Bears during their hunt for a new GM and head coach.
Although Ballard and Gaine were strong candidates, Pace is a highly-respected veteran executive is his own right, spending 14 years working with the Saints, including six as the team’s director of pro scouting before he became the club’s director of player personnel. The Jets were also interested in interviewing Pace for their GM opening, but he declined the opportunity to speak to the team about the position.
With Pace now installed as their general manager, the Bears can move forward with their search for a head coach, which had been delayed slightly because the team wanted a GM in place first. As our head coaching search tracker shows, Chicago spoke to Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase during last week’s bye, and also talked to Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles today. The Bears had originally been scheduled to interview Bowles on Saturday, but perhaps were willing to move it up since Pace’s hiring was imminent — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the new GM sat in on the team’s interview with Bowles today.
In addition to those candidates, former head coaches Doug Marrone and Mike Shanahan have been mentioned as possible candidates, and the Bears have requested an interview with Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, who won’t speak with any teams until Baltimore is eliminated from the postseason. It’s possible that Chicago will add some new names to its list of targets, now that the club has found its GM.
Extra Points: Shanahan, Packers, Draft
A source indicated to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that if Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn gets a head coaching job, he’ll try to hire Kyle Shanahan away from the Browns to be his offensive coordinator. Cole adds there’s a good chance Quinn’s landing spot will be with the Jets. More from around the NFL..
- It’s extremely unlikely that the Packers will grant another team permission to interview Eliot Wolf, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter).
- The Texans have granted the Eagles permission to interview director of pro personnel Brian Gaine for their GM spot, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Rams owner Stan Kroenke says that he plans to build a stadium in Los Angeles on spec, but NFL owners doubt that he’d actually go ahead and do that, according to Brett Schrotenboer of USA Today Sports. It’s far to risky of a move for a billionaire like Kroenke and it seems like many feel that he is looking for leverage in St. Louis above all else.
- University of Louisville junior safety James Sample told Lars Hanson of 247 Sports (on Twitter) that he will forego his senior year and enter the 2015 Draft.
- Junior running back Dee Hart is leaving Colorado State to declare for NFL Draft, as Mike Brohard of the Reporter-Herald writes. Hart sent his paperwork into the NFL but has yet to receive a draft grade. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder doesn’t have ideal size, but he profiles as a tough downhill runner. The Alabama transfer played only one season for Colorado State, leading the team with 1,275 yards rushing while scoring 16 touchdowns.
- Mike Shanahan would create a buzz, but Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group says he’d be a poor choice for the Raiders. Thompson notes that the 62-year-old coach hasn’t won anything significant since John Elway was his quarterback and he’s coming off of an ugly situation with Washington.
- Former Bears Director of College Scouting Greg Gabriel had great things to say about Chris Ballard, a finalist for the Bears‘ vacant GM position. “He’s very astute, very smart, excellent evaluator and he’s had the experience in the NFL of working on the college side and the pro side,” Gabriel told CSNChicago.com. “He knows the workings on both sides as far as the different scouting areas within the NFL.”
Coach/GM Notes: Falcons, Bears, Jets, Eagles
According to our head coaching search tracker, there are eight candidates involved in the Falcons‘ hunt for Mike Smith‘s replacement, and if no new names are added to that list, the team’s first round of interviews should conclude tomorrow after a meeting with Todd Bowles. So it makes sense that Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests today (via Twitter) that Atlanta intends to bring in its finalists for a second round of interviews. According to Rapoport, Rex Ryan will be among those finalists, though it’s not clear yet who will join him.
Here are a few more items from around the league related to coaches and front offices:
Coaching:
- Todd Bowles and Frank Reich completed their interviews with the Jets today, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). Bowles’ next visit will be with the Bears.
- A Tuesday report indicated that the Bears would likely meet with Mike Shanahan about their head coaching position after hiring a new general manager, but despite Shanahan’s past success with Jay Cutler (and Brandon Marshall), he’s not currently on Chicago’s list of candidates, says Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We’ll have to see if anything changes on that front after the team makes its GM hire.
- After sitting in on the Raiders‘ interview with Shanahan, John Madden is expected to be in attendance for Tony Sparano‘s meeting with the club as well, tweets Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com.
- In the wake of Perry Fewell‘s dismissal, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com offers a few suggestions for the Giants to consider for their defensive coordinator job, including Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, who Graziano thinks could be among New York’s top candidates.
Front office:
- The Bears confirmed that they interviewed Chris Ballard and Ryan Pace for their GM vacancy, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
- Jon Robinson‘s interview with the Jets will take place tomorrow, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
- The Jets announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve lined up an interview with Buccaneers personnel executive Jon Robinson for their general manager position. The club also confirmed the candidates they’ve spoken to so far: Chris Grier (Dolphins), Trent Kirchner (Seahawks), Bill Kuharich (Browns), Mike Maccagnan (Texans), Rick Mueller (Eagles), and their own Rod Graves.
- The Jaguars have granted pro director Chris Polian permission to interview with the Eagles for their GM job, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network (via Twitter).
- The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which works with the NFL on minority hiring issues, has filed a complaint with the league over Washington‘s general manager search, writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. Washington spoke to Jets executive Rod Graves about the GM job, but didn’t run the request for permission by the league, and seemed to do it only as a formality while working out an agreement with Scot McCloughan, so as to abide by the Rooney Rule.
- Meanwhile, the Dolphins appear to have evaded a Rooney Rule violation by changing the role of recently-hired Mike Tannenbaum, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains. The club has altered Tannenbaum’s and Dennis Hickey‘s duties since first announcing the hiring, so that Tannenbaum doesn’t qualify as a GM-type hire, meaning the club wouldn’t have needed to meet the Rooney Rule.
North Notes: AP, Jennings, Steelers, Shanahan
If Adrian Peterson feels as if he needs a fresh start away from the Vikings next season, head coach Mike Zimmer would respect that decision, he said today in an appearance on Pro Football Talk Live.
“I would respect Adrian’s decision,” Zimmer said. “I’ll always be honest with him and up front but I’m gonna try to explain to him the reasons why I would like to him to be here. But it has to be a two way street and he has to get his life taken care of — but we’ll sit down and talk, but I’m a pretty good recruiter, too.”
Of course, Peterson remains under contract in Minnesota, so it’s not as if he’ll simply have the opportunity to sign elsewhere right away when he’s reinstated from his suspension. But it’s unlikely that the Vikings will want to keep the star running back at his current 2015 cap number ($15.4MM), so Peterson will have leverage to reach the open market if he declines to take a pay cut.
Here are some more Wednesday links from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:
- Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was arrested today in Georgia on charges of speeding, DUI, and reckless driving, according to a report by Jeff Dickerson and Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Jennings could face disciplinary measures from the league or from the Bears, who released a statement indicating they’re in information-gathering mode.
- Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review examines what a new contract for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might look like, concluding that something in the range of five years and $100MM would make sense.
- Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor is open to playing one more year in Pittsburgh if the team wants to bring him back, and hopes to remain with the organization after ending his playing career, as Kaboly details. “I can be in the office. I can be at the bottom and work my way up. I can be an assistant,” Taylor said. “I don’t mind working my way from the bottom up.”
- If Kyle Shanahan decides to leave his offensive coordinator position with the Browns this offseason, he prefers to try to establish his own identity as a coach rather than necessarily teaming up again with his father, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com.
- The Lions announced 12 reserve/futures signings yesterday, but rugby star Jarryd Hayne wasn’t among them. The team still intends to finalize a contract with Hayne once a work visa issue is cleared up, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Extra Points: Shanahan, Trestman, Ryan
Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will consider leaving the Browns, even for a lateral move, because of friction within the organization, writes Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. Shanahan is aiming to become a head coach somewhere (perhaps in Buffalo) but he’d also like to reunite with his father, Mike Shanahan. The 49ers, Raiders, and Bills are have interest in hiring Mike as a head coach with Kyle as the offensive coordinator. More from around the NFL..
- Washington interviewed Rod Graves on Monday for their GM position, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). By interviewing Graves, Washington has satisfied the Rooney Rule, so that is not a roadblock in their talks with Scot McCloughan.
- Former Bears head coach Marc Trestman will interview for the Jaguars‘ offensive coordinator position, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Trestman has already interviewed with the Buccaneers.
- Rex Ryan will be meeting with CBS executives tomorrow to discuss a possible TV role if he doesn’t land a head coaching job, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
- The Eagles have requested permission to interview recently promoted Packers exec Eliot Wolf for their personnel opening, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Wolf was recently promoted by Green Bay, ostensibly to keep him in-house as the heir apparent to their own GM job.
- The Eagles requested GM interviews with Chris Grier (Dolphins), Chris Polian (Jaguars), and Brian Gaine (Texans), sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Texans might have interest in former Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, according to Dan Pompei of Sports On Earth (on Twitter).
- Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson is scheduled to interview with the Jaguars for their offensive coordinator position on Thursday, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Gaine and Lake Dawson, the Titans‘ vice president of player personnel, completed their interviews with the Bears for their GM opening, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.
- Saints GM Mickey Loomis says that the team will take linebacker Junior Galette‘s arrest “very seriously,” as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes. “If at some point we deem it necessary for the club to take some action, we’ll do that,” Loomis said.
- Loomis feels that the Saints are in better shape financially, Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune (on Twitter). “I would say we’re in a better situation than we were a year ago — on pure salary cap.” He also scoffed at a recent report indicating that he will move into a new role with the team (link).
NFC North Notes: Bears, Gaine, AP, Lions
As the last NFC North team left standing prepares to host its divisional playoff game this Sunday, let’s round up a few items on the Packers‘ division rivals….
- A scouting director who has worked directly with Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard thinks Ballard should be “a lock” as the Bears‘ next general manager, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. That same source believes that if Ballard lands the Chicago job, he could look at ex-Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub as a head coaching candidate.
- While Ballard may be the favorite for the Bears‘ job, multiple sources tell Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) that Texans executive Brian Gaine is interviewing for the position today. A league source suggests to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link) that Gaine may be consultant Ernie Accorsi‘s top recommendation for the team.
- The first court date in Adrian Peterson‘s legal case challenging his suspension will be February 6, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Vikings running back and the NFLPA will likely push to get resolution in time for the start of March’s free agent period, to allow Peterson the opportunity to reach the market along with everyone else, if Minnesota decides to cut him.
- Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said on Monday that he has yet to decide whether to make changes to his coaching staff, and strongly defended the work of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Kyle Meinke of MLive.com has the details and the quotes from Caldwell.