Reserve/Futures Contracts: Monday
Teams have been announcing their reserve/futures deals all day long, but not every club has made those pacts official. Here are the odds and ends from today as we await the full slate:
49ers
- Garrison Smith, DL (via agent David Canter on Twitter)
- Chris Martin, OL (via agent Brett Tessler on Twitter)
Bears
- Conor Boffeli, G
- Jonathan Brown, LB
- Rashad Lawrence, WR
- Jacob Maxwell, TE
- Jason Weaver, T (all via Adam Hoge of WGN on Twitter)
Broncos
- Jeremy Kelley, WR
- Curtis Marsh, CB
- Chase Vaughn, DE
- Kyle Williams, WR (all via Troy Renck of the Denver Post on Twitter)
Buccaneeers
- Matthew Masifilo, DT (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter)
- Shelton Johnson, S (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter)
Eagles
- Josh Andrews, OL (via Tessler on Twitter)
Falcons
- Brandan Bishop, S (via agent David Canter on Twitter)
Saints
- Toben Opurum, FB
- Willie Snead, WR (via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune on Twitter)
Washington
- Lakendrick Ross, DL (via ESPN 980 on Twitter)
NFC Notes: Melton, Falcons, Clark, McManis
Ndamukong Suh‘s one-game suspension is the bigger story, but the Lions may not be the only team in this weekend’s Wild Card showdown with the Cowboys that’s missing a key defensive tackle. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported (via Twitter), Cowboys lineman Henry Melton sustained a leg injury that could sideline him for the postseason. Melton’s agent, Jordan Woy, confirmed to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link) that his client suffered a bone bruise on his knee, and the timeline for his return appears to be a matter of weeks rather than days.
Here’s more from around the NFC on a busy Monday:
- In addition to requesting permission to speak to Dan Quinn and Adam Gase about their head coaching vacancy, as we’d previously learned, the Falcons have also asked for interviews with Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Both coaches have Wild Card games coming up, so they aren’t allowed to interview for head coaching jobs this week.
- Speaking to reporters today, including Jeff Darlington of NFL.com (Twitter link), Washington head coach Jay Gruden said he’ll recommend to owner Daniel Snyder and GM Bruce Allen that the club should retain defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.
- Washington‘s Ryan Clark has yet to decide whether he’ll continue his playing career, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who tweets that the veteran safety is expected to make his decision within the next couple days. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 believes Clark will call it a career, tweeting that the safety will simply sign the necessary papers rather than making a big announcement.
- According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter), the Bears made an attempt last week to lock up cornerback Sherrick McManis to a two-year contract extension, but the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.
- The Buccaneers will be on the lookout for an offensive coordinator in the coming days and weeks, and head coach Lovie Smith says he wants to “talk to as many people as I possibly can,” according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
- Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder, who is eligible for free agency this winter, said today that he’ll start researching potential landing spots later in the week, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
Coaching Rumors: Harbaugh, Coughlin, Gase
There has been plenty of action since our first round of coaching rumors this morning, with five teams – the 49ers, Raiders, Jets, Falcons, and Bears – now in the market for new head coaches. We’ve had enough news and rumors since then to warrant another round-up of the latest coaching-related updates, so let’s dive in….
- Although an agreement appears to be in place between Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan, NFL teams like the Bears, Jets, and Raiders continue to make overtures to try to change his mind, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report confirms (via Twitter) that the Raiders are still making a push to try to land Harbaugh, even if it looks like a long shot at this point.
- Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been told he’ll be back to coach the team in 2015, but has a meeting scheduled for this afternoon with co-owner John Mara to discuss possible changes to the coaching staff, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
- The Falcons and 49ers have already requested permission to speak to Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Coaches who currently work for playoff teams with first-round byes are allowed to interview for jobs this week, so Gase is one coordinator whose name figures to surface frequently in the next few days.
- In addition to Gase, the Falcons may also look to talk to Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has several tidbits for us, tweeting that Jack Del Rio could emerge as a coaching candidate for the Raiders, the Falcons will contact Rex Ryan, and Mike Shanahan could have interest in the Bears‘ job.
- Former 49ers head coach Mike Singletary, who currently serves as an advisor to NFL executive Troy Vincent, would have interest in interviewing for the Bears‘ head coaching job, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Bears Fire Phil Emery, Marc Trestman
9:14am: Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer has also been fired by the Bears, according to Yates (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com).
8:38am: The Bears have made a major change in their front office, according to Adam Schefter and Field Yates of ESPN.com, who report (via Twitter) that the club has parted ways with general manager Phil Emery. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had tweeted earlier this morning that word was “trickling out” of Chicago indicating that Emery had gotten the axe. In addition to firing Emery, the team has also let go of head coach Marc Trestman, per Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Hired by the Bears in January 2012, Emery oversaw a solid 10-6 season in his first year with the club, but the team’s record slipped to 8-8 in 2013 and 5-11 in 2014, resulting in his ouster today. Along the way, Emery made a number of questionable decisions, including locking up quarterback Jay Cutler to a seven-year, $126MM contract extension that included a sizable chunk of guaranteed money. Additionally, no team was more active in free agency this past offseason than the Bears, and the results of the team’s spending spree weren’t overly impressive.
The hiring of Trestman can also be viewed as one of the decisions that ultimately led to Emery’s dismissal. The former head coach of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes was considered an offensive – and quarterback – guru, but struggled to find success with Cutler, particularly during the 2014 season. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that Trestman could be a highly-regarded offensive coordinator candidate this winter, adding that if he were a head coaching candidate like Todd Bowles, he’d give Trestman a call.
In his two seasons at the helm in Chicago, Trestman compiled an overall record of 13-19 (.406), and failed to earn a playoff berth.
Coaching Rumors: Ryan, Falcons, Bears, 49ers
Black Monday is underway, and a handful of teams are expected to make announcements today regarding changes to their coaching staffs and/or front offices. Here are a few of the latest rumors to start off the day:
- The Jets were the first team to formally announce the firing of a head coach this morning, and Rex Ryan appreciated the quick, definitive decision from owner Woody Johnson, since he feels as if he has a chance at another head coaching job, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. Per Mehta (Twitter links), Ryan will explore head coaching opportunities, and if he doesn’t land a job, he believes his next role will be with ESPN — he doesn’t have interest in any defensive coordinator positions.
- Mike Smith is “absolutely done” in Atlanta, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That coincides with what we’ve heard in recent weeks, and is no surprise, considering how the Falcons finished their regular season yesterday. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates (via Twitter) that while Smith’s tenure with the Falcons is “on life support,” the same doesn’t appear to be true for general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
- While multiple reports have suggested the Bears will likely part ways with head coach Marc Trestman, Trestman himself is preparing as if he’ll return for the 2015 season, writes Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. Rapoport tweets that the Bears head coach figures to make a “strong case” to save his job, perhaps pointing to the performance by quarterbacks not named Jay Cutler in his system. Still, it’s hard to imagine the club bringing Trestman back for another year.
- The 49ers are in no hurry to name their next head coach, according to Rapoport, who tweets that the search is expected to be “lengthy and methodical.” One in-house candidate, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, won’t be joining Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, says Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. As for Harbaugh’s offer from Michigan, Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that it could ultimately get up to $9MM per year, since there was some “quiet bidding” over the weekend.
- The Raiders were “truly in the mix” for Harbaugh before he decided to go to Michigan, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, adding that Harbaugh was the Raiders’ top choice and they were disappointed not to land him. Oakland is now expected to cast a wide net as the club attempts to identify its next coach, though if it were up to the players, perhaps interim coach Tony Sparano would be the top choice, says Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. Sparano will have the opportunity to interview for the permanent job, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.
- Titans CEO Tommy Smith reiterated yesterday that head coach Ken Whisenhunt and GM Ruston Webster will both be back for the 2015 season, writes Terry McCormick of 247Sports.com.
Bears Notes: Trestman, Cutler, Shanahan
Fans and pundits have believed that the Bears’ coaching staff could be fired as soon as Monday, but general manager Phil Emery says that the coaches will hold their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
“Obviously, it’s at the end of the season,” Emery said. “So on Monday, we’ll have a team meeting. Our coaches will hold that meeting. After that, they’ll start evaluating players. We’ve already done that from a personnel perspective, and we’ll move forward.”
Still, major changes are in order for the Bears this offseason, from either a coaching standpoint, a personnel standpoint, or more likely both:
- While head coach Marc Trestman and his coaching staff are unlikely to return, a big question is whether Emery will lose his job as well, according to David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune. Haugh also questions whether the team will begin to look into moving on from Jay Cutler as well. Cutler will be playing for his fifth offensive coordinator since 2009, should Trestman’s staff lose their jobs as expected.
- Despite the end of the Trestman-era, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes that the organization needs to stop consulting their quarterback when making decisions on coaching. Biggs points out that Cutler has been the common denominator in the team’s perennial underachieving.
- Cutler did give a vote of confidence to former coach Mike Shanahan, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cutler played under Shanahan with the Broncos during his first few years in the NFL, where he experienced some of his best play at quarterback. “[Shanahan is] a heck of a coach. He deserves to be a coach somewhere. He’s out of the game so I’m sure he is looking to coach somewhere,” said Cutler. “My three years with him were very, very enjoyable. He does a great job of leading teams, on and off the field, and offensively he knows how to get it done.”
Draft Order Set For Non-Playoff Teams
The 2015 NFL Draft is looking clearer now, after the Ravens clinched the final playoff seed in the AFC. That means the 20 teams to miss the playoffs have their orders set.
The Chiefs will pick right after the Chargers based on divisional tiebreakers.
The first 20 picks are as follows, based on overall record and strength of schedule, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com.
- Buccaneers
- Titans
- Jaguars
- Raiders
- Washington
- Jets
- Bears
- Falcons
- Giants
- Rams
- Vikings
- Browns
- Saints
- Dolphins
- 49ers
- Texans
- Chargers
- Chiefs
- Browns (from Bills, via trade)
- Eagles
NFC Notes: 49ers, Bears, Giants, Eagles
Once Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers inevitably part ways at some point this week, the club will need to begin its search to find his replacement as head coach. Appearing on FOX Sports, Jay Glazer (Twitter link via his colleague, Mike Garafolo) listed several candidates that San Francisco will likely interview: Dan Quinn, Todd Bowles, Jim Tomsula, Teryl Austin, Adam Gase, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Shanahan, and interestingly, UCLA head coach Jim Mora. Mora, who’s held head coaching positions with both the Falcons and Seahawks, was also mentioned as an NCAA coach likely to jump to the NFL by Albert Breer of NFL.com on Daniel Jeremiah’s Move the Sticks podcast two weeks ago. Here’s more from the NFC…
- Bears assistant coaches believe they will believe they will be fired after today’s game, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who notes that “wholesale changes” could be coming to Chicago. In the same vein, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune examined what the future holds for the Bears, who are expected to fire head coach Marc Trestman and possibly GM Phil Emery.
- Tom Coughlin hasn’t been made aware of his status for 2015, but the expectation is that he will return to coach the Giants next year, per Rapoport (Twitter link).
- Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been unequivocal in explaining that he won’t give New York a deal when it a comes to negotiations, and today he offered an even stronger, and quotable, declaration of his feelings. “Do you give discounts?” he asked Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter link). “Do you get discounts when you go to Macy’s?”
- Eagles FB/TE James Casey is due $4MM next season, and Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter) doubts that he’ll return to Philly next season. Per Berman, Casey signed on with the Eagles in the hopes of getting extensive time on offense, but he’s become more of a special teams player.
- 49ers linebacker Dan Skuta is a free agent at season’s end, and Cam Inman of the Mercury News believes (Twitter link) that he’ll follow current San Francisco defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to his next stop.
Jim Harbaugh Rumors: Sunday
There’s been no shortage of news regarding 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh — most recently, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports reported that Harbaugh’s family is on its way to Ann Arbor, and that Harbaugh has accepted the Michigan job. But until the news is officially announced, we’ll keep track of the latest developments below:
- People at Michigan believe that Harbaugh will be its head coach, and Harbaugh has reportedly reached to out to several assistant coaches to determine their interest in joining him at UM (Twitter links via SportsCenter).
- The 49ers and Harbaugh will definitely part ways, and that may happen as soon as tomorrow, according to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer (Twitter links). But nothing is definite between Harbaugh and Michigan, and although university officials are hopeful a deal will be struck, Raiders management still wants a shot at Harbaugh. Indeed, Adam Schefter of ESPN says (via Twitter) Oakland will make a “concerted effort” to convince Harbaugh to lead its club.
- Michigan’s university plane is waiting in California for Harbaugh, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), who notes that if Harbaugh gets on said plane, it will be a clear indication he’s accepted the UM position.
- The university sounds confident that it will reign in Harbaugh, as it is telling incoming recruits that it will have a new head coach by the middle of this week, tweets Schefter.
- In the event that Harbaugh does land in Ann Arbor, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders how long he’ll stay, given that each of his professional coaching stints have been short-lived. After spending two years with the Raiders, three with the University of San Diego, and four with Stanford, Harbaugh is wrapping up his fourth season with San Francisco.
- 49ers assistant coaches are still in limbo, as they haven’t been made aware of any decision by Harbaugh, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- In the unlikely event that Harbaugh declines Michigan’s offer, Rapoport says (Twitter link) to keep an eye on the Bears as a potential destination. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that Chicago doesn’t make sense for Harbaugh, as the club has never paid a coach the salary that Harbaugh is looking for.
La Canfora’s Latest: Texans, Browns, Harbaugh
Let’s check out the latest from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:
- The Texans are expected to make a change at general manager during the offseason, with current GM Rick Smith shifting into a new role that doesn’t involve football operations. Head coach Bill O’Brien will have significant input on who is hired to fill the position, and sources tell La Canfora that the club already has several candidates in mind. Patriots executive Nick Caserio would likely be O’Brien’s top choice, as the two worked together in New England. Other external options include the Eagles’ Tom Gamble and the Pats’ Jon Robinson, while internal candidates could include scouting director Mike Maccagnan and director of pro personnel Brian Gaine. Texans vice chariman Cal McNair has denied La Canfora’s report, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
- Meanwhile, changes could also be coming in Buffalo and Tennessee, writes La Canfora. Bills GM Doug Whaley doesn’t have a great relationship with head coach Doug Marrone, and given that the current Buffalo front office was responsible for the selection of E.J. Manuel, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club completely overhaul its management team. Meanwhile, the Titans could opt to fire general manager Ruston Webster, and replace him with executive Lake Dawson.
- The Browns are growing increasingly frustrated with both Josh Gordon and Johnny Manziel, sources tell La Canfora. Gordon, who was suspended for today’s game after missing a walkthrough on Saturday, will file a grievance against the team in order to maintain his free agent status after 2015. But Cleveland officials say Gordon “has to go,” although La Canfora says it’s unclear whether owner Jimmy Haslam is willing to trade the talented wideout. For his part, Manziel was also absent yesterday, and team security was forced to go to his house to retrieve him. The rookie quarterback reportedly threw a team party Friday night (which led to several Browns being late on Saturday), the latest questionable decision by a player who recently vowed to take the game more seriously.
- Five clubs — the Raiders, Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Bears — are expected to make coaching changes in the coming days. The Raiders still have their eye on Jim Harbaugh, but if he takes the Michigan job as expected, the club could bring in Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. And while the 49ers are expected to look at some of the younger offensive coaches during their search, the Jets, Falcons, and Bears are looking to hire an established head coach, per La Canfora. Rex Ryan is an option in Atlanta, though if the Falcons lose today and miss the playoffs, general manger Thomas Dimitroff could be axed there. In Chicago, the club could look to reunite Mike Shanahan with Jay Cutler.
- The Raiders will indeed attempt to make their pitch to Harbaugh, and would even engage in trade talks with the 49ers if possible. La Canfora notes (via Twitter) that NFL executives won’t believe Harbaugh has a deal with Michigan until it’s officially signed.
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is a name to watch regarding head-coaching vacancies. La Canfora says sources have compared Autin’s rise to that of Mike Tomlin, who went from an unknown position coach to leading the Steelers in rapid time. Austin is expected to garner several interviews, including one with the Falcons.