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Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

Browns Fire Bill Kuharich, Morocco Brown

By | at January 4, 2016 3:35 pm

After parting ways with general manager Ray Farmer, the Browns have also let go of two front office executives he hired in 2014, reports Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Russini reports that Cleveland has fired Bill Kuharich and Morocco Brown.

Kuharich and Brown had been key members of the Browns’ player personnel department, with Kuharich serving as the executive chief of staff, while Brown held the title of VP player personnel. Kuharich, who interviewed last winter for the Jets’ general manager job, took over as the Browns’ GM on an interim basis in the fall when Farmer served his four-game suspension.

As for Brown, when Cleveland hired the former Washington director of pro personnel in May 2014, the move was lauded, with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) suggesting that Brown was on track to run a team someday. We’ll see where he lands now that he’s out of the picture for the Browns.

When the Browns’ officially hire a new general manager, it looks like that GM could be tasked with adding new personnel execs of his own.

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Coach Rumors: Dolphins, Browns, Kelly

By | at January 4, 2016 12:49 pm

A previous report indicated that the Dolphins spoke to Mike Shanahan a couple weeks ago about their head coaching opening, but Mike Tannenbaum said today that the team hasn’t conducted any interviews yet, so it sounds like that December conversation with Shanahan was an informal one (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). The team will interview Shanahan tomorrow, however.

Addressing the media today, Tannenbaum also said that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross will make the final decision on who the club’s next head coach will be. That new coach will have input on the roster, but it’s not yet decided who will have control over the 53-man squad (Twitter links via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald).

Here are a few more coaching-related updates on Black Monday:

  • Former Lions head coach and Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is on the Browns‘ list of head coaching candidates, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Cleveland has reportedly lined up interviews with Adam Gase, Teryl Austin, and Doug Marrone so far.
  • Thus far, we’ve heard more reports about Chip Kelly being interested in certain head coaching jobs than about teams being interested in Kelly. That may not be an accident. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) suggests NFL owners are wary of Kelly, and concerned that his dealings with players may work better at the college level than the professional level.
  • Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula doesn’t want to interview for any head coaching jobs until after Carolina’s season is over, but defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said today that he’d be open to meeting with interested teams during the Panthers’ bye week (link via David Newton of ESPN.com). McDermott has been cited as a potential candidate for the Eagles.
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2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 4, 2016 10:35 am

Several NFL teams are currently hunting for a new head coach, and amidst reports about interview requests and potential candidates, it’s easy to lose track of the latest updates in the shuffle. So we’ll use this space – which will be updated until every team has hired a new head coach – to keep track of the most recent news and rumors. It can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features.”

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:

Updated 1-18-16 (1:12pm CT)

Cleveland Browns

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

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Coach Rumors: Coughlin, Shula, Shaw, McCoy

By | at January 4, 2016 10:21 am

The Giants have yet to announce a decision one way or the other on head coach Tom Coughlin, but it sounds like we’ll find out shortly whether the club will be in the market for a new coach. According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Coughlin is scheduled to meet with Giants ownership at 1:00 pm eastern time, and it appears a decision has been made.

As we wait to find out Coughlin’s fate, let’s check in on a few other coaching-related notes and rumors….

  • Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula figures to draw interest from teams searching for a head coach, but he doesn’t plan to interview while Carolina remains alive in the postseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Since the Panthers aren’t scheduled to play until the divisional round, that would mean any potential suitors for Shula would have to wait until at least January 17th, and possibly later, to interview him, which could reduce interest.
  • Rapoport also provides an update on David Shaw, tweeting that the Stanford coach plans to remain in his current role, despite the possibility of garnering interest from the 49ers and/or Colts.
  • Chargers head coach Mike McCoy is scheduled to address the media later today, and as Ben Higgins of 10News in San Diego tweets, that looks like a positive sign for McCoy, since teams don’t typically schedule presser for coaches that are being fired.
  • The Browns‘ unusual approach to their coaching and GM searches could complicate the process for the team, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Since executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown will have final say on the 53-man roster, rival teams will have the option of blocking their own executives from interviewing for Cleveland’s GM job. The Browns also plan to hire a head coach before landing a GM, so while it may be appealing for a head coaching candidate to have the opportunity to bring in his own personnel guy, that guy would have to be unemployed, or employed by a team willing to let him go.
  • Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is among the candidates the Eagles are expected to consider for their head coaching job, per Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
2 comments Carolina Panthers Cleveland Browns Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Chargers New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles San Francisco 49ers

King’s Latest: Mularkey, Manziel, Bradford

By | at January 4, 2016 9:52 am

Even though Mike Mularkey is technically the Titans‘ interim head coach, rather than the team’s permanent solution, that doesn’t necessarily mean the club will conduct a full-fledged coaching search. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, the Titans have yet to reach out to any top outside coaching candidates, even as other teams begin to schedule and conduct interviews.

There has been a little more buzz lately suggesting that the Titans are seriously considering sticking with Mularkey, and in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King of TheMMQB.com suggests that Mularkey looks safer than anticipated. Tennessee has yet to announce any sort of decision yet, but we should find out soon whether the club intends to interview outside candidates or simply move forward with Mularkey.

Here are a few more noteworthy tidbits from King’s latest MMQB:

  • According to King, the Browns don’t want Johnny Manziel anymore, “but won’t say so for fear of eliminating [his] trade value.” While King doesn’t expect Manziel to play another snap for Cleveland, it’s worth noting that a new head coach and general manager may feel differently about the former first-round pick.
  • Sam Bradford won’t be motivated to sign with the Eagles over any other team in free agency, says King. If the Eagles don’t use their franchise tag on Bradford, it sounds like the former first overall pick will reach the open market, since agent Tom Condon likes to maximize his client’s earnings, and Bradford “isn’t crazy about Philadelphia” as a city, according to King.
  • Doug Marrone‘s interview for the Browns‘ head coaching job will take place on Tuesday, per King. The former Bills head coach also reportedly has an interview lined up with the Dolphins.
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Latest On Dolphins’ Head Coaching Search

By | at January 4, 2016 8:13 am

8:13am: The Dolphins have also lined up an interview with Jaguars assistant Doug Marrone, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who tweets that Marrone is interviewing with the Browns as well.

7:51am: With the Dolphins’ season now over, weekend reports indicated that the team would interview Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase on Thursday, and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin at some point this week. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), that Austin interview will take place on Tuesday, which is the same day the Detroit assistant is reportedly scheduled to meet with the Browns.

Austin won’t be the only head coaching candidate to sit down with the Dolphins on Tuesday. Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reports that former Denver and Washington coach Mike Shanahan will interview for Miami’s head coaching job on Tuesday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (via Twitter) that it will be Shanahan’s second meeting with the team, after having interviewed with the Fins on December 22nd.

According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), another candidate of interest to the Dolphins is Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley. However, with Haley’s Steelers set to play this weekend in the Wild Card round, Miami wouldn’t be able to schedule an interview with him until next week.

Finally, while he’s not viewed as a top candidate for the Dolphins’ permanent head coaching job, interim HC Dan Campbell will get a formal interview from the club this Friday, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). As Rapoport notes, Campbell may be a long shot, but he’ll at least get the opportunity to state his case.

1 comment Cleveland Browns Detroit Lions Miami Dolphins Newsstand Pittsburgh Steelers

Top 20 Teams Set For 2016 NFL Draft

By | at January 4, 2016 12:04 am

With the 2015 NFL regular season now complete, the 2016 draft order has been set for the teams that didn’t earn playoff berths this year.

The order for the top 20 is determined first by record — the teams with the worst records get the highest picks. The tiebreaker for teams that finish with identical records is strength of schedules. The easier the team’s schedule, the higher its pick. The thinking there is that if two teams finished with the same record, the team that played the easier schedule is likely the “worst” of the two teams, earning that club the higher pick.

Via NFL.com, here’s how the top 20 breaks down for the 2016 NFL draft, with each team’s record and opponents’ winning percentage noted in parentheses:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-13, .492)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-13, .531)
  3. San Diego Chargers (4-12, .527)
  4. Dallas Cowboys (4-12, .531)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11, .473)
  6. Baltimore Ravens (5-11, .508)
  7. San Francisco 49ers (5-11, .539)
  8. Miami Dolphins (6-10, .469)
  9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10, .484)
  10. New York Giants (6-10, .500)
  11. Chicago Bears (6-10, .547)
  12. New Orleans Saints (7-9, .504)
  13. Philadelphia Eagles (7-9, .508)
  14. Oakland Raiders (7-9, .512)
  15. St. Louis Rams (7-9, .527)
  16. Detroit Lions (7-9, .535)
  17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8, .481)
  18. Indianapolis Colts (8-8, .500)
  19. Buffalo Bills (8-8, .508)
  20. New York Jets (10-6, .441)

While teams that played weaker schedules will get the higher draft picks – via tiebreaker – in the first round, that’s not the case for every round. Teams that finished with identical records will rotate order throughout the draft, so the Browns, for instance, will pick ahead of the Titans in round two.

As for the remaining 12 spots, those will be determined based on which teams are eliminated from the playoffs first. The four teams knocked out in the Wild Card round will pick 21st through 24th, for example — the clubs with the weaker records will get the higher picks. The full order will be determined after the Super Bowl, with this year’s champion getting the last pick of the first round — unless, of course, that’s the Patriots, who won’t have a first-rounder in 2016.

2 comments 2016 NFL Draft Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets Newsstand Philadelphia Eagles San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans

Adam Gase, Teryl Austin Line Up HC Interviews

By | at January 3, 2016 11:12 pm

Two NFC North assistants are among the hottest head coaching candidates of the offseason, and Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have already lined up multiple interviews for this week, according to various reports.

We had already heard that Gase would get interviews from at least three teams with head coaching vacancies, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) has since confirmed the preliminary schedule for the Chicago OC. Gase will interview with the Eagles on Tuesday, the Browns on Wednesday, and the Dolphins on Thursday, per Rapoport.

Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets that Gase would have “definite interest” in the Colts’ head coaching job as well. However, Indianapolis has yet to confirm a decision one way or the other on Chuck Pagano, and it’s not clear if Gase would be one of the team’s targets if Pagano is replaced.

As for Austin, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that he currently has formal interviews lined up with the Browns and Dolphins, with Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com indicating (via Twitter) that Austin’s meeting with the Browns will happen on Tuesday.

According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Austin will likely meet with the Eagles this week as well. However, Mortensen says Philadelphia will meet first with interim head coach Pat Shurmur and – as previously noted – Gase.

Got all that? If not, don’t worry — on Monday, Pro Football Rumors will introduce a head coaching search tracker so you can easily keep tabs on which candidates each team with an opening is pursuing and interviewing.

1 comment Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Detroit Lions Indianapolis Colts Miami Dolphins Newsstand Philadelphia Eagles

Coaching Rumors: Payton, Browns, Titans, Kelly

By | at January 3, 2016 8:53 pm

The Eagles will pursue head coach Sean Payton if he and the Saints agree to part ways Monday, sources tell Paul Domowitch of Philly.com (Twitter link). Payton is under contract for two more years in New Orleans, which might present a problem for the Eagles, as Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes. The Saints will want compensation for Payton, possibly in the form of a second-round pick, and the Eagles don’t have one this year.

More coaching rumors from around the NFL:

  • In addition to the previously reported Teryl Austin and Adam Gase (links: 1; 2), the Browns are also requesting an interview with Jacksonville assistant Doug Marrone, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link).
  • The presence of quarterback Marcus Mariota might not be enough to make the Titans’ head coaching job appealing to potential candidates, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Concerns over a lack of stability with respect to the franchise’s ownership could ultimately lead to the promotion of interim head coach Mike Mularkey to the full-time role.
  • Two college head coaches, Jim Mora Jr. (UCLA) and Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M), are hoping to land head coaching jobs in the pros, tweets Michael Silver of NFL.com. Mora was previously at the helm in Atlanta (2004-06) and Seattle (’09), going a combined 31-33 with one playoff appearance.
  • Chip Kelly isn’t a lock to get another head coaching job this offseason, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio writes that some teams might be hesitant to give Kelly a shot because of a fear that he’d eventually try to parlay his role as a head coach into that of a football czar, too, as he did in Philadelphia.
3 comments Cleveland Browns New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles Tennessee Titans

Browns Links: Coaching/GM Search, Manziel, Thomas

By | at January 3, 2016 7:41 pm

The Browns have promoted executive vice president/general counsel Sashi Brown to executive VP of football operations, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan. Brown will join owner Jimmy Haslam, Dee Haslam (Jimmy’s wife), and consultant Jed Hughes in finding the club’s next head coach, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (on Twitter) and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). The coach will then help them hire a general manager (Twitter link via Ulrich). The new GM will report to Brown and the coach will report to Haslam, according to Ulrich (via Twitter). The GM’s duties will center on talent acquisition and scouting, while Brown will handle the 53-man roster and salary cap (via Ulrich on Twitter).

More on the Browns as they embark on another new era:

  • Haslam acknowledged that the Browns are in for a long rebuild. Thus, they’ll add talent through the draft and, for the time being, avoid spending big on free agents (Twitter link via Ulrich).
  • A report Sunday night stated Jacksonville assistant Doug Marrone would be the first to interview for the Browns’ head coaching vacancy. However, Haslam shot down the notion of Marrone being first in line, according to Cabot (Twitter link). No word yet on whether the team will speak with Marrone.
  • The Browns will interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin for their head coaching opening in the coming days, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • Haslam informed previous GM Ray Farmer he was firing him before the Browns’ loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday, not after, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Further, Haslam notifed the coaches of the Farmer and Mike Pettine firings via email, tweets Rapoport.
  • More Johnny Manziel drama, courtesy of Peter King of TheMMQB.com: The two-year veteran didn’t show up to concussion protocol at 9 a.m. Sunday, which is a team requirement even if the player is inactive. Moreover, Manziel was unreachable via phone when the Browns tried to contact him. King now doubts the quarterback will ever play another down for the Browns. The 2014 first-round pick would prefer to go to the Cowboys (Twitter links: 1; 2; 3).
  • Perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas, who has been in Cleveland since it drafted him third overall in 2007, is unsure about whether he’ll be a Brown next season. “When there’s turnover in the coaching staff, a lot of good players end up leaving, a lot of good coaches leave,” he said, according to ESPN’s Tony Grossi. “There’s a lot of uncertainty when there’s turnover in the coaching staff. Certainly I could be one of them not here next year.” On whether he even wants to stay a Brown, Thomas stated, “I’ll have to wait and see what happens with everything next week.” Thomas had previously hoped Pettine would return, per Grossi. Whether Pettine’s firing affects Thomas’ relationship with the Browns remains to be seen. For what it’s worth, Thomas has three years and $29.5MM left on his contract, which contains no dead money.
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