NFC East Notes: Washington, Linehan, Giants
There’s still no action on Washington‘s defensive coordinator hunt, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (all Twitter links), who hears that the team does indeed have interest in Vic Fangio, though it remains unclear if an interview is being scheduled. As Jones notes, Washington could still end up hiring Joe Barry, as had been previously reported, but it appears the team has pumped the brakes a little on making a final decision — as more candidates become available, the process of making a hire is perhaps lasting a little longer than expected.
Let’s round up a few more notes from around the NFC East….
- As I speculated earlier today, Scott Linehan‘s new deal with the Cowboys will indeed include the official offensive coordinator title, since Bill Callahan is expected to leave the team, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Linehan, who is signing a three-year contract, essentially played the role of OC in 2014, since he called the club’s plays while Callahan primarily worked with the offensive line.
- Owner Jerry Jones believes the Cowboys are capable of being major players in free agency, but isn’t sure exactly how active they’ll be, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I’d love to have the opportunity to improve that pass rush in the range of something that we could afford and make sense logically,” Jones told reporters.
- The Giants have informed Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson that they’re going a different direction with their defensive coordinator hire, a source tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link).
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Giants‘ offseason, examining the team’s cap situation and potential approach to free agency.
Coach Updates: Linehan, Gase, Rams, Falcons
The Cowboys and offensive play-caller Scott Linehan have agreed to terms on a new contract that will keep him in Dallas, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). On the heels of Jason Garrett‘s extension, Linehan is the second assistant – along with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli – to come to an agreement with the team on a new deal.
What remains to be seen is whether Linehan will keep his current job title — as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets, offensive coordinator Bill Callahan is exploring potential options with other teams and has “multiple big-money offers,” so if Callahan doesn’t return to the Cowboys, perhaps his OC title goes to Linehan for the 2015 season.
Here’s more on coaching openings around the NFL:
- The Rams have requested permission to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their own OC opening, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Gase has primarily been a head coaching candidate this offseason, but didn’t end up landing with the 49ers, who were viewed as his most aggressive suitor. Gase is reportedly still under consideration as a head coaching option in Denver.
- While Dan Quinn is considered the frontrunner for the Falcons‘ head coaching vacancy, don’t rule out Teryl Austin, who has a “legit chance,” says Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, adding that Austin’s second interview with the club is happening now (Twitter links).
- Speaking of the Falcons, they’re “blocking a raid” on their coaching staff, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution details, having denied the Jets permission to interview special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong and having also turned away the Raiders, who wanted to speak to offensive line coach Mike Tice. Despite not having a head coach in place yet, the club wants to make most of the current staff available to the new coach.
- With Todd Bowles headed to New York, the Cardinals intend to promote one of their current defensive assistants to the defensive coordinator position, though the team isn’t sure yet which assistant will get the job, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Somers adds that the new DC should get some help from Dick LeBeau, whom the Cards want to hire as a senior assistant.
- 49ers players had overwhelmingly positive reactions to news that Jim Tomsula would be promoted to head coach, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, rounding up the most notable comments from Niners players.
- Candidates for the Giants‘ defensive coordinator opening – including Dennis Allen, Pepper Johnson, Raheem Morris, and Steve Spagnuolo – expect a decision by week’s end, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
NFC East Notes: Murray, Giants, Cowboys
While the Professional Football Writers of America’s awards aren’t official, they often foreshadow the results of the AP voting, and if that’s the case this year, that’s good news for Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. The PFWA selected Murray as the Offensive Player of the Year after a season in which he ran away with the NFL’s rushing title by nearly 500 yards (Twitter link). Murray joins MVP Aaron Rodgers and Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt as today’s PFWA honorees.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Appearing on WFAN Sports Radio in New York today, Giants co-owner John Mara said he hasn’t discussed a new contract with head coach Tom Coughlin yet, though he expects those discussion to take place “fairly soon.” Mara also identified the Giants’ offensive line as the position most in need of an upgrade (Twitter links via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
- The Giants have hired former Rams defensive coordinator Tim Walton as their defensive backs/secondary coach, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Former agent Joel Corry examines the upcoming offseason decisions for the Cowboys in a piece at CBSSports.com, focusing on the club’s cap situation, along with its two notable free-agents-to-be, Dez Bryant and Murray. While Corry views the franchise tag as a near-lock for Bryant if no long-term agreement is reached, he’s less certain the team will retain Murray, pointing out that while running backs haven’t done well on the open market recently, one of Murray’s caliber hasn’t become available for quite some time. Earlier today, we heard that Murray was a good bet to reach the open market in March.
- Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will pursue other possibilities so he’s unlikely to re-sign with Dallas during the exclusivity period, according to ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (via Twitter).
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.
DeMarco Murray Likely To Test Free Agency?
With two of the Cowboys’ most notable offensive players eligible for unrestricted free agency this winter, wide receiver Dez Bryant seems unlikely to go anywhere, but the same can’t be said of running back DeMarco Murray. Dallas can only use its franchise or transition designation on one player, and Bryant looks like a lock to be tagged, which means Murray would have to negotiate a new contract with the club. And so far, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the two sides aren’t anywhere close.
As Chris Wesseling of NFL.com writes, Rapoport suggests that at last check, the Cowboys had a four-year offer on the table to Murray worth about $16MM, or $4MM annually. That stacks up well when compared to the top contracts for free agent running backs from a year ago, but it pales in comparison to the $7MM+ annual salaries that the league’s highest-paid backs are earning. And considering Murray is coming off a season in which his 1,845 rushing yards placed him first in the NFL by nearly a 500-yard margin, it makes sense that he’d be seeking more than $4MM per year.
Of course, over the last several seasons, the value of the running back position has been on the decline, and the reported Cowboys’ offer reflects not only that decreasing value, but also some wariness about Murray’s 2014 workload — after racking up 449 touches in the regular season, the 26-year-old had 48 more in two postseason games, for a total of 497. That will be a red flag for any potential suitor.
Still, as Wesseling notes, Murray should be able to do better than a $4MM annual salary on the open market, so unless the Cowboys “pry the coffers wide open,” the Oklahoma product will likely test free agency in March. Even in an era when running backs aren’t valued highly, plenty of teams – including perhaps the Raiders, Falcons, Colts, and Buccaneers, among others – should be looking to improve their ground games, and could kick the tires on Murray.
Minor Moves: Williams, Wade, Cleary
Today’s minor moves..
- The Cowboys confirmed that Ryan Williams has been signed to a two-year contract extension, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Williams signed with Dallas last offseason, but never stepped foot on the field. The former member of the Cardinals has not been on the gridiron for in-game action since 2012.
- The Giants signed defensive back Trevin Wade, a former member of the Browns and Saints, to a reserves/futures deal, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Wade, an Arizona product, has 15 career NFL games to his credit.
- The Eastern Athletics agency (via Twitter) announced that client Emmett Cleary has signed a futures deal with the Giants. The tackle previously spent time with the Bengals.
Cowboys Sign Eight Players To Futures Deals
In the wake of their season-ending loss to the Packers on Sunday, the Cowboys have moved quickly to lock up their coaches without contracts, and they’re doing the same for their practice squad players. Per Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, the ‘Boys have re-signed seven players who finished the season on their taxi squad, plus Troy Davis, who was on the squad’s IR list. Here’s the full list of signees:
- Mister Alexander, LB
- Chris Boyd, WR
- Troy Davis, LB
- Reggie Dunn, WR
- Will Smith, LB
- Robert Steeples, CB
- John Wetzel, OL
- Ryan Williams, RB
Of the players who finished the season on Dallas’ practice squad, only defensive tackle Davon Coleman and cornerback Micah Pellerin have yet to sign new deals.
DC Rod Marinelli, Cowboys Reach Agreement
4:50pm: A league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link via Todd Archer) that Marinelli has agreed to a three-year deal with the Cowboys.
4:11pm: The Cowboys and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli have reached an agreement on a new contract that will keep the former Lions head coach in Dallas, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Word of Marinelli’s new deal comes on the heels of a report that head coach Jason Garrett is nearing agreement on a five-year pact to stick with the Cowboys.
The numbers for Marinelli’s defensive unit in 2014 may not look impressive on the surface — the club allowed 355.1 yards per game, which ranked 19th in the NFL, and placed 22nd in defensive DVOA, per Football Outsiders. However, coming into the season, there was a perception that Dallas’ defense would be historically bad, so the fact that it was only slightly below average despite a handful of injuries and a lack of star talent is a credit to Marinelli.
Prior to becoming the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for the 2014 season, Marinelli was the team’s defensive line coach in 2013, and served as a defensive assistant on the Bears’ staff from 2010 to 2012.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Garrett, Maclin
Ever since the Giants parted ways with defensive coordinator Perry Fewell earlier in the month, Steve Spagnuolo has been cited as a strong candidate to take over the DC role under Tom Coughlin. Today, Ravens coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Spagnuolo has received permission to speak to the Giants, adding that the interview will take place on Wednesday (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). Currently a secondary coach in Baltimore, Spagnuolo is considered the favorite for the Giants’ DC job.
Here’s more from out of the NFC East:
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) provides another update on the Giants‘ defensive coordinator search, reporting that the team’s interview with ex-Raiders head coach Dennis Allen is taking place today.
- Before the Cowboys extend assistants like Rod Marinelli, Scott Linehan, or Bill Callahan, the team wants to get something done with head coach Jason Garrett, and talks are ongoing between the two sides, tweets Rapoport.
- With Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant unlikely to reach the open market this March, Jeremy Maclin has a chance to be one of the top wideouts available in free agency, if the Eagles don’t lock him up before then, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. McManus talks to cap expert Joel Corry about Maclin’s potential free agency, and the former agent suggests the wideout could sign a contract between Greg Jennings‘ deal (five years, $45MM) and Dwayne Bowe‘s (five years, $56MM).
- Although a weekend report indicated that he would likely interview with the Eagles soon for the team’s general manager position, Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer has not yet been formally contacted by Philadelphia, says Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com.
Coach Notes: Meyer, Browns, Fangio, Raiders
Wins over Alabama and Oregon in the NCAA’s first College Football Playoff created plenty of buzz for Urban Meyer, but the Buckeyes head coach quickly dismissed any speculation that his success at Ohio State would result in a jump to the NFL this offseason. “Not right now. I have a commitment to Ohio State and these players,” Meyer said when asked about the possibility of an NFL job, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
Let’s check in on several coaching situations from around the league, as a handful of teams look to hire new head coaches and/or coordinators….
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links) provide an update on the Browns‘ hunt for an offensive coordinator, with Rapoport noting that Marc Trestman interviews tomorrow and Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo meets with the team on Friday. Per Schefter, the Browns have also requested permission to talk to Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn about the position.
- Raheem Morris‘ meeting with Washington about the team’s defensive coordinator vacancy is expected to be the last of the club’s interviews, tweets Rapoport, who believes either Morris or Joe Barry will land the job.
- Michael Silver of NFL Network (Twitter links) hears that the word in coaching circles is that 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio may want to leave the team unless he (or Mike Shanahan) is hired as the head coach. In that case, writes Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, the Raiders should kick the tires on Fangio as a potential head coaching candidate.
- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, who is working on a new deal of his own, says defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has told him he wants to stay with the team, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Per Archer, talks on new contracts for the team’s coaches are ongoing.
- In a tweet, Kawakami also suggests keeping an eye on Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver, who has multiple options, and would likely be Jim Tomsula‘s top choice for defensive coordinator if he lands the 49ers‘ head coaching job.
- If Todd Bowles is hired as a head coach, he’d like to take Cardinals linebackers coach Mike Caldwell with him as a defensive coordinator, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910.
- The Giants are interested in talking to former Raiders head coach Dennis Allen about their defensive coordinator position, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, adding that it’s not clear whether an interview has been scheduled yet.