Broncos, Raiders Still Searching For DCs
Pending the resolution of Dan Quinn’s tenure with the Seahawks, four teams are currently conducting a search for a defensive coordinator, as our 2015 OC/DC tracker shows. Two of those clubs reside in the AFC West, as the Broncos and Raiders are attempting to replace Jack Del Rio and Jason Tarver, respectively, and today we’ve learned a bit more about the DC hunts being undertaken in Denver and Oakland.
The Broncos initially targeted Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph as the top candidate to fill their defensive coordinator vacancy, but Cincinnati refused to release Joseph from his contract. Reports indicated that Denver would subsequently move on to interviewing other options, but we hadn’t heard any more news on the search until today, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports that the club has contacted longtime NFL coach Wade Phillips to gauge his interest in the position. Phillips, 67, worked with new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak in Houston from 2011-13, and many around the league expect a deal to be struck for Phillps to head to Denver, per Legwold.
Phillips, who started coaching in the NFL in 1976 as the Houston Oilers defensive line coach, has decades of NFL experience — he’s served as the head coach of the Broncos, Bills, and Cowboys, and acted as DC for a multitude of other clubs. He’s generally run a 3-4 front, which would require some personnel changes by Denver, who has run a 4-3 look in recent years under Del Rio. The club would have something of a head start on the schematic shift, as Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware are perfect fits as 3-4 OLBs, while free agent defensive lineman has the size to handle nose tackle.
The Raiders, meanwhile, have interviewed Mel Tucker and Eric Mangini (who has since accepted the 49ers’ DC gig) for their coordinator opening, while ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith has been viewed as the favorite to land the job. However, Oakland might be unhappy with the results of its search, as Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 tweets that the club is now looking to the college ranks to fills its DC void. There’s no word on any specific NCAA candidates, but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes (Twitter link) the report means two things — that the Raiders have been turned down quite a bit, and that Del Rio intends to call defensive plays, meaning that the new coordinator would have less latitude.
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Ravens announced they have signed receiver Aldrick Robinson to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Robinson, 26, was a sixth-round pick by Washington in 2011. After being waived by Washington on December 6, Robinson joined Baltimore’s practice squad three days later.
- The Broncos signed quarterback Zac Dysert to a reserve/futures deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Dysert was one of a handful of practice squad players earning more than the minimum salary in 2014. Dysert made $10K per week on Denver’s taxi squad versus the league minimum of $6,300 per week. Dysert, 24, was taken in the seventh round of the 2013 draft by Denver.
Extra Points: 49ers, Gase, Phillips
The 49ers continued to pursue Adam Gase as offensive coordinator after bypassing him for their head coaching position, a source told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. They were not successful, however, as Gase landed with the Bears earlier tonight. More from around the NFL..
- Former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips could draw interest from the Broncos and Raiders as a defensive coordinator candidate, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Raiders are hiring Marcus Robertson as their new defensive backs coach, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The team is still on the hunt for its next defensive coordinator, however. Veteran Charles Woodson pushed for the hire, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).
- Former Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano interviewed with the 49ers for their tight ends coach position, a league source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Bears met with a pair of Chicago natives at the Senior Bowl, according to Adam Jahns of the Sun-Times (on Twitter). Defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat (Iowa) and guard Laken Tomlinson (Duke) met with reps from the team.
- Long rumored to be headed across the Bay, former Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is joining the 49ers as the team’s linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant, reports Jim Trotter of ESPN (via Twitter). While Tarver may have some input on the play-calling, the Niners are still on the lookout for a defensive coordinator.
Peyton Manning Leaning Toward Returning
2:26pm: Manning’s contract only involved a mandated physical after the 2012 and 2013 seasons, so if he does decide to take a physical before making his decision, it’ll be his choice, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (all Twitter links).
11:20am: The Broncos have replaced their head coach and their offensive coordinator since being eliminated from the postseason 10 days ago, and will soon hire a new defensive coordinator as well. However, no offseason move could impact the team more than Peyton Manning‘s potential departure. For now though, it appears that the future Hall-of-Famer is leaning toward returning to the Broncos.
Three “trustworthy” sources tell Woody Paige of the Denver Post that Manning won’t – or can’t – make his final decision until he takes the annual physical exam that is mandated by his contract, but that he wants to play for the Broncos in 2015.
Manning remains under contract with Denver for two more seasons, but only a small portion of his deal would count against the cap if he decides to retire and/or is cut by the club. If he wants to return, and the Broncos sign off on the results of his physical, Manning would see his $19MM salary for 2015 become guaranteed on March 10, the first day of the 2015 league year.
While 2014 as a whole was another incredible season for Manning, who racked up 4,727 passing yards and 39 touchdowns, it ended on a down note, as injuries hampered him during Denver’s divisional loss against the Colts. In that game, the former first overall pick completed just 26 of 46 passes for 211 yards, and misfired badly on a number of deep balls. If he’s healthy for Week 1 in 2015, there’s certainly reason to think that Manning could rebound and have another strong year, but he’ll turn 39 in March, and nagging health issues could become the norm going forward.
General manager John Elway and the Broncos have instructed Manning to take a few weeks to think about his decision, so we likely won’t get resolution on the issue until at least February, or perhaps even March.
Coach Notes: Browns, Ravens, Rams, Austin
Six of the seven teams changing head coaches this offseason have officially hired replacements, and the Falcons appear fully prepared to wait for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. However, while there may not be much drama left among the league’s head coaching searches, there’s still plenty of intrigue in the coordinator searches, as a number of noteworthy coaches continue to look for jobs. Here’s a round-up of the latest updates:
- The Browns have canceled their offensive coordinator interview with Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The meeting hasn’t been rescheduled, and no reason was given for the cancellation, so it’s not clear why it will no longer happen.
- In addition to not interviewing Saunders, the Browns also won’t speak to former Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). A Tuesday report had suggested Mornhinweg was expected to talk to the club about the job.
- While Mornhinweg apparently won’t interview with the Browns, he has drawn interest from the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Baltimore hired Marc Trestman as its new offensive coordinator yesterday, so Mornhinweg would be a candidate for the team’s quarterbacks coach job.
- The Rams have been denied permission to speak to two of their offensive coordinator candidates, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports that the Colts blocked the Rams from talking to Rob Chudzinski, while the Packers thwarted St. Louis’ efforts to talk to Alex Van Pelt. The Rams still hope to interview Adam Gase, who is in Chicago today to speak to the Bears.
- While Teryl Austin could still technically end up becoming the Falcons‘ new head coach, it sure looks like the Lions defensive coordinator will be returning to Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.
- The Broncos will hope for a change of heart from the Bengals on secondary coach Vance Joseph, whom Denver targeted as its top defensive coordinator target, but with Cincinnati refusing to release Joseph from his contract, the Broncos are moving forward on other candidates, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
- Mike Smith has been the Raiders‘ top target for defensive coordinator since Jack Del Rio was named head coach, tweets Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune. If an established coach like Smith lands Oakland’s DC job, he’ll have more autonomy than a younger coach would — Del Rio would be more involved on D in that case, says McDonald.
Coach Notes: Weis, Gase, Bears, Mornhinweg
The Bears are considering a handful of offensive coordinator candidates, including Charlie Weis, Geep Chryst (49ers), Jim Bob Cooter (Lions), and Adam Gase (Broncos), according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Weis, the former head coach of Notre Dame and Kansas, has been linked to the Browns’ offensive coordinator vacancy in the past. More coaching news..
- Falcons wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie will be back with Atlanta after getting strong overtures from multiple teams in recent weeks, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Cardinals are looking to finalize a deal that would make former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau the team’s new linebackers coach, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- The Browns interviewed Rams quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti for their offensive coordinator vacancy, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Gase is flying to Chicago to meet with the Bears about their offensive coordinator opening, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday and things could move very quickly.
- The 49ers are considering Eric Mangini for their defensive coordinator opening, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. Mangini served as the team’s tight ends coach last season and was an offensive consultant with the 49ers the year before that.
- The Browns are expected to interview former Jets and Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg this week at the Senior Bowl, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- A source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that the Bengals will not allow defensive backs coach Vance Joseph to leave his contract. Joseph was previously linked to the Broncos’ defensive coordinator vacancy.
- Washington was interested in Vic Fangio, who ultimately landed in Chicago as the Bears’ defensive coordinator, but never made a formal offer to him. As head coach Jay Gruden explained today, that was because the club felt like Fangio’s mind was already made up on choosing the Bears (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post).
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) speculated earlier today that – if Chan Gailey‘s deal fell through – former Packers coach Mike Sherman would have been interested in the Jets‘ offensive coordinator job, though the interest might not have been mutual. Sherman has a relationship with GM Mike Maccagnan dating back to his time in Houston. Hours later, the Jets finalized their deal with Gailey.
West Notes: 49ers, Chargers, Broncos
Broncos GM John Elway has high expectations for new head coach Gary Kubiak, but that’s alright with him, as Mike Klis of The Denver Post writes. “He is the boss,” Kubiak said. “Believe me, he’s the boss. That’s all right. I want to coach. He’s the boss.” More out of the AFC and NFC West..
- Former 49ers personnel executive Tom Gamble, who was recently let go by the Eagles, had a “long talk” with Niners GM Trent Baalke today, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. While that doesn’t necessarily mean a return to San Francisco for Gamble is imminent, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News notes (via Twitter) that the club’s director of player personnel position is open at the moment.
- Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego spoke with The Mighty 1090 Sports Radio (audio link) about the Chargers replacing Joe Barry and their biggest priorities in free agency.
- Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego graded the Raiders‘ hire of new head coach Jack Del Rio.
- Former Bears special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis has been hired by the Broncos, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
- The Raiders announced that they have hired Brad Seely (formerly with the 49ers) to be their special teams coordinator.
- Jets special teams coach Thomas McGaughey will likely take Seely’s old job with the 49ers, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Broncos Likely To Franchise D. Thomas
The Broncos have some big decisions to make in the near future and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) has an idea of which way they’re leaning. Denver, he says, plans to use the franchise tag on Demaryius Thomas while letting Julius Thomas and Terrance Knighton hit the open market.
The Broncos, according to Cole, will not make much of an attempt to sign the tight end or Pot Roast during their exclusivity period. Once free agency gets underway, they’ll have a better idea of what it will take to keep both players, at which point GM John Elway & Co. will assess matters.
In Julius Thomas’ case, the big concern is that he only had five catches over the final seven games of the season and some in the organization believe that he did not play very hard while he was hampered by a sprained ankle. In total, the tight end brought in 43 catches for 489 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns. Those aren’t bad numbers, but the 26-year-old (27 in June) set the bar higher in 2013 when he hauled in 65 catches for 788 yards and 12 scores on his way to his first career Pro Bowl.
When it comes to Knighton, the Broncos are worried about his weight. The defensive tackle was tipping the scales by about 40 pounds over his usual weight for much of the 2014 season. With a few extra pounds on him, Knighton managed to record 30 tackles and 2.0 sacks on the year. For his part, Knighton has made no secret of his desire to remain in orange.
Last season, Thomas recorded 1,619 receiving yards off of 111 catches with 11 touchdowns.
AFC West Notes: Kubiak, Manning, Raiders
The Broncos introduced head coach Gary Kubiak to the media today, and while there’s been some speculation that it might not be the most compatible of marriages, given the differences between Kubiak’s offense and the record-setting group in Denver, the new coach downplayed that notion.
“We actually teach everything,” Kubiak said (Twitter links via the Denver Post). “We’re going to do what the players do best, what this team does best. We’re going to run the Denver Broncos offense, not Gary Kubiak’s offense.”
Here’s more from Kubiak’s presser and from out of the AFC West:
- Having previously announced that he intended to stay with the Ravens, Kubiak said today that the Broncos‘ head coaching job was the only one he would’ve considered. “I was very comfortable saying ‘No, I’m going to continue this path that I’m on,'” Kubiak said. “But this was a game-changer. Simple as that” (Twitter links).
- Kubiak confirmed that he has already talked to Peyton Manning via text message, stressing that he’ll be there in “any way he can” for the Broncos quarterback as he makes his decision (Twitter links). As Mike Klis of the Denver Post details, Manning will have to make his final decision on whether to play in 2015 by March 9, since his salary becomes fully guaranteed the next day.
- Broncos general manager John Elway confirmed today that Kubiak will have a “huge influence” on the club’s decisions in free agency (Twitter link).
- Despite the fact that the Raiders are 11-37 during his three seasons as general manager, Reggie McKenzie appears to have plenty of job security, writes Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Asked about McKenzie’s status this week, owner Mark Davis said, “He’s got a contract for two more years; that’s pretty secure.”
- Eric Mangini‘s interview with the Raiders for the team’s defensive coordinator position is taking place today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Coach Notes: Joseph, Broncos, Falcons, Bears
It’s been a busy day so far for coaching movement around the NFL, as a pair of 2014 head coaches – Doug Marrone and Dennis Allen – found new assistant roles. Two NFC teams also reached agreements with new defensive coordinators, with the Bears landing Vic Fangio and Washington hiring Joe Barry.
There are still several notable openings around the league, and a handful of coaching-related updates to pass along this afternoon, so let’s dive right in…
- Buzz around the league still suggests that Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph is a favorite for the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator vacancy, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. However, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports that the Bengals would still need to grant Joseph permission to leave his position in Cincinnati, which the team has yet to do.
- While there’s some work to be done on the defensive side of the ball, Gary Kubiak and the Broncos have finalized their offensive staff, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who passes along the details in his latest piece.
- Multiple sources tell Marvez that presumed Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will retain Atlanta’s defensive line coach Bryan Cox and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong. It’s not clear if Cox will hold the same title under Quinn, but the plan is for him to work with the Falcons’ front seven, writes Marvez.
- In addition to reaching an agreement with Fangio today, the Bears also parted ways with several assistants, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Jahns tweets that linebackers coach Reggie Herring, tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, and special teams assistant Dwayne Stukes won’t return to the club.
- Appearing on The John Murphy Show (audio link via BuffaloBills.com), Bills co-owner Kim Pegula admitted that the team didn’t have Rex Ryan on its short list heading into the head coaching interview process, but loved the impression he made in his interview (hat tip to Pro Football Talk). “Rex almost was a candidate we put in there because obviously his name was all around as a candidate that was open and we really didn’t give much thought to him,” Pegula said. “We had obviously interviewed a lot of people before him. And he came in and I think we were just very pleasantly surprised at how very down to earth he really was in person and his love of the game and some of the things that he said on what he really wanted to do with his life and where he wanted to help us as being part of the team.”