Raiders Hire Jack Del Rio As HC
3:40pm: It’s a four-year deal for Del Rio, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
3:10pm: The Raiders have officially hired Del Rio, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
2:17pm: A person familiar with the Raiders’ coach search told Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter) that a completed deal to hire Del Rio as head coach is “not imminent.” Still, the two sides still working on it.
7:44am: While the Niners pursue Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching job, the league’s other Bay Area team appears poised to lock up Denver’s defensive coordinator for their own coaching opening. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Raiders are expected to name Jack Del Rio as their new head coach, and an announcement could come as soon as today.
Del Rio’s defense in Denver, where he has been the coordinator since 2012, hasn’t been quite as effective or as heralded as the unit on the other side of the ball. However, after ranking in the middle of the pack a year ago, the Broncos’ defense finished fourth in DVOA in 2014, with Del Rio taking advantage of an influx of free agent talent, including DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward.
As our head coaching search tracker shows, the Raiders’ list of candidates and interviewees didn’t include as many notable names as several other team’s lists. The team didn’t target highly-regarded coordinators like Dan Quinn or Teryl Austin, or former head coaches such as Rex Ryan or Doug Marrone. While Oakland tried to interview Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, he passed on the opportunity after receiving plenty of interest from other suitors.
Still, Del Rio, who had a long second interview with the team on Tuesday, had been considered a top option for the Raiders since the start of their search. There was a belief in recent days that the team’s choice would come down to the Broncos’ defensive coordinator or interim head coach Tony Sparano. And according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the club decided late last night not to promote Sparano to the permanent role, opening the door for Del Rio.
Del Rio, of course, has previous head coaching experience, having spent the better part of nine seasons with the Jaguars. That stint included a 68-71 overall regular season record, along with a pair of playoff berths, and a single postseason victory, in the 2007 season.
Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group noted last night (via Twitter) that offensive coordinator Greg Olson and special teams coordinator Bobby April actually remain under contract for the Raiders in 2015. However, it’s possible – or perhaps even likely – that they’ll be released from those deals to pursue other opportunities, with Del Rio bringing in his own coordinators.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com speculates (via Twitter) that Mike Smith, who was Del Rio’s defensive coordinator for several years in Jacksonville and was recently let go by the Falcons, could be a DC candidate. Meanwhile, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says he wouldn’t be surprised if another Atlanta coach who worked with Del Rio on the Jags – offensive line coach Mike Tice – follows his former colleague to Oakland.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons Frontrunners For Dan Quinn
Now that a pair of the Falcons’ head coaching targets – Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles – have landed with AFC East clubs, a path is opening up for Atlanta to land Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and Quinn has emerged as the favorite for the Falcons’ vacancy, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
As Schefter outlines, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is having a second interview with the Falcons today and will have a chance to impress them, but sources believe that Atlanta is willing to wait for Quinn to become available, and that Quinn is interested in the position. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report agrees that Quinn looks likely to be hired by the Falcons, suggesting that the Seahawks DC preferred Atlanta’s job to the Jets’ position, which prompted New York to move on to Bowles.
While Quinn is viewed as one of the top head coaching candidates available this offseason, the fact that his Seahawks are playing so well has prevented him from fully exploring his options. As Schefter notes, Quinn will be able to interview again after Sunday’s game against the Packers, but if Seattle wins that game, he’ll only be allowed to have second interviews with teams he has already talked to. In that case, Quinn could speak to the Falcons, 49ers, and/or Bears again, if those clubs are still interested, but he wouldn’t be able to interview a first time with the Broncos.
The 49ers and Bears appear headed in different directions, focusing on Adam Gase and John Fox respectively. The Broncos could enter the picture if the Seahawks lose to Green Bay on Sunday, but it looks as if they’re in line behind the Falcons at this point. As for Atlanta, the club has also been linked to Josh McDaniels, but it appears likely that the Patriots offensive coordinator will stick with New England.
AFC Links: Gase, Broncos, Jags, Browns, Jets
With one team (the Bills) having introduced their new head coach today, and two more clubs (Jets, Raiders) closing in on their targets, there are four head coaching jobs still available, and it appeared coming into today that the 49ers were moving toward locking up Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. However, nothing’s done between Gase and the Niners yet, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who tweets that the Broncos OC met with John Elway to discuss Denver’s head coaching vacancy today. Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), it wasn’t a formal interview, but if there’s mutual interest between the two sides, that formal interview could still happen.
As we wait to see whether or not Gase sticks with the Broncos, let’s round up a few other notes from around the AFC….
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links) have updates on a pair of offensive coordinator searches. Per Rapoport, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson will interview for the same role with the Jaguars, while Cabot reports that the Browns will speak to their tight ends coach Brian Angelichio about their offensive coordinator opening.
- Steve Smith had a nice bounceback season in his first year in Baltimore in 2014, and remains under team control for 2015, but the Ravens want him to take a little time to decide whether or not he wants to continue his playing career, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. John Harbaugh said yesterday that the team would like Smith, who turns 36 this year, to take three weeks to see how he feels.
- Texans GM Rick Smith praised new Jets GM Mike Maccagnan, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. “He has been a valued and trusted confidant over the years and is an outstanding talent evaluator,” the GM said. Maccagnan previously served as Houston’s college scouting director.
- Maccagnan and the team’s new head coach (now known to be Todd Bowles) will each report directly to owner Woody Johnson, tweets Mehta. Maccagnan, meanwhile, will have final say over the 53-man roster. The setup in Buffalo will be similar, according to Mehta (Twitter links) — new head coach Rex Ryan will report directly to owner Terry Pegula, but GM Doug Whaley has final say on the 53-man roster.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com gave his thoughts on Maccagnan yesterday, prior to the Jets‘ hiring of Bowles as its head coach. While there are question marks about Maccagnan, Cimini is glad to see that the team didn’t hire a bean counter like predecessor John Idzik. Maccagnan is a football man with roots in player evaluation, rather than a cap guru.
- In his second offseason as the Browns‘ general manager, Ray Farmer will have plenty of notable free agent situations to address, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, who identifies six unrestricted FAs and three restricted FAs that will be priorities in Cleveland.
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.
Coaching Notes: 49ers, Gase, Marrone
49ers GM Trent Baalke is expected to fly back to California tonight without Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is meeting with the Broncos, tweets Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com. That doesn’t mean the 49ers won’t offer Gase their head coaching job — it just means that it’s not expected to be wrapped up tonight (link). More of the latest coaching news from around the National Football League:
- Now that Todd Bowles is off the market, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s second interview with the Falcons is expected to take place on Wednesday rather than Thursday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Jets have cancelled their Wednesday appointment with Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, which could mean that they have their man, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. That could, in theory, signal that they’ve chosen Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
- Bowles had dinner with Jets brass tonight, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). He’s staying overnight in the area, but he’ll still be meeting with the Falcons on Wednesday.
- Bowles and the Jets haven’t started discussing a contract yet, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
- The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have interviewed former Bills head coach Doug Marrone for their head coaching vacancy today.
- 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari says he will wait to find out what happens in San Francisco before deciding whether he wants to pursue the Bills job, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
Broncos Notes: Manning, Elway, Fox
What a difference a few days can make. The Broncos, who were viewed as one of the elite teams in the NFL, are in a state of flux. After being bounced by the Colts, coach John Fox is out and Peyton Manning sounds non-committal about returning to Denver next season. Meanwhile, the Broncos are having some reservations about No. 18 as well, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Broncos are worried about Manning’s quadriceps and, perhaps more importantly, his declining arm strength. Manning is owed $19MM for 2015 and some in the organization are wondering if that price tag is worth it for them. More out of Denver..
- Broncos executive vice president and GM John Elway said that Jack Del Rio and Adam Gase are both candidates for the head coaching vacancy, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter). However, no interviews are scheduled just yet.
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is a popular man. The Broncos have now requested permission to interview him for their head coaching vacancy, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Elway’s comments made it clear that he has faith in Manning, Renck tweets. He wants him back, wants him involved in the process to get back to contention, and believes that he can play another year in the NFL.
- However, Elway went on to say that Manning will take the next four to five weeks to think about what he wants to do next, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (on Twitter).
- When asked about his friction with Fox, Elway said, “We disagreed on how to get to the next level,” according to Pelissero (via Twitter).
Broncos Notes: Manning, Shanahan, Gase
Peyton Manning is under contract through 2016, but coming off a quad injury and a disappointing divisional playoff loss to the Colts, the Broncos signal-caller has yet to commit to playing another season. As Field Yates of ESPN.com writes in an Insider-only piece, Manning’s decision will be one of the biggest stories to watch this offseason, since his retirement would signal wholesale changes in Denver, not just on the coaching staff but at the most important position on the roster as well.
Here’s more on Manning and the Broncos:
- According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Manning’s decision will come down to returning to the Broncos or retiring — he won’t play for another team. However, that didn’t stop Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk from identifying eight potential suitors for Manning, if the future Hall-of-Famer decides he doesn’t want to play in Denver.
- Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that there’s some mutual interest between the Broncos and Mike Shanahan, who has kept in touch with GM John Elway recently. Cole also notes that when he mentioned Shanahan as a head coaching candidate to Manning, the quarterback’s interest seemed “piqued” by the idea.
- While Adam Gase is meeting with the 49ers today, Elway plans to speak to the Broncos offensive coordinator afterward, per Jeff Darlington of NFL.com (Twitter links). A source tells Darlington that the Broncos are confident they’ll get a chance to make a pitch to Gase, but the team doesn’t have a sense of which way he’s leaning at this point. While Darlington doesn’t explicitly say it, the implication here is that Denver is interested in Gase as a head coaching option.
Coach Rumors: Bears, Jets, Falcons, 49ers
Two days after after coaching his final game for the Broncos, and one day after formally parting ways with the team, John Fox has an interview lined up with another club, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, who reports that the veteran coach will meet with the Bears. While Mortensen cautions that Fox isn’t a lock for the Chicago opening, he appears to be a strong candidate, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it’s the job Fox wants.
Per Mortensen, the Bears have been impressed with candidates Todd Bowles, Dan Quinn, Adam Gase, and Teryl Austin, but Bowles is considered a favorite for the Falcons, while the 49ers are reportedly making a push for Gase, and Quinn has a handful of suitors.
With six head coaching positions still available around the NFL, we could see plenty of movement this week, with multiple teams making hires. Here are the latest updates on those vacancies:
- The Jets and Falcons appear to be emerging as the finalists for Bowles, the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. One source tells Florio that Bowles is “very likely” to land in New York, while another source believes he prefers Atlanta. Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Bowles, who has second interviews scheduled with both clubs, will now meet with the Jets first, rather than the Falcons, which could be a sign that New York is the current frontrunner to hire him. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that Bowles will meet with Mike Maccagnan, who has yet to be officially announced as the Jets’ new general manager.
- As Seth Walder of the New York Daily News details, Seahawks defensive coordinator Quinn has long been viewed as the Jets‘ top choice, but the team is exploring other options, with Quinn potentially tied up for the next several weeks. In Florio’s previously-linked piece, the PFT scribe notes that Quinn’s interest in the Jets may not be as strong as previously believed.
- Peter King of The MMQB.com agrees that the Jets‘ focus appears to be shifting from Quinn to Bowles, and speculates that the Seahawks DC has another position lined up — perhaps with the Falcons, who seem to be targeting Quinn and Bowles. Weighing in on the other open positions, King says he continues to hear Jack Del Rio over Tony Sparano as the top candidate for the Raiders, and that the 49ers‘ choice may come down to Gase, Vic Fangio, or Jim Tomsula.
- Despite the fact that Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak has said he intends to stay in Baltimore, the Broncos will seek permission to interview him for their head coaching opening, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
- Washington would like to wrap up its defensive coordinator interviews within the next couple days and make a hire by week’s end, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. The club is speaking to Raheem Morris about the position today.
- New Bills coach Rex Ryan will retain special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
FA Notes: Welker, Panthers, Lions, Eagles
Let’s look at some news regarding free-agents-to-be…
- Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker told reporters, including Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter), that he’s not sure if he wants to return to the Broncos next season. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of things I need to figure out,” the veteran said. Back in November it was reported that several former teammates would like to see him walk away from the game altogether for the sake of his long-term health.
- Assuming the Panthers don’t pursue Greg Hardy after the completion of his Feb. 9th domestic violence trial, their biggest decision will be whether to re-sign left tackle Byron Bell, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton. Bell has had an up-and-down season, but odds are Carolina won’t find a high-level left tackle in the draft at pick No. 25. Besides, the Panthers have other needs they might want to address with their first round selection. Carolina could use a speed receiver, a return specialist, a cover corner, and a defensive lineman.
- Stephen Hill says he’d like to return to the Panthers next year, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter) Based on coach Ron Rivera‘s comments last week, it sounds like the team wants him back as well.
- The Lions have several free agents to address, including backup quarterback Kellen Moore, who tells Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com that he’d like to return to the Motor City next season. Moore, 25, has yet to take an NFL snap.
- The Eagles have a lot of decisions to make about their upcoming free agents. In part one of a six part series, Reuben Frank and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com look at a handful of the Eagles – from Emmanuel Acho to Matt Barkley – who can leave this offseason.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
49ers To Make A “Final Push” For Adam Gase
8:06pm: Gase’s interview with the 49ers will take place tomorrow, not tonight, clarifies Rapoport (Twitter link).
5:25pm: Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase is now free to explore other opportunities after being let go by Denver, along with head coach John Fox and the rest of the coaching staff. Although his contract has not officially been terminated, he is able to look for other options, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Though three clubs with head coaching vacancies have interviewed Gase, the 49ers appear to have the most serious interest, and will make a “final push” at a meeting tonight in an effort to hire the 36-year-old as their head coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Gase originally interviewed with San Francisco in early January during the Broncos’ playoff bye week.
Though it may seem that Denver letting Gase leave is something of an indictment, Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network notes (Twitter links) that general manager John Elway was simply following protocol, clearing out the entire staff in addition to the head coach. As such, the Broncos’ next HC will be allowed to name his own assistant coaches, and determine whether Gase (and others) is a fit for the new regime. Likewise, in the event that Gase is promoted to head coach, he’ll be able to hire his own staff.
Gase has been Denver’s play-caller for the past two seasons; he’s been on the Broncos staff since 2009, serving as both a quarterbacks and receivers coach. He’s drawn interest from the Falcons, Bears, Bills (before they hired Rex Ryan), and the 49ers. Per Rapoport (on Twitter), Peyton Manning has been calling other teams and acting as an advocate for Gase. San Francisco, meanwhile, has been linked to a number of candidates, interviewing eight, but it seems like they now zeroing in on Gase.