Coach Updates: Spags, Quinn, LeBeau, Tucker
The Giants will interview Ravens assistant (and former employee) Steve Spagnuolo for their defensive coordinator position this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Facebook link). Spagnuolo, 55, was New York’s DC from 2007-08. Per Schefter, the club also spoke with its own defensive backs coach, David Merritt, about the job. Here’s more news on the coaching front…
- After parting ways with John Fox earlier today, the Broncos want to interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, tweets Schefter. Quinn is viewed as the favorite for the Jets head coaching position, and has also been linked to the vacancies in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco.
- We heard earlier today that the Jets wanted to bring in Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for a second interview, and now Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets that the meeting will take place on Wednesday, the same day Bowles will speak with the Falcons for a second time. The Atlanta interview will happen first, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Cowboys offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Bill Callahan is a popular man, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He’s drawing interest elsewhere, which could lead to a promotion of Scott Linehan. Bills head coach Rex Ryan is among those with interest, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
- LSU has been in contact with Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker about their opening at the same position, according to Ross Dellenger and Scott Rabalais of The Advocate. Tucker, who was rumored to be on the hot seat in Chicago, remains under contract with the team.
- While ex-Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has discussed joining the Cardinals coaching staff (Twitter link via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), it will not be as DC, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910, who adds that LeBeau could be brought aboard in something of an advising capacity.
- Meanwhile, the Steelers have not met with any outside candidates to replace LeBeau, meaning it’s increasingly likely that linebackers coach Keith Butler will be promoted to DC, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Butler has been in his current role since 2003.
- The Giants met with Washington secondary coach Raheem Morris on Friday about their open DC position, but will go in another direction, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (Twitter link). Per Russini, Morris will now interview for Washington’s defensive coordinator job.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Fallout From John Fox, Broncos Parting Ways
Broncos general manager John Elway and ex-head coach John Fox have released a statement in the wake of the news that the two parties would be parting ways. “John Fox and I met for more than an hour on Monday afternoon to discuss the 2014 season and our goals for the future,” said Elway, via Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “During our open and candid conversation, it became clear that it was best for both the Denver Broncos and Coach Fox to move on and make this change.” Like Elway, Fox was thankful and complementary, but also gave a hint about his plans for the future. “I am eager to continue my coaching career and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead,” said Fox, indicating that he’s open to other jobs.
Let’s take a look at the fallout from and reaction to the shakeup, and how it affects the Broncos, Fox, and the rest of the team’s coaching staff.
- The Broncos had not considered moving on from Fox until a report surfaced yesterday from Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, a friend of Fox’s, indicating that Fox could be out, per Klis. The club worried that Fox was “keeping his options open” with regard to other coaching vacancies, which led to today’s meeting.
- Elway was reportedly unhappy with the Broncos’ mental toughness, and was especially disappointed with how the club performed in the postseason, writes Klis. For his part, Fox wanted more control over personnel, and preferred to have a say over the draft and the roster.
- Fox could be an option to replace Marc Trestman with the Bears, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The link between Fox and Chicago is clear, as Fox has a close relationship with Ernie Accorsi, who is advising the Bears’ head coaching search, tweets Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post. Additionally, Fox’s best friend in the NFL is Saints head coach Sean Payton, who worked with new Chicago GM Ryan Pace, meaning Fox should be well-informed about where the Bears stand, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Appearing on The Michael Kay Show, Jets advisor Charley Casserly declined to speak on whether Gang Green would be interested in Fox, according to Kimberley Martin of Newsday (Twitter link).
- On the Broncos side, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com doesn’t expect the club to hire a big-name coach, noting that Denver’s coaching budget “is far from expansive” (Twitter link).
- Gary Kubiak was the Broncos offensive coordinator from 2003-05, and Ed Werder of ESPN speculates (via Twitter) that the club could be interested in a reunion. However, in response to a report that the Bears were pursuing him, Kubiak released a statement yesterday saying he would remain with the Ravens, and a Baltimore source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) that he’d be shocked if Kubiak now reversed course.
- The most obvious candidate for the Broncos job could be offensive coordinator Adam Gase, whom the 49ers will meet with tonight in an effort to hire him as their head coach. There are conflicting reports on whether Gase will be a candidate for Denver’s top job, however, as Florio tweets that Gase will in fact be an option, while Klis writes that the OC is not considered likely to be promoted.
- Given Mike Shanahan’s relationship with Elway, it would’ve been fair to wonder if a reunion was in order. However, Klis reports that Shanahan is not a candidate for the Broncos vacancy.
- Meanwhile, one candidate who probably will garner an interview is Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville, who was the club’s interim head coach in 2010 following Josh McDaniels’ firing, per La Canfora (Twitter link).
Broncos, John Fox To Part Ways
4:58pm: Vic Lombardi of CBS4 (via Twitter) hears that the entire Broncos coaching staff has been let go. That would include offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who was presumed by many as a candidate to fill Fox’s old position.
4:18pm: The Broncos and coach John Fox will part ways, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The decision came after Fox and team president John Elway met earlier this afternoon, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
On Sunday, the Broncos’ playoff run ended at the hands of Andrew Luck and the Colts. Immediately after the game, speculation began to fly about the job security of Fox. The phrasing of today’s news, however, would lead one to believe that this was something of a mutual decision. After all, with a number of vacancies around the NFL, including intriguing teams like the Falcons and Bears, Fox could be very open to a change. Peyton Manning had a quality season on the whole, but his performance in Sunday’s defeat could signal that the aging quarterback is in the decline phase of his career. On top of that, the Broncos have several key players set to hit the open market, including wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas.
Meanwhile, Elway will have many interesting options to choose from as he looks to replace Fox. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who has earned a strong reputation around football in recent years, could be a top candidate for the position. There are also a pair of veteran options with ties to the organization out there: Mike Shanahan and Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. Kubiak has already said that he’ll remain in Baltimore, but one has to wonder if the opportunity to take over as the head coach in Denver would change his mind.
In four seasons as the head coach on the Broncos, Fox recorded an impressive 46-18 record. His previous stint with the Panthers produced a 73-71 mark.
With the new head coaching vacancy in Denver, there are now six teams looking for a head coach.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC West Notes: Manning, Raiders, Del Rio
This might help to explain things. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning played in Sunday’s loss and the past month of the season with a torn right quad, two sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The tear, which was first suffered during Denver’s December 14th win over the Chargers, was confirmed by an MRI (link).
- A team source tells Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post that Manning played with a strained quad, not a full tear.
- Now that the Denver’s season is over, the Raiders are expected to try to meet again with Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio for a second interview, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Oakland inquired about interviewing him last week, only to be told that the rules wouldn’t allow for it (link).
- Manning is due $19MM next year, which would be tough for any player to pass up, writes Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. And, as much as he struggled Sunday and showed cracks throughout the second half of the season, Manning still finished second in the NFL in touchdowns.
- The plain and harsh truth is that Manning is done, writes Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. Manning could return for 2015 to take another crack at winning it all with the Broncos, Kiszla writes, but it would be a fool’s errand.
- There could be a number of roster changes in store for the Broncos, as Mike Klis and Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post write. “That’s one of the toughest parts of this,” defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “Right now, if I knew I had another year under my belt, I would be thinking revenge already. But I don’t know how things are going to work. I hope to be here for the rest of my career, but I know how the business part affects things.”
Broncos Notes: Manning, Fox, Talib
In the wake of the Broncos 24-13 loss to the Colts tonight, questions regarding Peyton Manning‘s future began to surface. Manning himself was non-committal about returning in 2015, according to Burt Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter). “I need to process this game, and we’ll meet tomorrow,” said Manning.
Here are some other rumors after the Broncos elimination:
- Manning is set to make $19MM in 2015, and for that reason Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com believes he will be back next year (via Twitter). At the same time, he notes that his colleague Marc Sessler has thought Manning could retire after the season since September.
- Manning’s full salary will be guaranteed on the last day of the league year in March, reports Joel Corry of the National Football Post (via Twitter). If he retires, Denver will have a $5MM in dead money on its 2015 cap.
- The Broncos will save $16.5MM if they move on from Manning this offseason, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
- Money aside, Aaron Nagler of SI Now wonders if Manning would even want to start over again if head coach John Fox is fired and offensive coordinator Adam Gase finds employment elsewhere this offseason (via Twitter).
- Despite those reports that Fox’s job was on the line today, the Broncos head coach was adamant about staying with the team, according to Around the NFL (via Twitter). “My intentions are to be a Denver Bronco,” said Fox.
- Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com notes that with the Broncos out of the playoffs, Gase and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio are now available to sign as head coaches elsewhere right away (via Twitter). The Raiders have been interested in Del Rio, and Gase has drawn interest from a number of teams.
- As he did upon the Cowboys’ loss to the Packers earlier, Field Yates of ESPN looks into some important offseason decisions facing the Broncos (ESPN Insider Link). Among the most important free agents, Yates writes the team needs to bring back Demaryius Thomas and Terrance Knighton, make a decision on Julius Thomas, and add to their offensive line and linebacking crews.
- Corry also notes that the team could move on from oft-injured cornerback Aqib Talib, who has a cap number of $7MM in 2015 (via Twitter). That will leave $4MM in dead money on Denver’s cap sheet.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com put together a list of the Broncos free agents heading into this offseason and their current average salaries, and also addresses some salary cap and contract issues that the team will face with or without their quarterback..
Coaching Updates: Bowles, Kubiak, Austin
The 49ers may have lost head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, but they are very interested in Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com. Bowles interviewed for their vacancy on Friday, and although nothing has been scheduled officially, he is expected to be asked back for a second interview (via Twitter).
Here are some more updates on potential head coaches this Sunday:
- New Bears general manager Ryan Pace’s first task is to find a new head coach, and he plans on pursuing Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, writes Chris Boden of CSNChicago.com. Kubiak had not interviewed for any jobs with the team’s season continuing, but now could be an option to fill vacancies. Reports had it that Kubiak may elect to stay in Baltimore.
- The Bears are scheduled to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin for their head coaching position on Tuesday, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN (via Twitter).
- The Raiders have expressed interest in Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, and after the team was eliminated from the playoffs earlier today, the process of landing the former Jaguars head coach may have accelerated, writes Jerry McDonald of the San Jose Mercury News.
- For the 49ers, only two of their potential head coaching candidates are still in playoffs, in Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
John Fox To Be Fired If Broncos Lose?
Citing Fox NFL Insider Jay Glazer, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that, if the Broncos lose their Divisional Round matchup against Indianapolis today, Denver head coach John Fox could be fired. Cole, in fact, believes there is a “pretty good chance” Fox would get the ax if the Broncos fall today.
Fox has led the Broncos to the playoffs in each of his four seasons in Denver, including a Super Bowl appearance last season. However, after an embarrassing performance in the Super Bowl, which followed a surprising upset at the hands of the eventual-champion Ravens the year before, Fox may be coaching for his job today. Another home upset in the second round of the playoffs may be too much for the Denver front office to take, especially considering the talent on the team’s roster.
Fox, though, recently signed an extension with the Broncos through the 2016 season, so a firing at this point would seem unlikely. However, if it did happen, he would immediately become the most desirable candidate on the head coaching market.
Broncos Place Quanterus Smith On IR
The Broncos have decided to place defensive end Quanterus Smith on injured reserve, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
The team has promoted linebacker Shaquil Barrett to the active roster to replace Smith.
Smith has played just over a quarter of the Broncos’ defensive snaps this season, but struggled with a knee injury and was ruled out for this Sunday’s game against the Colts. The team needed the extra depth at linebacker, especially with Brandon Marshall‘s status uncertain, and needed to make space on the roster for Barrett, reports Jeff Legwold of ESPN (via Twitter).
NFC Coaching Notes: Quinn, 49ers, Rams
Here are some updates on open NFC coaching positions:
- If Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn gets a head coaching job, potential offensive coordinators he could hire include Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable or former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Since losing offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to the University of Georgia, the Rams have expressed interest in 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman and former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to fill the open position, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
- The 49ers announced that it would take seven to ten days to hire a new coach, but made the announcement on December 29th, and have yet to make significant progress, reports Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Gutierrez notes that three candidates are still coaching playoff teams, and lists the eight coaches interviewed so far.
- The three candidates for the 49ers job that will be coaching this weekend are Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. If everything breaks perfectly, all three could be available by Sunday night.
- Six coaching jobs have opened up this offseason and six jobs remain unfilled. Everyone may have their own theory for why it is taking so long to hire new head coaches, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes it is because teams are waiting for the Seahawks‘ season to be over and for Quinn to become available (via Twitter).
- As the Giants continue to search for a new defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo is among leaders in the clubhouse for the job, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter). Spagnuolo was the defensive coordinator under Tom Coughlin during the team’s 2007-08 Super Bowl run.
Coaching Notes: Raiders, Giants, Browns
Let’s check out some notable coaching rumors as we start off the weekend…
- Raiders owner Mark Davis “loves” Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, it’s uncertain whether the organization is willing to wait for Del Rio to finish up his playoff run with Denver.
- According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Giants have requested permission to interview Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson for their defensive coordinator opening. Johnson has coached since 2000, but he has yet to hold a coordinator position.
- The Browns have requested permission to interview a trio of NFL coaches for their offensive coordinator opening (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter): 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Raiders offensive assistant Al Saunders and current Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. The organization is also set to interview former Bears head coach Marc Trestman,
- Rapoport tweets that Roman’s interview with the Browns is on Monday, so a hiring shouldn’t be expected this weekend.
- Bills running back coach Tyrone Wheatley will be joining Jim Harbaugh‘s staff at Michigan, tweets John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. Wheatley was previously a coach at Syracuse, Ohio Northern and Eastern Michigan.